Use of amber lights?

[CBEMT]

A good idea I've seen for those of you who can expect snow in the winter is to spec an extra switch on your panel that deactivates any forward-facing white lights. Cuts down on the washout effect during a storm quite nicely.

[KMAC]

^ Good idea ^

[Richard B the EMT]

I have vague memories of visibility testing being done by the California State Highway Patrol (yes, the "CHiPs"), so if someone with them would care to respond, I am sure all would appreciate it.

[brentoli]

This is anecdotal of course, but I read many times there is a state patrol down south that in the day time uses red/blues, at night blues, and when the vehicle goes into park amber. I can't tell you for sure which state it is, but they cited studies in their reasoning for it.

[frontcrawl]

This is anecdotal of course, but I read many times there is a state patrol down south that in the day time uses red/blues, at night blues, and when the vehicle goes into park amber. I can't tell you for sure which state it is, but they cited studies in their reasoning for it.

It's the Florida Highway Patrol.

[KMAC]

Is it? I never really noticed, I always thought they ran just blue...and lots of it.

[n5iln]

Better check your state laws first. In NY, for example, blue lights are specifically restricted to volunteer FFs.

NFPA doesn't have a lot to say about how ambulances are lit, unless the ambulance in question is a FD rig. The KKK-A-1822 specs are what govern ambulance design in the US. Their specs just happen to parallel NFPA specs in many areas.

Just my two cents' worth...save up the change for a root beer or something...

That said, my duty rig has NO white showing to the front other than the headlights. It helps a great deal with preserving night vision, if nothing else.

[frontcrawl]

Is it? I never really noticed, I always thought they ran just blue...and lots of it.

Yes it is, I'm not sure of the extent to which they have been deployed but they've been using them for a couple of years. Here's a press release that mentions the FHP and other agencies using them. Here's another one.

[Lone Star]

In Michigan (snow country) the motor vehicle code specifies: ...at least one rotating, flashing or oscillating light visible 360° at a distance of 500 feet under normal atmospheric conditions.

The use of blue lights as 'emergency warning lights' are restricted to Law Enforcement only. The Fire Department may use any combination of red, white, green and amber lights, as long as they conform to the requirements stated above.

The motor vehicle code goes further to state that the privately owned vehicles driven by Fire, EMS, and Law Enforcement (if used to respond from home to the station, or directly to the scene) are considered emergency response vehicles from the moment the tones are sounded, to the point in time that they return to their point of origin (usually considered 'home') while taking the shortest and most direct route. (No stopping at the local Wal-Mart on the way home from a call.)

While Michigan allows the use of amber lights as warning lights, I've never had them in any lightbar that was on emergency vehicles.

I have however, had emergency vehicles (both Fire trucks and ambulances) use a white oscillating light for traffic clearance.

I was told there was a study done that shows the 'unusual pattern of movement' by the oscillating light caught the driver's attention faster than just using the flashers and lightbars alone.

[KE5EHI]

Check to see if your state requires ambulances to meet the KKK standard (no, not the guys dressed like ghosts). I believe those guidelines state (for ambulances):

Red lights that flash in tandum on each corner of the box

Red lights on the grille and fenders

White forward facing light, center of box, flashes opposite of the red

Amber rear facing light, center of box, flashes opposite of the red

All other lights are optional

We have our setup (seen in my avatar) where all of the red LEDs on the box flash at the same time, then all of the blue and white (front), blue (sides), and amber (rear) flash opposite of the red. Not the craziest flash pattern, but we use Whelen double stacked LIN6's (I believe) on the front and rear and holy cow is it bright.

When we turn on our secondaries (well, when I turn them on, I think I'm the only one in the company that uses them), it shuts off the front grille lights, center white and center amber, as well as the lights in the middle of the box on the sides and slows the flash pattern down by half. Makes it a whole lot easier on the eyes at night.

As far as colors, I recall the report that was mentioned and it basically says that amber is the most visible day or night, red is more visible then blue during the day and blue is more visible at night than red.