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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2017 - 2018
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | May 11, 2017 07:34 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative William C. Kortz, II and Rep. Frank A. Farry |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Firefighters Blue Lights Allowed Inside a Vehicle When Responding to Fire |
| In the near future, we will be introducing legislation that would allow for firefighters to have flashing blue lights used on the interior of their vehicles when responding to a fire. Current law allows for fire fighters to use flashing blue lights on their personal vehicles when responding to calls but only on the outside of their vehicles. The lights are essential in helping a firefighter get to the station quicker or clearly identify their vehicle if they have to respond directly to a fire. The current requirement to have exterior-only lights places a financial burden on firefighters because they have to purchase, mount, and wire these expensive light bars. The mounting of the bars also will decrease the value of the vehicle. Light-emitting-diode (LED) technology has evolved significantly to the point where a dashboard light can be bought for less than $100, and it is bright enough to easily signal other motorists. These lights can normally be used by plugging into an auxiliary power port on the dash of the car. The law allowing firefighters to only put emergency lights on top of their vehicles was written at a time when only external revolving lights were available. Since technology has changed, it is time to update the law. There are already barriers to recruiting and retaining volunteers without this added financial burden. Please join us in co-sponsoring this important legislation to help our fire personnel. |
Introduced as HB1794