Grill Lights in a 2006 Dodge Ram 1500

[scott33]

[Kiwiology]

ROFL PMSL @ NYS Buff

Get a friggin Kojack light mate

Edited February 26, 2010 by kiwimedic

[Eydawn]

You'll have more luck in a fire forum getting an honest answer to your question. I can't help you, I only know Toyotas as far as that kind of vehicle goes.

Two questions for the OP: Are you required to have these? If not, think about whether you really want/need that visibility... only you know your area, but know that lights bring risks along with benefits. Are you going to be running "emergent" driving with these on? If so, what training requirements do you have to do so, and are you aware that driving fast while running emergent drastically increases your likelihood of an accident?

To all of you folks in here bashing this poor guy for asking how to install his lights, why the hell did you assume off the bat that he was a whacker and didn't have a legit purpose for lights on his vehicle? Some of my SAR team (search managers, rescue leaders, etc.) have lights that are hidden on their POV until in use, and let me tell you, it DOES enhance your safety as you're parked in a wonky spot along a road because the unfortunate guy you're rescuing went through the guardrail there... people can see you from a lot further off, especially at night.

They're also a godsend as you're trying to fight your way up the Thompson or Poudre canyons- people get out of your way in *safe spots* and you can make it to the scene faster. (I don't have lights on either my vehicle or my husband's, but I know the people who do run with them- safely, I might add. You drive like an asshole, you get your sheriff's understanding and certification for lights/siren yanked immediately.) My team, having operated since 1979 officially as a nonprofit organization with a memorandum of understanding with the local sheriff, has YET to have an incident with a member running hot. EVER. The worst that happens to us is someone falling asleep at the wheel as they head home from a search... thank God nobody's wrecked...

Not everyone with lights is a whacker. Not everyone asking about lights is a whacker. Since this guy mentioned green for rescue and blue for fire, I'm betting he's not running hot with them, especially as he doesn't have reds and a siren. It may be policy where he is to have lights on his response vehicle based on his qualifications.

Ya'll are knee-jerk reacting to something, and guess who looks the fool for it?

Wendy

CO EMT-B

[Kiwiology]

To all of you folks in here bashing this poor guy for asking how to install his lights, why the hell did you assume off the bat that he was a whacker and didn't have a legit purpose for lights on his vehicle?

This seems to be a strictly American thing. None of our 2,500 volunteer Ambulance Officers or 7,000 volunteer Firefighters have lights on thier vehicles, neither do Civil Defense or SAR and yes they are required to go to the station in thier own vehicles.

The Road Code here states we must stop for flashing blue and red (Police) or two blue lights (Fisheries and Customs Officers) and offer right of way to red and white (fire and ambulance). It is also illegal to mount those colours on your vehicle but hey go nuts mounting orange lights on your car .... people really care about you impersonating a garbage truck

Going out on a limb here I think most people on here feel there is no need to trick your car out with a ton of lights and that thier comments reflect that, as do mine. I think it is totally unnecessary.

Some of my SAR team (search managers, rescue leaders, etc.) have lights that are hidden on their POV until in use, and let me tell you, it DOES enhance your safety as you're parked in a wonky spot along a road because the unfortunate guy you're rescuing went through the guardrail there... people can see you from a lot further off, especially at night.

Hmm, if you are doing rescues in your own vehicle it seems a bit dodge .... now there are obviously environmental factors that I am unaware of that may mean it's perfectly legit (e.g. large distances or a group of responders who are geographically disperse making centralisation of a squad vehicle impractical) but that makes me wonder if you guys carry round rescue gear and a stokes in your car too!

I cannot also help wondering if you have proper portable lighting like the ambulance Rescue Squad and Fire Service carry.

