emergency red lights
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scannersnstuff
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i believe that having flashing/blinking red lights is against title 39, the exception being line officers of squads/fire co's. i STRESS, check with your dept.,local pd or njdot before installing or operating such equipment.
i do notice some njdot emergency response vehicles with red leds.
i do notice some njdot emergency response vehicles with red leds.
Confuzzled
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This is a question for your Chief. No one else can give you a definitive answer.
Every state is different. Do a Google search for NJ Mortor Vehicle Law and you should be able to find a copy of it. Or better yet, ask a cop! (S)He'd be the one giving you a ticket if...... I'm a retired cop, but in NY, so I can't help you.
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Confuzzled
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Ask your Chief. That's who will toss you off the department.
gunmasternd
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someones alittle trigger happy to show off
if you have to ask your to early to get those type of privileges.sragen
Member
No it isn't
It is illegal when you read into the Motor Vehicle code; however, will anyone really bother you on the local level, probably not; however, on that cold winter evening, when you've pissed off one of the N.J.S.P. Gestapo (State Trooper), do not expect mercy as he breaks out his ticket book and starts writing and then confiscates you're illegal police paraphernalia...
To be on the safe side, especially in New Jersey, consider using only Blue, and maybe one White light to the front if you're locals are cool, then only Blue and Amber to the rear.
Be safe, not stupid; don't make yourself stand out and you'll be fine!
To be on the safe side, especially in New Jersey, consider using only Blue, and maybe one White light to the front if you're locals are cool, then only Blue and Amber to the rear.
Be safe, not stupid; don't make yourself stand out and you'll be fine!
I disagree. As an officer for a volunteer department in Connecticut I may go directly to a scene if its close to my residence or between my house and the station. Then blue lights to the rear are an asset.
In connecticut we can have a red light to the rear ONLY when stopped. This is more for our fire police.
That is absolute hogwash...to put it in a family friendly manner. In volly EMS it is often vital to have one member go to quarters to get the truck, and the rest go to the scene to eval and administer care. You have an officer down, you want any delays? EMS doesn't! In volly fire, if you've got a house fully involved, maybe someone inside, the company rolled, but they're screaming for manpower, it's vital to get where you need to be. Wow, geez.
As to the original question, per the emergency lights section of the MVC and our local chief of police, no. You cannot have any red emergency lighting on your personal vehicle at all with a blue light permit. The only volunteers who are permitted to are captains or chiefs, with the appropriate permit approved by the chief of police and governing body. Doing so as a member without being authorized can result in the loss of your permit, and possibly the loss of your license. Not to mention charges you may be brought up on internally by your department.
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That's the best comment I've seen so far. (;->) Blue is enough but if you want to show off do what the VFD guy across the street did with his last car, put a twin blue bar on the roof. He didn't want to ruin the appearance of his new one so now he has something behind the windscreen you can't see when off. I've only seen him use it once and the other one never. Does that tell you something?
Yeah, don't be a whacker unless you want your picture on Hamsexy. (;->)
Yeah, don't be a whacker unless you want your picture on Hamsexy. (;->)
Its illegal. They are courtesy lights not to be confused with emergency warning lights. Therefore your POV should not be stopped within any roadway with them flashing (like a scene). Only for responding to an emergency. So why do you need rear warning then? (Its not my opinion) There is case law on it because motorists struck POV's in the roadway on a scene, sued and won. (again, not my opinion, dont shoot the messenger)
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No, blue POV lights should not be used AT the scene as any kind of protection. But to say you're not supposed to go TO the scene as a volly...that's just bs and completely untrue. At least here in NJ. But you have to use common sense also. If you live in a 1sqmi town, with four traffic lights, do you really need to have your light on to get there?
I do have a rear blue. Extremely low power, less than 20w, non-flashing/steady burn. But the reason is cause I got tired of idiots on their cell phones behind me not paying attention. Nothing like getting rear-ended when you stop at a red light trying to get to the building for a man-down call. But my response is also a couple miles. If it were a handful of blocks...I wouldn't even plug them in.
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So its ok to use blue light to get to the scene but you have to shut them off while there? I don't buy it. Show me where it says that? Maybe things are worded differently in NJ but I have never heard of that in CT. So I am responding with lights on to a car accident on a busy street. The accident is between my house and the station so I stop to begin care and must shut my lights off? Not going to happen. I am more of a hazard with them off. I understand they are a courtesy light, but, if some one hits my truck they should have given my the courtesy to STOP. I WILL use my truck to block traffic if it means MY safety. I highly doubt that if my truck was hit on scene that I could be found at fault. What about Fire Police? They use blue and its their job to direct traffic. They should shut off as well?
radioman2001
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You need to go to the adminstrating agency that gave you the blue light permit. If that's the Chief of Department, then that's who you need to talk to. If it's the Board of Fire Commisioners then they need to be talked to. These offices are the ones that decide if you are covered by department policy and how. Even if you get ticketed by an Police Officer local or State, when you show up with the permission of you department, it will be thrown out of court.
It's very different Kevin, and I actually agree with you whole heartily! But New Jersey is militant and strange about their policies on volunteers period, despite that we make up more than 75% of the fire and EMS services in the state.
Radioman in NJ the responsible agency is the NJ Motor Vehicle Commission. The department you are a member of has no say, except to deny you a state application completely, or if they want to be even stricter than what MVC says.
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lindsay34654
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Why are we beating this to death? each states had their own laws and if you really have any questions or thoughts on it just put amber lights no one can complain about them.
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