SVP sirens

[loudmouth]

I have to disagree arrow sticks and signs are some of the best thing and they are DOT required and approved. They are very helping and guiding when it is dark out. They give motorist a way to go hazard or "4ways" are only if you are parked on the side and are very confusing if you are coming up fast on some one. 4ways don?t tell which way motorist they are meant to say slow down caution I have a problem and some thing else could be wrong. If you have some one out in the road with out cones and no arrow and no reflective vest or coat and all you have on is your hazards on and they get hit OSHA could be all over you for improper warning. Last night I helped a friend out with his tow truck run he has a arrow bar built in to his light bar even then while changing a tire on a car he was nearly clipped . And the night befor he had to pull a car out of a ditch that was struck while he had a his ?4ways? on the police report said the driver that hit the disabled car was confused by the lights and drifted into that lane .

[Robert Gift]

I have to disagree arrow sticks and signs are some of the best thing and they are DOT required and approved. They are very helping and guiding when it is dark out. They give motorist a way to go hazard or "4ways" are only if you are parked on the side and are very confusing if you are coming up fast on some one. 4ways don?t tell which way motorist they are meant to say slow down caution I have a problem and some thing else could be wrong. If you have some one out in the road with out cones and no arrow and no reflective vest or coat and all you have on is your hazards on and they get hit OSHA could be all over you for improper warning. Last night I helped a friend out with his tow truck run he has a arrow bar built in to his light bar even then while changing a tire on a car he was nearly clipped . And the night befor he had to pull a car out of a ditch that was struck while he had a his ?4ways? on the police report said the driver that hit the disabled car was confused by the lights and drifted into that lane .

Good points, mouth.

But if someone goes left or right as your arrow stick indicates, and they hit something/someone, you willikely also get sued, EVEN THOUGH YOU SENTHEM IN THE PROPER DIRECTION!!!
You willikely win your case, but lose money, time, and incur brain damage worrying abouthe outcome.

Just protect yourself.

The driver is not allowed to hit anything.
If he is driving such that he does, then it is his fault for driving too fast
for conditions, and he is totally responsible.

But if you help and direct him and he hits something, he will blame you.
(If he doesn't, his attorney will!)
Then you will be invited to share in the damage costs and it becomes another case of "No Good Deed Goes Unpunished".

I was given a free arrow stick which I refused.
(We have adequate yellow lights on the back of the lightbar and don't need more stuff.)

If your private vehicle has anything out of the ordinary, such as an arrow stick, they will try to make an issue of it.
They may say the lights are too dim. Or they are too bright.
Or their client thought your left <----- directing arrows meanthat YOU were going left, so he went RIGHT.

Let police and fire take that responsibility and risk.

IF I could not tow the vehicle to the next off ramp, I would tow it far off the highway, then park well behind it to absorb a crash, before changing a tire.

[Whelen Rules]

CERT is Community Emergency Response Team, and EMA is Emergency Management Agency

[Whelen Rules]

Robert Gift : Where will you mount siren speaker?

I will probably have it mounted behind the grill and the left hand side.
Are LED lights effective? I might get this LED dashlight for the dash:
http://galls.com/style.htmlassort=gener ... 9&cat=2703

And this for rear warning: http://galls.com/style.html?assort=gene ... 1&cat=2703

I will use LEDs instead of head&tail light flashers

[Robert Gift]

Headlight wigwags are actually the best warning lights for oncoming traffic and traffic you are overtaking.

Leave them always on when moving.
Turn off when parked. (Law enfocement should follow this.)

The act of turning things off or and looking at the siren to change Wail to Yelp and back means your eyes are not on the road searching for problems.
It is better to leave in wail and look.

If a mishap and an attorney learns you were distracted looking down to change siren modes, he'll claim you were not paying attention.

[Robert Gift]

Robert Gift : Where will you mount siren speaker?

I will probably have it mounted behind the grill and the left hand side.

Good! Left side is best.
Keep as unobstructed as possible, aimed straight ahead.
Some PDs have vehicles with speaker in the engine compartment.
Rather worthless, but sounds loud in the passenger compartment!

Are LED lights effective? I might get this LED dashlight for the dash:
http://galls.com/style.htmlassort=gener ... 9&cat=2703

And this for rear warning: http://galls.com/style.html?assort=gene ... 1&cat=2703

I will use LEDs instead of head&tail light flashers

Head light wigwags are big and bright. They outshine everything else simply by their size, and their placement makes them very effective.
I placed Cool Blue sealed beams or bulbs in the headlight fixtures to make them stand out even better. (Remember, the more they blink, the faster they burn out, so turn off when not needed.)

I love LEDs because they turn on and off so quickly, creating an eye attracting effect, they use little power and are such rich colors, especially the blues. But they are too expensive.
I use oval and round LED Stop/Turn/Tail lamps which are far less expensive but still very bright.

Why waste money for anything facing rearwards?
Use your 4-way flashers which are better for that.

[loudmouth]

Its a DOT requirement if you are some sort of emergeince vehicle or a road construction and you are parked on the road you have to have rear faceing lights. If you are off the road then 4-ways are fine.

[Robert Gift]

Its a DOT requirement if you are some sort of emergeince vehicle or a road construction and you are parked on the road you have to have rear faceing lights. If you are off the road then 4-ways are fine.

Right!
The 4-way flashers already meethe DOT requirement.
In theory, the 4-way flashers should NOT be used off road.
They may attract attention and contribute to a driver having an accident
on the road.

A problem is that anything extra on a privately owned vehicle, such as that of a volunteer firefighter (such as myself) invites trouble.

Another example of: No Goodeed Goes Unpunished.

"A" vehicle is stopped in line of traffic.
Oncoming vehicle "B" wants to turn left into a parking lot in front of A vehicle.
"A" driver hand gestures for B to go ahead; "A" will wait.
B turns and crosses in front of A and is hit by C vehicle proceeding in lane right of A.

Even though B should have looked before entering lane right of A,
A also gets charged with partial responsibility of accident.

I have witnessed this happen twice.
I completely fault B driver for not stopping and looking before entering the other lane.

Moral: Don't direct anyone to do anything either by hand gesture or through siren P.A.

On emergent runs, RARELY, if necessary, I ASK, "Can you please move right?" or "Can you please move forward?"
I try to position my vehicle to convey to other drivers what they should do/where they should move.

A responding Lakewood fire engine came up behind a vehicle stopped at a red signal.
The driver pulled ahead into the intersection and was broadsided and killed.

His relatives may be suing the fire department, driver, officer, City of Lakewood, Lakewood traffic division, etc. --maybe even the traffic signal manufacturer.

[Fire32NJetta]

not to be a d!ck but wasnt the topic about if SVP sirens were good or not....and not what is legal lighting on scenes.

[Robert Gift]

not to be a d!ck but wasnt the topic about if SVP sirens were good or not....and not what is legal lighting on scenes.

LOL
You're right!
I did not even remember until I looked back.
Am I a deviant or what?
Sorry