Firemen with blue lights on vehicles

[mpi]

no to hijack this thread, but i have noted for many years that CMU police run red emergency lights and siren on fully marked cars, but don't have emergency vehicle plates on any of their vehicles. iirc this is illegal under the vehicle code.

i have seen them utilize these lights and siren to blow lights and other traffic control devices over the years, and nearly cause accidents on occaision. of course we also have univ of pitt officers asserting the dubious claim to general law enforcement authority all over oakland due to the fact that part of they're funding comes from the state.

mpi

[JustinM]

I don;t know about CMU, but I know Clarion University have police, and marked cars, and they are actual police, not security (which is what I thought most of my life)

[Steve in PA]

"Emergency vehicle."
A fire department vehicle, police vehicle, sheriff vehicle, ambulance, blood-delivery vehicle, human organ delivery vehicle, hazardous material response vehicle, armed forces emergency vehicle, one vehicle operated by a coroner or chief county medical examiner and one vehicle operated by a chief deputy coroner or deputy chief county medical examiner used for answering emergency calls, or any other vehicle designated by the State Police under section 6106 (relating to designation of emergency vehicles by Pennsylvania State Police), or a privately owned vehicle used in answering an emergency call when used by any of the following:
1) A police chief and assistant chief.
2) A fire chief, assistant chief and, when a fire company has three or more fire vehicles, a second or third assistant chief.
3) A fire police captain and fire police lieutenant.
4) An ambulance corps commander and assistant commander.
5) A river rescue commander and assistant commander.
6) A county emergency management coordinator.
7) A fire marshal.
8) A rescue service chief and assistant chief.



§ 6106. Designation of emergency vehicles by Pennsylvania State Police.
(a) General rule.--The Pennsylvania State Police may designate any vehicle or group of vehicles as emergency vehicles upon a finding that the designation is necessary to the preservation of life or property or to the execution of emergency governmental functions.

(a.1) Exception.--Vehicles designated as emergency vehicles under this section shall not display or be equipped with a combination of red and blue lights.

Section 4571 of the PA Vehicle Code states that only police, sheriff, fire, coroner or medical examiner can run the red/blue lights.



They can run the red lights and siren, but they can't run a combination of red & blue.

What type of license plate to they have?

[MarcS]

I have blues on my car, just a dash light and a deck light. I use then a few times a year for responses. The vast majority of the time i don't use them responding because other people on the road drive like idiots when they're on. More often i use them coming across a wreck or something while I'm driving, then i just use them for on scene warning.

You don't have to yield, but if you don't then you're probably an asshole. there is an emergency.

[1FingrCHan]

Let me tell ya when that red and blue lit up behind your butt, you wish it ain't for you, he he heh.......what is up with these people not getting out of the way, eh?

Well, I also agree with some people who said that they saw some vehicles with the blue lights on their private vehicles for whatever the reason blowing through traffic light like they are god send? that goes to say when you take an immortal and ignorant man and made him the source of knowledge/authority, then he is more than likely to think that he is king shit, eh he he he......anyway, stay safe, eh and stay away from me when I am driving, he he heh.



1FingrCHan

[knight0334]

[insert = rant]This isn't aimed at anyone in particular here, but to all those in this world that have problems with letting emergency personnel have the right-of-way...

It seems like some people have a problem yielding to those with the blue lights, and yes I'm sure there are a few out there that abuse the use of the lights.. But do you really know for sure that they aren't responding to a 911 call to save your daughter, son or spouse's life? Or that they aren't rushing to keep yours, a relatives, a neighbor's or a friend's house from burning down. Or trying to make it to a crash sight that some damn drunk wrapped his car around a mini-van full of kids?? Ask yourself that next time you see one of those blue lights.

Whats so frigging hard about pulling over or out of the way? What does it matter if he/she gets ahead of you? ...its not like they are gonna impede your travel seeing how more than likely they will be going a little faster than you. The vast majority of the time those personnel are on legit "business" when they run those lights. Pulling off for 5 seconds to let the vehicle by will only delay you for for 5-10 seconds until you get back up to traveling speed.

These volunteers that risk their lives to make sure we live don't get paid for what they do. They gotta fork out for gas, lights/sirens and sometimes safety gear. They sometimes have to wake up in the middle of the night, leave work, leave family functions to help those in need - all for maybe just a thank you from the victim if they make it there in time.

Let them pass, yield to them, God knows who they may be trying to save. Its not up to you to judge whether they are doing business or trying to make it to the donut shop before it closes.
[/rant]

[MarcS]

I know of very few cases of legitimate abuse. Generally the problem is blue-lighters driving like assholes to legitimate emergencies. My advice to all the new guys who ask me about it is if you're going to drive like an asshole, don't use your light. With the light off you're just some reckless asshole versus some reckless asshole volunteer fireman.

[dmg1969]

I'm not sure about the legalities of yielding right of way to volunteers, but I always yield to any flashing lights. Ask youself this question...If they were heading to your house, which was on fire, would you want everyone to yield to them? I know I would.

I just had to yield to an ambulance last weekend. I went WAY out of my way to get over. The asshole in front of me barely acknowledged that it was there.

[knight0334]

Originally Posted by MarcS

I know of very few cases of legitimate abuse. Generally the problem is blue-lighters driving like assholes to legitimate emergencies. My advice to all the new guys who ask me about it is if you're going to drive like an asshole, don't use your light. With the light off you're just some reckless asshole versus some reckless asshole volunteer fireman.

I agree.. lol

They don't need to be driving like assholes or in unsafe manner. Some leeway should be given though for those on legit business - IE: a little over the speed limit, Kalifornia rolling stops, passing in a no-passing zone if it is visibly clear.

Massively over the speed limit, Starsky & Hutch maneuvers and blowing through stop signs/lights should be frowned upon at anytime by anybody.

[Joe Smith]

Growing up with some volunteer firemen I tended to yield very quickly. We had a few who used the blue light whenever they were in a hurry, and that did not sit well with anyone back at the station.

That being said it's usually just youth and a slight power trip that causes reckless driving, so I get out of the way anyways. If you can SAFELY move over, do so. If not just do your best to stay out of the way.

A few years back I was driving with a friend. She saw a fire truck behind her and pulled off the road WAY too fast in an unsafe area and almost slammed a tree. The kicker, about 50 yards down the road was a very safe pull off. Don't panic!