Acceptable emergency equipment to leave/use on your Caprice
Posted: Tue May 14, 2013 9:20 pm
OK, moved from the 2014 SS discussion.....
On my car this is what I'm going to activate or leave operational...
Factory rear trunk lid LED flashers.... converted the red/blue out to two ambers. Operational. I need to install a switch so I can kill the lights on demand, every time the trunk opens the way the system is configured the lights turn on right now. Switches from the trunk latch. I usually just pull the fuse to cut the circuit off.
Factory rear brake light/reverse light flashers. Operational, just have to connect to a switch.
Factory front headlight flashers. Non-op, have no plans to reactivate those.
Upfitted under-hood siren speaker - Works. I'm eventually going to put a airhorn only amplifier in the trunk, power the amp from the police power center to where it turns on anytime ignition power is engaged. Two conductors to the speaker, a zip cord pair to a small push button next to the shifter. Bingo, instant 100-watt electronic horn.
That's it as far as any of the options I'm going to mess with. No forward flashing lights, no PA or siren tones through the speaker. Since I'm an active volunteer right now with our local Amateur Radio emergency communications group, from time to time we do provide services at events, during hurricanes, etc... and I could probably use the rear lighting for safety if I have to provide comm somewhere on the side of a busy road. Plus, for car shows it would also work and not be much current draw. I've been to too many law enforcement funerals where they were hit along the side of the road running full emergency equipment, so my dinky little rear lights aren't going to amount to much.
What equipment is legal to have on your car? Again from the previous thread, it's a grey area. In Florida you can have a spotlight without problem, just don't run a siren, or anything that flashes red or blue to the front. Volunteer firefighters can have a 50-candlepower dash light and use the same while responding to emergencies provided a permit is secured for the light from the chief officer of the fire agency the member is serving. Headlight wig-wags, grey area. Also, it depends on the circumstances you are subject to police contact under and your general conduct. If they get reports of someone in what looks like a unmarked car stopping people and - lo & behold, you're on the side of the road with wigwags running, it's a red flag for the bull. If you're minding your own business and someone with law enforcement walks up and wants to search your car because a whacker is operating in the area, well, that's a whole different ballgame.
Different states treat emergency equipment different ways. In some states volunteers can run full lightbars, in Florida you can't. Some states Blue is a volunteer color, others is Red. Some states volunteers can run sirens, others you can't. Unfortunately there is not a good degree of consistency from state to state, that's why it pays to know the laws in your local jurisdiction.
On my car this is what I'm going to activate or leave operational...
Factory rear trunk lid LED flashers.... converted the red/blue out to two ambers. Operational. I need to install a switch so I can kill the lights on demand, every time the trunk opens the way the system is configured the lights turn on right now. Switches from the trunk latch. I usually just pull the fuse to cut the circuit off.
Factory rear brake light/reverse light flashers. Operational, just have to connect to a switch.
Factory front headlight flashers. Non-op, have no plans to reactivate those.
Upfitted under-hood siren speaker - Works. I'm eventually going to put a airhorn only amplifier in the trunk, power the amp from the police power center to where it turns on anytime ignition power is engaged. Two conductors to the speaker, a zip cord pair to a small push button next to the shifter. Bingo, instant 100-watt electronic horn.
That's it as far as any of the options I'm going to mess with. No forward flashing lights, no PA or siren tones through the speaker. Since I'm an active volunteer right now with our local Amateur Radio emergency communications group, from time to time we do provide services at events, during hurricanes, etc... and I could probably use the rear lighting for safety if I have to provide comm somewhere on the side of a busy road. Plus, for car shows it would also work and not be much current draw. I've been to too many law enforcement funerals where they were hit along the side of the road running full emergency equipment, so my dinky little rear lights aren't going to amount to much.
What equipment is legal to have on your car? Again from the previous thread, it's a grey area. In Florida you can have a spotlight without problem, just don't run a siren, or anything that flashes red or blue to the front. Volunteer firefighters can have a 50-candlepower dash light and use the same while responding to emergencies provided a permit is secured for the light from the chief officer of the fire agency the member is serving. Headlight wig-wags, grey area. Also, it depends on the circumstances you are subject to police contact under and your general conduct. If they get reports of someone in what looks like a unmarked car stopping people and - lo & behold, you're on the side of the road with wigwags running, it's a red flag for the bull. If you're minding your own business and someone with law enforcement walks up and wants to search your car because a whacker is operating in the area, well, that's a whole different ballgame.
Different states treat emergency equipment different ways. In some states volunteers can run full lightbars, in Florida you can't. Some states Blue is a volunteer color, others is Red. Some states volunteers can run sirens, others you can't. Unfortunately there is not a good degree of consistency from state to state, that's why it pays to know the laws in your local jurisdiction.
