Upper Leacock Fire Company SOG's

Section 13    Blue Warning Light Policy
 

1.    Members must be 16 years of age or older to use a blue light warning device. No Temporary members are permitted to use a blue warning light

2.    The Fire Chief must give authorization to Fire Company Members before they are permitted to use a blue warning light.

3.    The vehicle displaying a blue warning light must be registered to the Fire Company Member requesting authorization.

4.    Fire Company Members are only permitted to equip one of their vehicles with a blue warning light, no more.

5.    Blue warning lights may ONLY be used enroute to EMERGENCY calls. EMERGENCY calls may consist of but are not limited to:

• Structure Fires, Barn Fires, Building Fires, Dwelling Fires, and Car Fires
• Vehicle Accident and Vehicle Accident Stand-by
• Industrial Rescue, Residential Rescue, and Water Rescue
• Haz Mat Incidents, Spill Control
• Investigations, CO Detector Alarms
• Automatic Alarms
• EMS Assist Calls, Police Department Assist Calls, Fire Police Assist Calls, and Air Assist Calls.

        *A true EMERGENCY call is one that requires a rapid response to preserve life or property.

6.    Blue warning lights MAY NOT be used enroute to NON EMERGENCY calls such as:

• Automatic Alarms Reported False
• Public Service calls
• Engine Company transfer calls
• Work details
• Controlled Burns
• Stand-by Calls In-Station when the 911 Phone System is Down
• Any Other NON-EMERGENCY Calls not mentioned above

7.    Blue warning lights may ONLY be used on NON-EMERGENCY calls after you have arrived on location and are given an assignment to direct traffic on the roadway. Under this circumstance, you would be encouraged to use the blue warning light in the best interest of personal safety.

8.    Blue warning lights may be used in Upper Leacock Township when responding to EMERGENCY calls. You are permitted to use your blue warning light if you are responding to an EMERGENCY call from a bordering municipality such as East Lampeter Township, West Earl Township, Manheim Township, Earl Township, PROVIDED that you are within a 4-mile radius from our running district. Common sense should be used when respond from bordering municipality. ASK YOURSELF: Does the nature of the EMERGENCY really justify a blue light response?

9.    Fire Company members may also use blue warning lights if Upper Leacock Fire Company is dispatched to assist another Fire Company in Lancaster County and you were authorized to drive your personal vehicle to the scene of that EMERGENCY.

10.    Fire company members are not permitted to authorize the use of their blue warning light while enroute to an EMERGENCY call when a non-member is acting as a driver for the Fire Company member.

11.    Blue warning lights must be removed from your vehicle immediately upon termination from the Upper Leacock Fire Company UNLESS you are a member of another Emergency Service Organization and they have give you authorization to use a blue warning light for their organization.

12.    Fire Company Members may also be required to remove their blue warning light following disciplinary action.

13.    All Fire Company Members using a blue warning light are REQUIRED to submit written notification the Fire Chief listing your name, vehicle make, and license plate number. This written notification is REQUIRED EVERY YEAR by FEB. 1^st. You are ALSO REQUIRED to notify the Fire Chief immediately of any vehicle information changes.

14.    No Fire Company Member is permitted to use a blue warning light or operate any vehicle on a roadway, while responding to an EMERGENCY call, if they do not have a valid drivers license.

15.    All Fire Company Members are Restricted to using blue warning lights only. No other color light is permitted. EXCEPTION- Personal chief Officer vehicles are classified as Emergency Vehicles in the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code Laws and are permitted to use red lights, sirens, clear lights, strobe lights, dash lights, headlight wig-wag lights, take down lights, alley lights, and grill lights. Chief Officers are exempt from the blue warning light policy and will be held accountable to All Pennsylvania State Laws governing Emergency Vehicles.

16.    No red lights or any type of audible sirens are permitted.

17.    No amber lights in configuration with blue warning lights may be used

18.    No head light wig-wag lights or strobe marker light systems may be used.

19.    No clear lights are permitted. No take down lights or Alley Lights are permitted.

20.    Blue warning lights must be visible 360 degrees.

21.    No grill lights, side marker lights, visor lights, or dash-mounted lights may be used.

22.    Blue warning lights may consist of a magnetic mount or permanent mount.

23.    Blue warning lights may consist of a tear drop design, half bar design, containing one or more bulbs, that, when activated, produces one or more points of light to a viewer.

24.    No vehicle can display more then two blue warning lights.

25.    Fire Police and Chief Officers are the only Fire Company members permitted to use yellow arrow stick lights. Fire Police are not permitted to use the yellow arrow stick lights enroute to EMERGENCY calls. Fire Police are only allowed to use the yellow arrow stick lights when their vehicle is stationary at the scene of a call.

26.    Any Fire Company member who is also a member of another Fire Company that allows them to use dash lights is permitted to display the dash light; however, they are NOT permitted to us it during EMERGENCY responses for Upper Leacock Fire Company.

27.    Blue warning lights are courtesy lights and civilian drivers are NOT REQUIRED to yield the right of way to you when responding to an EMERGENCY call.

28.    NO RECKLESS OR UNSAFE DRIVING WILL BE TOLERATED!

29.    Blue warning light users ARE NOT PERMITTED to break any of the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code Laws, such as, but not limited to; Speeding, Failing to Stop for Red Lights, Failing to Stop for Stop Signs, Passing Other Motorists in a No Passing Zone, and/or disobeying Traffic Control Signs (such as, One Way Signs).

30.    You MAY assume civil liability for your actions if you cause an accident while in route to an EMERGENCY call.

31.    The Deputy Chief will investigate any violations of this policy ONLY when a written complaint is filed against a Fire Company Member within 30 days of the alleged misconduct.

32.    The Fire Chief has the right to amend or make additions to this policy at any given time. The Fire Chief has the right to implement any policy that would prohibit Upper Leacock Fire Company members from using blue warning lights if abuse of this policy occurs.

33.    The Fire Chief or his designee is REQUIRED to notify the Pennsylvania State Police and local police agencies, in writing, of the Blue light user information pertaining to name, make of vehicle, and license plate number. Notification will be made by March 1^st of each new calendar year.

34.    Upper Leacock Fire Company Disciplinary Code for Fire Company members violating any rules to the Blue Warning Light Policy.

• 1^st OFFENSE OF THIS POLICY = will result in a 10- day suspension of ALL Fire Company activities and a 60- day suspension of your blue warning light privilege.
• 2^nd OFFENSE OF THIS POLICY = will result in 30 day suspension of ALL Fire Company activities and a 1 year suspension of your blue warning light privilege.
• 3^rd OFFENSE OF THIS POLICY = will result in permanent loss of your blue warning light privilege and POSSIBLE dismissal of membership from the Upper Leacock Fire Company.

35.    If you have any concerns or questions about this blue warning light policy, it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to consult the Fire Chief since he is the ONLY one permitted, by law, to authorize the use of a blue warning light.

36.    Keep in mind that the use of your blue warning light is a PRIVILEGE, NOT A RIGHT. With a little COMMON SENSE and SAFE USAGE, this PRIVILEGE will not be taken away!

37.    Fire Company members responding to the Fire Station for an emergency call without using a blue light are expected to adhere to all of the rules of the road mentioned above and violators will be disciplined the same as mentioned above in rule #34

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Page last edited: 03/12/06

© Upper Leacock Fire Company 2003