Green light in private ambulance light bars! (Not IC)

[q2bman]

no, i don't remember that siren, but i had a patrol car with an older pa300 a while back. I went to pull a vehicle over and hit the paddle switch for the momentary wail. It ramped up full in an instant instead of slowly winding up. The thing was "coasting" down while i was at the driver window. Imbaressing! And LOUD. Something was wrong with that siren.

[zetronist]

In New York State, green lights are used by volunteer ambulance personnel in the same way blue lights are used by volunteer fire personnel. It is considered a "courtesy light" not an emergency light. Volunteers are limited to one green light with an incredibly low candle power. Of course, anyone with a green light today has a light that far exceeds the candle power allowed (i.e. strobes, LEDs or 55W halogen rotators).

In NY, the only authorized "emergency" colors are red and white. Green or blue are not permitted on any emergency vehicle. Emergency command vehicles can display a green light, however it cannot be activated while the vehicle is moving. Also, amber is now required to be displayed to the rear of all emergency vehicles.

[Jim_Ferer]

I wonder if the candlepower provision is enforced.

I see blue lights occasionally - the Westchester County police have them, but they have red and white as well. Are blue lights forbidden, or are they just not official? It's true there are few blue lights in New York.

The State Police seem stuck on halogen. They're using LEDs on slick-roof vehicles and so on, but they have lots and lots of Street Hawks. New Jersey is the same way.

[Robert Gift]

I don'think candlepower or wattage was ever specified anywhere.
Justhe ambiguous '500 feet visibility in normal daylight'

Blue lights areally dim unless halogen bulb powered.
But blue LEDs are much better than any blue filtered light.

[zetronist]

In New York the Vehicle and Traffic rules clearly state the candle power allotted to Volunteers. It's something ridiculously low, like 30 CP(read: Christmas Tree Lightbulb!) I'll see if I can dig it up; I've read it many times over the years.

The visibility level in terms of feet that Robert refers to, I believe, is a law out of California requiring all emergency vehicles to display a steady burning red light to the front and a flashing amber to the rear, visible for 1000 feet. However this applies to emergency vehicles, not to the lights used by volunteers in their personal vehicles. (BTW, I believe California is on to something in the use of steady burners to the front along with lightbars. You can see steady burning lights much better than flashing ones. Another topic for another thread...)

In NY it's not enforced-- "flaunted" is the word that comes to mind, especially when you see vollies with light bars, flashing headlights and red strobes to the rear....

As far as the blue goes in NY state, several law enforcement agencies have been experimenting with them including NYSP in some areas. I believe there is a special provision in the law. But only for Law Enforcement. No FD or EMS units can legally display any colors but red, white and amber.

Blue and amber to the rear are a winning combination as far as visibility goes.

[Robert Gift]

In New York the Vehicle and Traffic rules clearly state the candle power allotted to Volunteers. It's something ridiculously low, like 30 CP(read: Christmas Tree Lightbulb!)

LOL, Zet. You are right, that seems awfully low.

I'll see if I can dig it up; I've read it many times over the years.

The visibility level in terms of feet that Robert refers to, I believe, is a law out of California.

Ours is probably from the 1950s listing 500 feet in normal sunlight.
CP would be too difficult for us cow-town people to understand.

requiring all emergency vehicles to display a steady burning red light to the front and a flashing amber to the rear, visible for 1000 feet. However this applies to emergency vehicles, not to the lights used by volunteers in their personal vehicles. (BTW, I believe California is on to something in the use of steady burners to the front along with lightbars. You can see steady burning lights much better than flashing ones. Another topic for another thread...)

I've already been arguing that. (Hence my -19 karma.)
Colors should be steady. Whites rotated to create the blink to attracthe unexpecting eye.

In NY it's not enforced-- "flaunted" is the word that comes to mind, especially when you see vollies with light bars, flashing headlights and red strobes to the rear....

As far as the blue goes in NY state, several law enforcement agencies have been experimenting with them including NYSP in some areas. I believe there is a special provision in the law. But only for Law Enforcement. No FD or EMS units can legally display any colors but red, white and amber.

Blue should be only for armed law enforcement.
To stand out, our ambulance had steady blue incandescent . PAR36 sealed beam blue 360s are almost not seen in daylight.

Blue and amber to the rear are a winning combination as far as visibility goes.

Colorado uses 360 yellow and blue to signify snow trucks.

Robert the IXX

[q2bman]

I remember reading some old Whelen mags to find a list a CP rateings. They listed the brightness of strobes in this order. Clear, Green, Yellow, Blue, and Red. In my old home town, they had security companies that assisted in traffic control. They used Clear and Green lights. Very noticable against the other lights arround the area. Realy stood out.

[Robert Gift]

Interesting, Q.

Thanks

I thought strobe blue would be brighter than green.

[q2bman]

As did I. My thinking was the blueish tint of the arc flash would better filter through. I guess it more green than blue!

[Jim_Ferer]

The sensitivity of the eye to certain colors is a factor, too. The eye is much more sensitive to green:



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