Fire dept emergency lights

Does anyone have any info/ideals on how or where to mount surface LEDs in the grill and or towards the rear

 

Are you a volunteer firefighter or something along those lines?

I know a bit about siren and light systems.

What’re you trying to do?

 

Hurt my neck by making me look at his truck picture at an angle.
Why do people do that?

 

To fit it in the frame if you’re forced to take a vertical photo. Probably Snapchat or some kind of social media.

 

or you could step back a few feet?

all in jest, really.

Back on topic, sorry OP​

 

OP - I have a simple LED dash light and have had in three cars for ~8 years. It does the job well. I cannot stand ff's who light up like a effing Christmas tree on there POV's. Of course this is usually the younger folks who are all worked up on scene...

 

Isn’t that illegal? Now that I got that outta the way, how cool would a Tacoma Cop Truck be? Tacoma firetruck! Ok I’ll stop.

 

Many states you are allowed to have some lights (some do not allow siren) but it doesn't actually give you any right of way. It's more along the lines of "please get out of my way if you can". I think some states it does give you right of way, not sure.

Matt

 

In Va I’m only allowed 1 light in the front or it was the last time I checked. I’m going to do the small LED bar that mounts behind the rear view mirror, it’s a great height for other drivers to see it. Also though about the Pro grill and put a few lights where some put the Raptor style lights. I’m usually in my Honda HRV so not took time to do this yet but need to.

 

I, too, am a Firefighter. I used to be a full timer @ a department that relied heavily on volunteers/ part timers responding "emergency" to the scene or station, thus, their personal vehicles had emergency equipment installed.

As far as installing light heads in the grill, it is easiest to remove the grill & fabricate some brackets from flat metal stock to retain them. You are going to get the most light output if the light head is fully outside the grill. You might have to mock up the install before permanently mounting anything, so you get the correct position & angle of the light head. Adjusting the vertical angle of the light head by a few degrees up or down can make all the difference in the effectiveness of the light output & the range and distance of the light output.

Don't want to sound like I'm preaching, but lots to consider when making the commitment to turn your personal vehicle into an " emergency vehicle". Check with your insurance carrier to ensure you are covered when operating w/ your department. Also, consider all the "zones of warning" that must be covered. There is actually an NFPA standard for apparatus warning lights & a slick lawyer would possibly bring up that standard if you are involved in a collision involving personal injury. Side warning is probably the most difficult to achieve, but intersections are where most collisions occur. A summary judgement against you could simply boil down to 1 person, simply stating, " I didn't see him".

Lastly, we did preach to our volunteers that running lights & siren, does not relieve the driver of " operating with due regard for the safety of other drivers and vehicles that are expected to yield the right of way". I will try to remember a website I used to visit that was all about emergency equipment installation, that was a wealth of info.

 

POV lights are not going to help you get to the station any faster.

But if you are going to do them:

• Get approval from your station
• Follow your states laws
• Install only high quality professional lights (Whelen, Feniex, Code 3, Federal Signal, etc.)
• Don't abuse the privilege

Edit: I realize I started preaching without even answering the OP.

I would do one of these on each side of the front grille:
https://www.feniex.com/perimeter/t3-surface-mount

And one of these inside each tail light:
https://www.feniex.com/perimeter/cannon

Great lights with a minimal impact. Low profile since it is a POV.

 

Locally, there is actually a permitting process to get designation as an emergency vehicle. They are super serious about it and you have to get law enforcement approval in all the jurisdictions in which you are going to operate. You actually have to get signatures of approval from the Police Chief, County Sheriff and local superintendent of the Highway Patrol. They basically do a driver's background check on you and thus, lots of moving violations will be a disqualification.

Also, the department had you sign a document acknowledging you understand and will obey all applicable state statutes for the operation of an emergency vehicle. Don't scrimp on siren power, as that is your projected warning before folks see your lights. I would go w/ a 200 watt set up, if at all possible.

In my time at the previous department, we only had 1 collision involving a member using emergency equipment on his personal vehicle. I, personally, would not have issued a permit to that person, as he was the loose cannon type. That was, all in all, a really bad day. I was just leaving the scene in a medical squad truck involving a critical patient, when a vehicle wrecked into a tree when the ambulance was entering roadway with all emergency equipment activated. Started working that injury accident, called for further assistance from the station and loose cannon guy slammed into a vehicle with his, while emerging from the station drive......whewwww!!!

 

BTW, the website I previously mentioned was elightbars.org. Check it out, tons of information.

 

I have 1 Whelen blue light suction cupped to the middle of the windshield right above the dash. It works great and most cars get out of my way. Its plenty bright. I'm in NY and the blue light is a courtesy light only and must obey all signs , lights etc. No need for a siren and in NY your only allowed 1 blue light under 5 watts or something like that.

 

Fixed

 

Go crazy, put two lights in.

§ 46.2-1024. Flashing or steady-burning red or red and white warning light units.

Any member of a fire department, volunteer fire company, or volunteer emergency medical services agency and any police chaplain may equip one vehicle owned by him with no more than two flashing or steady-burning red or red and white combination warning light units of types approved by the Superintendent. Warning light units permitted by this section shall be lit only when answering emergency calls.​

 

I have code3 XT3 lights mounted behind the grill, I made a holder out of ABS plastic and mounted it to the bottom of the grill surround. I have a rear traffic advisor and another light on the dash so I wasn’t as worried about them being as visible.

(All of mine are Amber as it’s the only colour I can use legally, I use it for helping people who break down on the side of the road, stuck in the ditch or if I come upon an accident and emergency services are not there yet I can help clear a lane for them (the police around here really like them and have thanked me a few times), I can’t however use the lights while I’m driving)

 

You could get hide a ways installed in your head and tail lights. I'd use the fog housings in the front so you don't have to drill the head lamps, and the reverse lamps in the rear.

 

This may sound stupid, but you can also get color changing led bulbs on Amazon for your truck. You can change the color on them and possibly put them as your running lights up front and your running lights in back too. You can make them flash and just be solid too.

$17 1797 1156 LED RGB Bulb Amber White Red Multicolor 16 Color Changing Brake Lights Turn Signal Reverse Tail Bright Strobe Car Trunk Remote Control Switch Kit 12V 5050SMD Replacement

https://www.amazon.com/Multicolor-Changing-Reverse-Control-Replacement【1797】/dp/B07H7KR5VR/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1549996675&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=color+changing+led+bulb+1156&dpPl=1&dpID=51E+a8oYiBL&ref=plSrch

Edit : you can also get one of these dash lights that has different color variation options, and different flash patterns.
https://www.speedtechlights.com/deck-dash-visor-led-lights/striker-2-tir-interior-led-dash-light

 

I used relays and LED's for turn, running and reverse lights on my old ranger to hook up a strobe controller for a totally stealth system. A switch on the dash activated the strobe controller and relays to bypass factory functions and strobe the lights. I just used it for same thing as @Optimaltaco pulling people out of ditches and whatnot. I've thought about tracing the wiring back to the cab on my taco to do something similar on my taco. AtomicLED.com does what I would like with doemstics, but don't have a system for toyota.