Vehile Lighting

[emsmnguy]

My advise...

Sleep at the station...driving one rig to a call is dangerous enough.

Emergency lighting on a personal vehicle is reeeeeking of liability. It would make my insurance mans head spin and spew green stuff...no good. Lawyers would have a hayday on this. I dont care what permits say. Sleep at the station.

[Eydawn]

Unless you have a system where someone goes to get the rig while someone else responds in their POV to optimize response time to the scene you have no need for lights whatsoever. Really, you don't.

This reminds me slightly of a quote from a Heinlein novel (one of the greatest scifi writers of all time). I believe it is from Tunnel in the Sky, and to paraphrase: "When I send one of my girls out on a mission, I don't arm her to the teeth. I send her out with nothing more than a pair of shorts and one knife. That way she comes back alive and with her goal accomplished."

Don't arm to the teeth. Use your hazard flashers and headlights if need be; a single strobe to alert people as to your presence should be fine. You're not trying to beat every light and make it around as many people as possible; you're trying to reach the scene safely and efficiently so you can help your patient.

The goal is for everyone to get to their destination alive and in the same or better condition than when you started the shift. Lights will make you overconfident and feed into the adrenaline trap, because they're yet another stimulus. No lights will make you drive much more defensively because you know not everyone is paying attention to you.

If you must put a light in, Galls sells some little LED bars that stick to the windshield with suction cups, so you don't have to have it in all the time. I don't doubt that you're probably a very good provider... but do a search here in the forums on the term "whacker" and all of the debate it's caused. Be careful of appearing whackerish; many will judge you instantly and make a ton of assumptions about your competency based on a few careless or arrogant remarks. Not saying you've made those, but just an FYI.

Welcome to the City! Lurk around a bit and try to get a feel for the place, and take everything with a grain of salt till you get the hang of things here.

Wendy

CO EMT-B

[BushyFromOz]

you just hit the catch a shit load of flack button with that post.

lol :shock:

LMAO!

[KE5EHI]

Something simple and fairly cheap would be some Whelen TIR3s or LIN3s. They are around $50/ea. new, but all you have to do is wire them up to power, as they have a self-contained flasher and sync wire so you can wire multiple ones together. That and they are small.

I've always been a fan of hide-away strobes. You should be able to find some decent priced used ones online.

[EMT857]

Don't arm to the teeth. Use your hazard flashers and headlights if need be; a single strobe to alert people as to your presence should be fine. You're not trying to beat every light and make it around as many people as possible; you're trying to reach the scene safely and efficiently so you can help your patient.

Never use your hazards, I don't know about you, but when I see someone with hazards on it usually means they're having a problem...

A single dash light, if approved by your Captain/Chief is more than enough. I only use mine if absolutely necessary. Running a ton of lights and driving like an a$$hole will get you nowhere. Drive with due regard and only pass if the other drivers yield to you.

Remember, you're only a volunteer, if you miss that rig or truck because you were driving safely, big deal. You'll make the next one.

Be safe

[Richard B the EMT]

A friend pointed out to me a problem with using the 4 way/Hazard lights. You use them, on numerous brands of vehicles, you cannot use your turn signals, as they are the same lights.

Food for thought?

[AnthonyM83]

I've considered that issue actually and if ever needed to haul ass in my personal car for whatever reason, I would not use hazards, because not all cars can see that you're using hazards. Cars to your left and right will believe you're making a left or right turn, which would increase your chances of a crash. Though if this is your personal car being used for 911 calls, then you wouldn't be hauling ass each time...

[Timmy]

I think the US should take away lights in POVs and make it illegal like Australia. If you’re needed in a hurry then your service should provide you with an appropriately registered and equipped emergency vehicle. There’s no need to speed either, it’s better to arrive alive.

[kyle308]

i agree with timmy...and if i get a light i cant get a hide-away my light must be visible from 360 degrees

[Timmy]

Like in my service and some private services have unmarked cars, mainly used for training and general duty stuff but are still fully equipped for events standbys and what not. They have a mini light bar that plugs into the cigarette lighter and magnetically sticks to the roof of the car but sits under the passenger seat when not in use. It costs maybe 200 bucks and does the job. Visible for 360 degrees and everything, unless your blind.