More lights for volunteer firemen

A new law expands access for volunteer fire departments but volunteer around Central Illinois say it may not have much of an impact.

[@gregsatterly9412]

In Kentucky we can run red lights and sirens in our POV when responding to a fire call. We're considered a emergency vehicle when responding code 3.

[@MrTeaBow]

I wish that was the same for Maine

[@roxfire23]

@@MrTeaBow I wish the same in NY we run blue for volunteer firefighters, Ems green and chiefs red

[@vacexpert2020]

The key difference I can see is that Kentucky actually gives a shit about their first responders, small depts there seem to get by pretty well, small depts here are stuck with cold war era equipment that's so worn out there's an oil reservoir with a pump you turn on when the low oil light comes on

[@lookingglass9175]

@@MrTeaBow Maine allows for ems and fire volunteer wackers to use red lights

[@rgman2858]

All states should do the same. Why wouldn't we want our volunteer firefighters to get to emergencies quicker?

[@KnightRider1983]

So let the brass get there first but the actual line firefighters are still using "courtesy lights." Thats stupid. Red/White lights with siren for all!

[@vacexpert2020]

And yet people wonder why everyone downstate hates the governor, he does the bare minimum for legislative work and travels out of state in his free time

[@jeronimorichardson49758]

Here in North Carolina the volunteer firefighters has to have a red and white warning light in the windshield of their pickup truck or one of them bar light mounts on a rooftop of a truck red and white

[@znovosad555]

well there’s the issue, leaving it on the line officers only. quite frankly we face similar issues here in CT, and other issues as well but that’s a big one. all certified volunteers in either Fire/and or EMS with proper emergency vehicle operations clearance should be allowed red lights and sirens to aid in getting to emergencies. Currently in CT we are allowed to utilize our blue lights in adjacent districts to our own when responding to our calls. However, we cannot clear or even proceed through a red light. So when you work in the urban area adjacent to your district, and you essentially have to go with the flow of traffic, people not moving, being unable to clear and proceed through the numerous red lights you encounter, can’t pass people, etc it’s impossible to effectively respond to a call. not to mention the staffing issues volunteers already face. the modern era already isn’t in favor of a volunteer system and law makers aren’t making it any easier. especially with the situation we’re in currently with COVID. we’re fully trained and certified emergency personnel yet we’re not treated as such.

[@ryanlong9754]

I’m a firefighter in CT it’s the worst not being able to catch the truck or even make it to a call because of stupid drivers. And the has to be in your district rule is such bs if I’m 5 min away from my town and we get paged to a structure fire now at in hell am I going with the flow of traffi

[@znovosad555]

@@ryanlong9754 that in your district rule is a department rule. not a state law.

[@EricWhiteTheGamer]

I agree, volunteers need to be treated better. If they say you should be able to get to station in five minutes that’s dumb… no where you live and or work can be five minutes or closer.

[@znovosad555]

@@EricWhiteTheGamer I think they need to be given more appropriate resources and means to effectively respond but I also see it from a new era perspective and that’s that volunteering is slowly dying and it’s catching up quicker than ever. Especially on the EMS side of things. Volunteer ambulance responses for the most part are not in the one bit effective or adequate for most medical emergencies. I know people are trying, but with fewer and fewer volunteers it’s time for lawmakers to step up to the plate and regionalize our emergency services. It’s only the communities suffering. Unless stations are being actually staffed by volunteers sitting in the firehouse, it’s just not a great system to our modern demands and standards

[@EricWhiteTheGamer]

@@znovosad555 again, I say this on every comment with emergency personal in mind, as a 17 year old I have been thinking about how to more effectively make emergency responses better especially for volunteers. They can’t have volunteers at station but what they can do is run POVs (with lights and sirens) to emergencies one or two respond in POV (with the gear needed) while another runs to the station and picks up the ambulance. One or both in the POV rides with the ambulance to the hospital, but then the question comes into play, what about the POVs on the scene? The second option is to keep one responder with the POVs, the ambulance drops them off after transport then returns to station. Right now most all ambulance company’s have it that they need ti respond to the station than go from there which is what makes volunteer services hard.

[@jaysmith1408]

Our area has Chiefs running reds and sirens. Our assistant chief has a roof light and a siren, our chief just has red and white dash light (that we bought him as an upgrade from the old one, first response he was astounded what a difference it made, though I digress). The issue is now we have chiefs running to the scene, but what the hell good is it, when the entire crew is sitting in construction traffic on the highway TO the station. It should be nationwide that firemen have reds and sirens. This blue nonsense has got to stop, red and white for fire anything, blue for police anything, and red and amber for EMS anything.

