What Colour Lightbars??

[SEO_09]

People tend to respond quite well with the green lights. And if the lights don't work we also use the airhorn to help get the point across.

[Mall Director]

Yeah.. I am just thinking about how I would resond if i ever seen a green ight flashing.. More than likely dumbfound, as its never taught in drivers ed, what to do when you see green, other than stop lights, and I am sure thats not what is being meant in this case!

[Mr. Security]

On a real weird side note: Doesnt that seem strange to run Green? How do people respond to that?

In NYC, business as usual. In most other places, people will usually yield. I've had people yield to me when using an amber dash light for security. People get confused, don't know what to do, and usually pull over. Most haven't read a state driver's manual in years, if not decades.

[HotelSecurity]

Yeah.. I am just thinking about how I would resond if i ever seen a green ight flashing.. More than likely dumbfound, as its never taught in drivers ed, what to do when you see green, other than stop lights, and I am sure thats not what is being meant in this case!

You want to hear of "dumbfounded" reactions to "an emergency" vehcile?

I used to volunteer as a medic with a First Responder group. One day our emergency vehicle was in the shop for repair. We borrowed a city works pickup truck. It had a yellow flasher & no siren. We had a portable bull horn that had a siren on it. So here we were racing through the city on a call, going through red lights etc with a yellow light flashing & me holding outside the passenger's side window a bull horn that was making a sound like a SICK COW!

[Charger]

Brings up an interesting conversation I had with a guy a few years back when I was doing mall security. We had a special event on site, including a bunch of kiddie rides in the parking lot. For safety reasons, a temporary chainlink fence had been erected, and the mall had hired a company to come do traffic control in the lot. I had a chance to talk to the owner for a while, who was a former LEO.

He told me that he had only been running his company for a few years, (doing traffic control for construction sites, mostly), but had already had a few of his guys get hit by vehicles at night. The amber lights just weren't a deterrent for traffic to slow down. To remedy the problem, he installed amber/green lightbars on his trucks. He said the difference was astronomical, as people would slow down just because they were so confused about what was going on... "Who uses green lights?! Is that a cop?!" Oregon law allows green only for Fire Command Units and/or Hazmat vehicles. But he stated that he had never been hassled about it.

Additionally, I have yet to go down and see for myself so I don't know if it's true, but a friend of mine told me that the Public Safety guys down at the University of Oregon have green/amber bars, as a play on the school colors. (Green & Gold)


One that I'm kinda confused about is Purple lights. I can't remember which company it was, but I remember a couple years ago that Galls sold a line of lights that were available in red, blue, amber, green, white, and PURPLE. I've never seen one in use, and there's nothing in the OR driver's code about them. I talked to a local cop down there, and he told me that (at least in his department) they just consider it to be 'a shade of blue'. Anyone have any experience with these?

[Mr. Security]

Purple may be for funeral processions.

[HotelSecurity]

CBC TV units used to have purple lights until blue became reserved for police. I too have heard them used for coroners & funerials.

[N. A. Corbier]

N. A.

When I worked in Florida, it was a private thoroughbred horse farm community just between Ocala and Gainesville. The farm manager was told by law enforcement to equip us with blue lights. We were armed to the teeth and made arrests (in a few cases) just as if we were police officers.

Was it simply the fact it was private property and high risk?

That is 100% illegal. Chapter 493 states you may only use amber lights, period. Any other light impersonates "official authority." 316.2397 F.S. makes it illegal to have a blue light, period, unless you are a "police vehicle," with the only exception being "department of corrections vehicles."

This statute is enforcable on or off public roads. Mere posession of a blue light is grounds for "impersonating law enforcement," as well.

The only firearm you could lawfully carry was a .38 caliber revolver, and only with a Class D and Class G license. You could carry a 12 gauge shotgun, if the state authorized it. The police cannot authorize it, it had to come from the Department of State - Division of Licensing.

If anyone had caught you folks, the charges would of been insane.

[N. A. Corbier]

Purple and Green usually aren't actually "reserved," they're just equated with tradition.