[Richard B the EMT]

From Section 375, of the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Laws:

41. Colored and flashing lights. The provisions of this subdivision shall govern the affixing and display of lights on vehicles, other than those lights required by law. 1. No light, other than a white light, and no revolving, rotating, flashing, oscillating or constantly moving white light shall be affixed to, or displayed on any vehicle except as prescribed herein. 2. Red lights and certain white lights. One or more red or combination red and white lights, or one white light which must be a revolving, rotating, flashing, oscillating or constantly moving light, may be affixed to an authorized emergency vehicle, and such lights may be displayed on an authorized emergency vehicle when such vehicle is engaged in an emergency operation, and upon a fire vehicle while returning from an alarm of fire or other emergency. 3. Amber lights. a. One or more amber lights may be affixed to a hazard vehicle, and such a light or lights which display an amber light visible to all approaching traffic under normal atmospheric conditions from a distance of five hundred feet from such vehicle shall be displayed on a hazard vehicle when such vehicle is engaged in a hazardous operation. Such light or lights shall not be required to be displayed during daylight hours provided at least two red flags visible from a distance of five hundred feet are placed both in or on the front of, and to or on the rear of the vehicle and two such flags are placed to each side of the vehicle open to traffic. Such lights or flags need not be displayed on the vehicle when the vehicle is operating, or parked, within a barricaded work area and said lights or flags are displayed on the barricade. The provisions of this subdivision shall not prohibit the temporary affixing and display of an amber light to be used as a warning on a disabled motor vehicle or on a motor vehicle while it is stopped on a highway while engaged in an operation which would restrict, impede or interfere with the normal flow of traffic. b. In any city in this state having a population of one million or more, one amber light may be affixed to any motor vehicle owned or operated by a volunteer member of a civilian or crime patrol provided such volunteer civilian or crime patrol member has been authorized in writing to so affix an amber light by the police commissioner of the municipality in which he patrols, which authorization shall be subject to revocation at any time by the police commissioner who issued the same or his successor in office. Such amber light may be operated by such volunteer civilian or crime patrol member in such a vehicle only when engaged in a patrol operation as defined and authorized by rules and regulations promulgated by the police commissioner and only in such a manner and at such times as may be authorized by the police commissioner pursuant to said rules and regulations. 4. Blue light. a. One blue light may be affixed to any motor vehicle owned by a volunteer member of a fire department or on a motor vehicle owned by a member of such person's family residing in the same household or by a business enterprise in which such person has a proprietary interest or by which he or she is employed, provided such volunteer firefighter has been authorized in writing to so affix a blue light by the chief of the fire department or company of which he or she is a member, which authorization shall be subject to revocation at any time by the chief who issued the same or his or her successor in office. Such blue light may be displayed exclusively by such volunteer firefighter on such a vehicle only when engaged in an emergency operation. The use of blue and red light combinations shall be prohibited on all fire vehicles. The use of blue lights on fire vehicles shall be prohibited and the use of blue lights on vehicles shall be restricted for use only by a volunteer firefighter except as otherwise provided for in subparagraph b of this paragraph. b. In addition to the red and white lights authorized to be displayed pursuant to paragraph two of this subdivision, one or more blue lights or combination blue and red lights or combination blue, red and white lights may be affixed to a police vehicle, provided that such blue light or lights shall be displayed on a police vehicle for rear projection only. In the event that the trunk or rear gate of a police vehicle obstructs or diminishes the visibility of other emergency lighting on such vehicle, a blue light may be affixed to and displayed from the trunk, rear gate or interior of such vehicle. Such lights may be displayed on a police vehicle when such vehicle is engaged in an emergency operation. Nothing contained in this subparagraph shall be deemed to authorize the use of blue lights on police vehicles unless such vehicles also display one or more red or combination red and white lights as otherwise authorized in this subdivision. c. The commissioner is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations relating to the use, placement, power and display of blue lights on a police vehicle. 5. Green light. One green light may be affixed to any motor vehicle owned by a member of a volunteer ambulance service, or on a motor vehicle owned by a member of such person's family, or by a business enterprise in which such person has a proprietary interest or by which he is employed, provided such member has been authorized in writing to so affix a green light by the chief officer of such service as designated by the members thereof. Such green light may be displayed exclusively by such member of a volunteer ambulance service only when engaged in an emergency operation. The use of green lights on vehicles shall be restricted for use only by a member of a volunteer ambulance service as provided for in this paragraph. As used in this paragraph volunteer ambulance service means: a. a non-profit membership corporation (other than a fire corporation) incorporated under or subject to the provisions of the membership corporations law, or any other law, operating its ambulance or ambulances on a non-profit basis for the convenience of the members thereof and their families or of the community or under a contract with a county, city, town or village pursuant to section one hundred twenty-two-b of the general municipal law; or b. an unincorporated association of persons operating its ambulance or ambulances on a non-profit basis for the convenience of the members and their families or of the community.