[@znovosad555]

Yes rural areas courtesy lights can still be ok, but I’m sorry with the increased volume of traffic, and added intersections, not to mention having a response route directly on a fairly busy state road, courtesy lights need to be done away with. The whole idea of them is completely outdated. Will they help much per say? Not everytime but there’s times where they can help. When there might be a little bit of a traffic jam for any reason. Maybe one is a wreck you’re trying to get to but can’t because you can’t use a siren, demand the right of way or even bend any traffic laws. Volunteers need to be allowed red lights, white to the front and sirens to respond to emergencies. I say this as a CT volunteer EMT

[@SirFloofy001]

Ive lived in a few places in Indiana with a lot of volunteer fire fighters that have to use lights on their personal vehicles because of how far away from the station they live. Got em in upstate NY where i live too. Always thought forcing them to use blue lights was flat out stupid. I grew up in florida in an area where this was never a thing. Ive heard a lot of arguments for and against and personally "we dont want people to mistake them for police officers" well blue lights are the wrong way to go. Most of the country Blue means police especially when its only blue. Let them put reds and whites on who tf cares.

[@vacexpert2020]

Someone should start a petition for the state to allow red lights and sirens on POVs, I think red/red or blue/blue for firefighers, red/white or blue/white for officers, and red/blue for chiefs as well as deeming blue/blue or blue/white lights to be emergency lights and firefighter POVs as emergency vehicles in addition to raising the penalty for failure to yield

[@EricWhiteTheGamer]

Agreed.

[@jetSCP]

My town allows POVs with lights.

[@MichaelRolfes]

There needs to be universal National guidelines: Police Red/Blue, Fire/EMS/Volunteers: Red or Red/white w sirens.

[@TS-mq1fj]

Firefighters not Chiefs determine incident outcomes. Yet Chief's cost the most .

[@firerescue2283]

My station can run Red and White in the in the Personal cars and Chief officers can have sirens.

[@vacexpert2020]

Where do you serve?

[@firerescue2283]

@@vacexpert2020 North Carolina

[@vacexpert2020]

@@firerescue2283 Things are a whole lot different here in IL as evidenced by this mockery of a law, I lost count of how many times people have failed to yield, flipped the bird, etc. at me while I've been responding POV, learner drivers are the worst, they either don't know what to do or read that blue lights are courtesy lights and don't move until the instructor makes them under threat of failing their driving exam

[@firerescue2283]

@@vacexpert2020 Ya well people don’t have to move over for us and they honestly don’t 🤣

[@vacexpert2020]

@@firerescue2283 Part of the change I propose, and you ought to, is sirens for anyone who passes an EVops class and classify POVs as emergency vehicles when responding, that way dipshit motorists can get a hefty fine of caught failing to yield to you, needs to be a nationwide reckoning where every state has statutes like Kentucky, though the old colors should still be allowed sans siren for those who don't want to buy new lights just yet, better to phase them out than mandate replacement

[@joshhollis6735]

I'm in NYS so I run blue, and I'd have to say I agree with many other comments here. It should be red/red or red/white & siren for all and considered an emergency vehicle. Currently NYS only considers POV's "hazard vehicles" but only when parked on a scene as part of the move over law. Of course should be done with the idea of proper training first. Maybe require an EVOC class to allow one to use reds/siren but "courtesy" lights can only help so much.

[@vacexpert2020]

They don't do much, the new generation of drivers is so distracted and carefree that when they see blue lights they don't think anything of it, definitely considering getting headlight wig-wags, as it's allowed per the IL statutes

[@thegrandlevel313]

Even in lower density, if you gotta rip, it’s safer with lights so people know you’re ripping. As a taxpayer, I’d be happy to pay for every firefighter to install a standardized lighting package of red/white red/green or even blue if that’s what gets people to move over… and they should have the transponder device that gives them the green… Besides, they’re saving lives… we should allow them to have a little fun in their personal vehicles. As long as they’re not abusing them and stopping people, in which case they should get double the punishment, but honestly we should just have the legislature choose a standard package, give it to every firefighter and send a PSA so people recognize what those lights mean, install them with the transponder to give them the green where those are installed, but make them yield at any stop sign or light that doesn’t change, and then everybody knows who they are and why they’re flashing lights, they get their on time, there’s no more question as to compliance with the law, have them inspected by the chief every couple months so they know they’re not adding anything, have the state troopers do a annual inspection, and they have a free government toy they can play with til their employment ends.