[Professional Rent-a-Cop]

I am from Utah. I have a velcroed deck on the dash of my patrol car that features a Red/Amber flasher, and two different types of flashlights. I also have experience with Green and Purple flashers; the majority of the companies stationed in Utah are equipped with these colored strobes either as overheads and/or internal. I am actually looking at getting a new car, and installing a Wafer Deck LED Green/Purple strobes right below the sun visors.

[Charger]

Purple and Green usually aren't actually "reserved," they're just equated with tradition.

That's kinda what I was thinking about the purple with funerals... Now that these guys mentioned it, I remember hearing that somewhere... But again, OR code doesn't mention them anywhere. Green, however, is clearly written in code as being for fire command/hazmat only. Police aren't even supposed to use them. (Of course, who's going to cite them if they do? LOL)

I am from Utah. I have a velcroed deck on the dash of my patrol car that features a Red/Amber flasher, and two different types of flashlights. I also have experience with Green and Purple flashers; the majority of the companies stationed in Utah are equipped with these colored strobes either as overheads and/or internal. I am actually looking at getting a new car, and installing a Wafer Deck LED Green/Purple strobes right below the sun visors.

You say a lot of 'companies' use these? Does Utah law allow for this, or are they doing it illegally? Green/Purple... What a combination... Bet it puts off an interesting lightshow though...

[SEO_09]

In VA purple is used by all the funeral homes for escort purposes. There is no law about it, and most police departments actually seem to appreciate the ability of the homes to do their own escorts. Also my last company had to switch to amber/green lenses on thier lightbars. This was strang because we previously had red/blue. I though it made our trucks look like marty gra party trucks. That and it looks funny for a truck with amber/greens to be escorting an ambulance or fire truck.

[N. A. Corbier]

Why would a SCOP company not be authorized to run red/blue?

[Arrowslinger]

The only firearm you could lawfully carry was a .38 caliber revolver, and only with a Class D and Class G license. You could carry a 12 gauge shotgun, if the state authorized it. The police cannot authorize it, it had to come from the Department of State - Division of Licensing.

.

Yep your right on the money

Never knew that about the blue light, I emailed a friend who still works there asking about this. Also pointed him to this site and thread

Thanks

[Mall Director]

Brings up an interesting conversation I had with a guy a few years back when I was doing mall security. We had a special event on site, including a bunch of kiddie rides in the parking lot. For safety reasons, a temporary chainlink fence had been erected, and the mall had hired a company to come do traffic control in the lot. I had a chance to talk to the owner for a while, who was a former LEO.

He told me that he had only been running his company for a few years, (doing traffic control for construction sites, mostly), but had already had a few of his guys get hit by vehicles at night. The amber lights just weren't a deterrent for traffic to slow down. To remedy the problem, he installed amber/green lightbars on his trucks. He said the difference was astronomical, as people would slow down just because they were so confused about what was going on... "Who uses green lights?! Is that a cop?!" Oregon law allows green only for Fire Command Units and/or Hazmat vehicles. But he stated that he had never been hassled about it.

Additionally, I have yet to go down and see for myself so I don't know if it's true, but a friend of mine told me that the Public Safety guys down at the University of Oregon have green/amber bars, as a play on the school colors. (Green & Gold)


One that I'm kinda confused about is Purple lights. I can't remember which company it was, but I remember a couple years ago that Galls sold a line of lights that were available in red, blue, amber, green, white, and PURPLE. I've never seen one in use, and there's nothing in the OR driver's code about them. I talked to a local cop down there, and he told me that (at least in his department) they just consider it to be 'a shade of blue'. Anyone have any experience with these?

May I quote you with some support to that.. We have our management getting on my case alot or the reckless and speeding issues in our lot. Now, because the signs are not "government errected", it can not be enforced by PD. It is private property.. So how do you get in contact with those you would like to ban, who are driving though your parking lot? Our little "whoopdee" has a mini light bar that is amber, and we have takedowns and alleys, as well as double spot lights. Its amazing when you "lite em up" how many people conceed, and pull over. (Between you, me, PD, and the wall... No one has to stop for aflashing yellow light.. but guess how many do? )!

Ohh, and as for the rest.. PURPLE??? Back the kiddie ride up.. Where did I miss that one.. I was not aware of Purple even existing!