While I note that it states one bulb, I actually don't know anyone who follows that, including myself. I have seen multiples in the grille, with a Kojack on the dash, and a lightbar on top (not mentioning the alternating tail light/backup lights, and rear deck lights). One associate of mine was ticketed for having a single housing 2 bulb rotating beacon, operated off one switch, the LEO claiming he had a permit for one bulb, not the other Edited February 26, 2010 by Richard B the EMT

[Eydawn]

Let me clarify our modus operandi for you a bit.

Team members carry their own personal gear (climbing harnesses and gear, search packs, medical small-kits for those of us who are EMT's) in their vehicles along with uniforms. When something requiring a very quick response goes down (eg missing child, missing Alzheimer's, rescue) we respond TO THE SCENE in our personal vehicles. Nobody will EVER run hot to the shed to go get the truck. Some people have bumper stickers, some of us use these handy little magnetic panels that come off and on with our team's logo on them... but all of us in some fashion try to identify our vehicles when we get to a scene. The local PD tends to argue a lot less with the search leader who gets there if the search leader has a vehicle with emblems and lights on it (sometimes there isn't time to change into uniform prior to arriving on scene and sometimes city PD or rural folks are kind of dense and not really sure who we are even though they requested us...) so that's another function of why we have members with lights... everyone who has lights, to my knowledge is a rated leader of some sort on our team.

All our important gear, including our various baskets, large basket wheel, rescue kits, ropes, medical kits, O2, avi beacons, probe poles, shovels, winter sled, etc. is in one of our primary response vehicles; one looks like a big ambulance that's just full of shit, while the other is more of a truck with boxes model. Those vehicles are ONLY driven emergent by individuals certified by our sheriff's office. I drive them non-emergent, as that is what I am qualified for. Both these trucks also have additional lighting, with the best lighting coming from our primary truck, not our backup (our primary is the ambo style with a light tree you could make toast with on the roof).

Sometimes, there is no good place to park onscene, so you end up stuck halfway off the road. Lights are a good thing for this, and we try to sandwich vehicles without lights in between vehicles WITH lights when that happens. Different countries, different modes of operation. This seems to work pretty well for us.

Nobody said this guy has a ton of lights, and nobody has yet to prove to me that he's a whacker and deserves to have a SIMPLE QUESTION hit with a bunch of negatives. This whole reputation system was supposed to be based on quality of post, rather than whether or not your opinion was popular. Since threads in the damn FUNNY SECTION can be upvoted or downvoted, there goes that idea... Drives me nuts to see everyone who's got an issue with POV lights downvoting someone for asking a friggin' question. If he were arguing that it just looks cool and he's got to run hot to everything, I'd understand... but he just asked how to install the lights he's got.

OP- my hubby suggests you visit a Dodge truck forum, as there's bound to be threads on that kind of thing with which wires to splice, etc.

Wendy

CO EMT-B

[Richard B the EMT]

None of our 2,500 volunteer Ambulance Officers or 7,000 volunteer Firefighters have lights on thier vehicles, neither do Civil Defense or SAR and yes they are required to go to the station in thier own vehicles.

Just for informational sake, do they usually respond from home in a "standby' status or emergency recall, or operate "on station", for example, in the station-house?