Green Lights

[LarryN]

Yesterday at lunch I headed over to the McDonalds on base. Parked in the lot is a either a Chevy 2500 or Ford 250 pick up with a light bar on the roof. The light bar is ALL green (360) with a yellow directional “arrow” setup on the back. I thought that they could have been an early Winter Texan from NY. The truck is about the right size to tow a fifth wheel. I thought that they were volunteer EMT’s. Turns out that the truck had TX Exempt plates on it and a “Dial 911” decal on the sides. What agency could this be? I thought the standard was that green lights were for command vehicles only.

 

[hoser147]

Some security vehicles run green and yellow lights. You are right on with the command vehicle having Green Lights............Hoser

 

[Grog]

Did it have any real markings?


Not related, but I know a fire fighter who had to be told to take the "dial 911" markings off of his POV. Despite being fire fighters, him and his dad were borderline wackers, buying red trucks, mounting lightbars, and having them marker with the 911 signs. They were the running joke in that part of the world :lol:

 

[LarryN]

I would have blown it off except they had State of Texas "exempt" tags. Which means that they are registered to a state, county, or local government agency. So security is more than likely out. Whackers can't get exempt tags. No real markings on the truck.

 

[bpckty1]

The exempt plates identify it as a government owned vehicle. But, with no red lights, unless there was a siren somewhere on the vehicle, it cannot be used as an emergency vehicle. Perhaps it is the city/county's OEM vehicle, which wouldn't need to run "hot" anyway.

 

[bpckty1]

LarryN, looks like we tied.

 

[LarryN]

OEM would make sense. I didn't look for a siren. Just kinda wondering.

 

[nueces162]

Maybe something to do with HAZ-MAT? They have been having HAZ-MAT schools over at the base fire station this month with off-base agencies as instructors and students. I think they have been having some oil spill clean-up drills out on the seawall too as a part of their training.

 

[thadood]

Scenerio: The Vehicle was owned and operated by a private corperation contracted out by military to escort shipments via 18wheeler that the same company has contract on to ship, not necesarily a high priority shipment , but at the same time who really knows ????

 

[SCPD]

Could be some sort of Official Un-Official government entity. hard to tell, you shoulda asked them.

I believe in the State Health Code (Where vehicle warning lights are defined) Green and Amber are now legal to be used by Private civillians, Security, Vehicle roadside response and of course on Private property ANY combonation of Lights can be used by ANY person. I had heard recently, green was No longer reserved for Fire Command exclusivly. However, the person I heard it from aint completely rite in the head so I sorta ignored him on that.

 

[bpckty1]

Sorry, thadood, but in my experience, exempt plates issued by the State of Texas can only be placed on a state, local, or authorized agency's, such as VFD and EMS, vehicle operated by an authorized entity. So, the private vehicle concept is moot.

It has been a long time since I've seen any type of emergency vehicle using a green light. The last time I remember seeing them was more than a couple of moons ago in Arkansas, and I was told they were placed on emergency vehicles, such as ambulances, that carried oxygen.

<Rant mode ON>
I just wish the states could get together and have a uniform color scheme for emergency lights. Some states use red, some blue, and others a combination of the two, with amber flashers facing the rear (OK, the California Hwy Patrol rear deck amber spotlight).
<Rant mode OFF>

 

[Croaker90]

I think it is for these:
Command Vehicles /centers
Homeland Security (seen a set on a HomeLand Security RV command veh.)
FBI (or any other fed. agencies CIA)

 

[Para078]

Green lights

A non profit or tax exempt entity can get exempt tags. ETMC EMS has them and we have them on our fire apparatus. We are listed as a 503-1 or something like that and we qualify for exempt tags.

 

[texasemt13]

what about non-exempt that should be exempt?

So how do we go on to explain all the OBVIOUS unmarked cars that run with normal plates- just because we assume that the gov't (city, state, fed) is the only one's that can have exempt tags doesn't mean they are the only ones getting them- I know all NBPD unmarked cars have normal plates (usually 3 numbers followed by 3 letters). This patter of 3 digits followed by 3 characters (or vice versa) is common. Last night at the Barack Obama rally in San Marcos the Secret Service was using two vehicles (obvious gov't vehicles- vlacked out excursion and typical blue ford surveillance van), both had normal texas tags with same license plate coding (3 by 3). Explanations as to when and why they have to have exempt or normal tags anyone? Maybe someone with a background in theis stuff?

 

[nd5y]

http://www.dot.state.tx.us/forms/specialty_plates.htm#gov
There is a form to apply for regular plates on an exempt vehicle.

 

[n5ims]

To get (or renew) a normal plate (or speciality plate, for that matter) on your normally exempt vehicle, you simply fill out this form ( http://www.dot.state.tx.us/txdotefo...eportError.jsp&configFile=WFServletConfig.xml ) and give it to your local Texas tax office.

In Texas, not only government agencies qualify for exempt plates, but certain situations allow others to use them as well (privately owned ambulances, fire trucks, school buses for example).

There are forms for exempt plates for:
* Application for Exempt Registration for an Emergency Medical Services Vehicle - Use this form to apply for standard Texas exempt license plates if your organization is an emergency medical services (EMS) provider licensed by the Texas Board of Health to provide EMS. To qualify, your organization must be either nonprofit or created and operated by a municipality, county or combination thereof through a contract or joint agreement.
* Application for Exempt Registration of a Fire Fighting Vehicle Owned Privately or by a Volunteer Fire Department
* Application for Standard Texas Exempt License Plates - Standard Exempt license plates are issued to vehicles owned and used exclusively in the service of the U.S. Government, the State of Texas, or any county, city, or school district.
* Exempt Vehicle Affidavit Driver Education -
Use this form to verify that your vehicle is exempt from the payment of both prescribed motor vehicle registration fees (Transportation Code section 502.202) and certificate of title fees (Transportation Code section 501.004).
* Public School Transportation Services Verification - Use this form to verify that your vehicle, in accordance with Transportation Code section 502.202, is the property of a commercial transportation company and is used exclusively to provide public school transportation services to a school district under Education Code section 34.008.

 

[RodStrong]

Unless the law has changed in the past couple of years, all vehicles bearing exempt plates in Texas MUST reflect the agency they are from. In other words, it is illegal for a totally unmarked vehicle to bear exempt plates in Texas.

I think the letters that identify the agency must be at least 2 inches tall, but man, I'm digging way back into my cranial file cabinet for that. Could be wrong.

 

[otter9309]

Unless the law has changed in the past couple of years, all vehicles bearing exempt plates in Texas MUST reflect the agency they are from. In other words, it is illegal for a totally unmarked vehicle to bear exempt plates in Texas.

I think the letters that identify the agency must be at least 2 inches tall, but man, I'm digging way back into my cranial file cabinet for that. Could be wrong.

There is an exemption in CH741 depending on the use of the vehicle.

To answer the green light ?, Green is the standard for incident command.

 

[bpckty1]

I've seen the 2 inch letters in colors that are not significantly different from the car's paint scheme painted along the rocker panels below the front doors. And nowadays, the reflective paint that is the same color as the car is being used on some of the new Dodge cars. The departments are following the spirit, if not exactly the letter of the law.

As for the plates, the DPS is now putting "agency personalized" plates on their new cars. I'm sure TXDOT and other agencies will be getting them, too, as they retire and replace their vehicles.

 

[CLTX11]

To get a bit back on the topic of the "green light," in the city I work I know the Chiefs on the few year old Subarbans have the green light located in the center towards the rear on top. They are fully marked and even have their red light bars as well.
Haven't seen them run to a call so I cannot tell you if they run the little green strobe along with the full red light bar.