[@vacexpert2020]

1 year later, little change, this law is utter fucking bullshit, there needs to be red lights and sirens for all firefighter POVs so long as the firefighter passes an EV ops course

[@BEARDELIVERS]

The funny things is Police Departments are illegally utilizing Blue lights while Fire departments are illegally utilizing Red lights! Federal DOT Regulations lay out specific light colors for specific vehicle purposes. Amber/Yellow = Tow,/Road Service, Utilities, and Maintenance Blue = Fire Green = Security Red = Police Purple = Funeral White = Undefined

[@johnseawind9558]

I absolutely do not understand the whole "courtesy light" thing. Do these states not want their volunteers to get to the station/scene in a safe, timely manner? What gives?

[@itsyaboimat2393]

It's usually a state PD thing atleast that's how it is for us in Maine we have to follow all road laws and running lights usually just confuses the general public it's really only good for on scene lighting if you respond to a call direct from home

[@grumpysgarage7276]

Volunteer Firefighters need full code equipment response, not just lights. It is pretty pointless. I volunteered in 3 states and it was different in each one.

[@Grayarea321]

Make everyone an asst or deputy chief.....

[@vacexpert2020]

Too much paperwork, my station tried

[@stevesmith-wc2gb]

Wish NC would allow volunteer firefighters use blue lights also

[@vacexpert2020]

Blue lights are useless, very few people yield because they're considered courtesy lights, not emergency lights

[@matthiasgraveel9191]

In Belgium it’s forbidden to have flashing lights as a volontair only the 4 hazard lights can turn on

[@vacexpert2020]

European drivers tend to have more courtesy than your usual American driver

[@ffjsb]

BEFORE anyone becomes some wannabe whacker, ALL chiefs should make SURE all their Firefighters understand the responsibilities of running lights and sirens, and that their vehicles meet basic safety and mechanical requirements. Bubba running lights in some beat up twenty year old rusted out pickup is not a good idea...

[@johnnz4375]

So you are saying that only if you can afford a new car you can have the privilege of having lights on your car, so any rookie that has just joined can drive with lights but the person with 20 years experience can not if his car doesn’t make your standards. Sounds like a good plan.....not. 👎🏻

[@igeekone]

​@@johnnz4375 They just need to maintain their vehicle, not necessarily buy a new one. If you're running code 3 in a vehicle with bald tires and no brake pad surface left, you're going to become the incident.

[@vacexpert2020]

I do just that, and thus far I haven't crashed, not even when I came down an overpass doing 100 indicated, 110 actual miles per hour, it's not about the vehicle, it's about the skills and common sense of the driver, my pickup may not be the safest, but I know how it performs under certain circumstances and know how to avoid a crash

[@vacexpert2020]

@@igeekone Makes more sense than the other guy, my car may have enough miles to go to the moon, orbit around, and return to earth with a few thousand to spare, but it's got good tires and brakes and has passed every inspection with flying colors during my ownership of it

[@camsmith7651]

Blue for police, red, or red and white for fire department and ambulances

[@johnarat9618]

Bruh, this is weak. Here in Saskatchewan, Canada, Volunteer Firefighters may use reds and sirens. They are not courtesy, and they are true emergency vehicles, so pulling over is mandatory. Here are 3 steps to make this happen. Step 1: Municipality makes a bylaw that designates POVs as emergency vehicles. Step 2: Get your chief's blessing. Step 3: Pass a SEVO (Saskatchewan Emergency Vehicle Operators) course. If your municipality does not make such a bylaw, these steps are not applicable.

[@firedeapartment264]

🚨🚨🚨🚨 volnteer clan open

[@RLVTECHUSA]

this is completely stupid ! blue lights are intended for cops why does a state force them to be cop impersonators ? the red and white and siren should be for all vol ff

[@firedogman2280]

Usually states that require blues as couresties are states that make it so police/fire can only use red. The whole system is shit

[@richardyork9495]

I was volunteer for years,we didn’t need colored flashing/ rotating lights and we did just fine

[@vacexpert2020]

Back when traffic wasn't so dense and drivers weren't so distracted, indeed the lights weren't necessary, but now, with the age of the smart phone, loud music, and flippant disregard for first responders, they're necessary

[@lookingglass9175]

More volunteers with lights = more accidents