Lightbars!?! Whats the deal?

[Chris Heater]

For some reason I just can't believe this, honestly. Maybe once, but multiple times? Unless you are trained and have appropriate safety equipment (vests that meet the current standards, traffic light wands, etc), why would you be asked to do this? Especially if you are not part of some official agency? Otherwise you're a liability. And the cop has his own lights, why add yours?

I'm also glad you will be refraining from light use next year. I ran across you earlier this year in Peoria Co running your full sized amber light bar down Rt. 40 after the storm already passed and it was barely even raining out. There is just no need for that.

3 times so far. Once as your getting off on I-74 on University Avenue and you have a stoplight there. Someone ran the red, and I was first there. It was blocking two separate areas (a side street and University Ave.) and the cop asked me to sit on the side street and wait until tow trucks arrived.

2nd case: Again on University just before Carle Foundation Hospital. Rush hour traffic, and someone pulled out of KFC and was hit by someone going towards Carle (west). It blocked the left lane going west-bound, the center lane, and the left lane going east-bound. Again, I was first there and the cop asked me to sit in the east-bound lane using my lightbar to direct traffic right.

3rd case: Stalled car on Prospect Ave. this past Saturday. Holiday traffic (boy that was ugly!) and she was blocking the right lane. Cop that arrived just after I did had me help him push the car off to a side street and sit behind the car until her friend arrived to put gas in it

Believe me yet? I can keep going if you want

 

[mikedeason]

3 times so far. Once as your getting off on I-74 on University Avenue and you have a stoplight there. Someone ran the red, and I was first there. It was blocking two separate areas (a side street and University Ave.) and the cop asked me to sit on the side street and wait until tow trucks arrived.

2nd case: Again on University just before Carle Foundation Hospital. Rush hour traffic, and someone pulled out of KFC and was hit by someone going towards Carle (west). It blocked the left lane going west-bound, the center lane, and the left lane going east-bound. Again, I was first there and the cop asked me to sit in the east-bound lane using my lightbar to direct traffic right.

3rd case: Stalled car on Prospect Ave. this past Saturday. Holiday traffic (boy that was ugly!) and she was blocking the right lane. Cop that arrived just after I did had me help him push the car off to a side street and sit behind the car until her friend arrived to put gas in it

Believe me yet? I can keep going if you want

And how many tornadoes did you see during these chasing scenarios?

 

[Jason Boggs]

Ric, that photo really has no relevance. Was the officer running the lights in a low visibility environment when he/she got hit?

 

[Adam Lucio]

3 times so far. Once as your getting off on I-74 on University Avenue and you have a stoplight there. Someone ran the red, and I was first there. It was blocking two separate areas (a side street and University Ave.) and the cop asked me to sit on the side street and wait until tow trucks arrived.

2nd case: Again on University just before Carle Foundation Hospital. Rush hour traffic, and someone pulled out of KFC and was hit by someone going towards Carle (west). It blocked the left lane going west-bound, the center lane, and the left lane going east-bound. Again, I was first there and the cop asked me to sit in the east-bound lane using my lightbar to direct traffic right.

3rd case: Stalled car on Prospect Ave. this past Saturday. Holiday traffic (boy that was ugly!) and she was blocking the right lane. Cop that arrived just after I did had me help him push the car off to a side street and sit behind the car until her friend arrived to put gas in it

Believe me yet? I can keep going if you want

So how are you always magically there first?

 

[David Drummond]

Ric, that photo really has no relevance. Was the officer running the lights in a low visibility environment when he/she got hit?

I'm with Jason on this. I mean really, how many times does this ACTUALLY happen giving the hundreds of thousands of emergency vehicles stopped on the road with lights blaring every day?

Coming from someone who has fire department history, we never once had an incident like that.

 

[Ric Burney]

OK, maybe that pic wasn't such a great reference. We have lost several area police officers on our highways around the DFW area that were sitting in traffic lanes w/ lights on that were rear-ended. http://www.autosafety.org/fort-worth-officer-killed-while-helping-motorist
http://www.odmp.org/officer/16430-police-officer-patrick-lee-metzler

I'm not trying to demean anyone that runs lightbars. I just want to remind everyone that even though you have emergency equipment such as lightbars to not be lulled into a false sense of security. Drunks can still hit you, people can still be blinded by the lights, weather conditions, etc. and hit you.. it does happen.

 

[MatthewCarman]

So how are you always magically there first?

Adam please dont take this the wrong way but a stupid question deserves a stupid answer.

Accident #1: He was driving in his vehicle. He saw an accident. The police were not there at that time thus he arrived before them.
Accident #2: He was driving in his vehicle. He saw an accident. The police were not there at that time thus he arrived before them.
Accident #3: He was driving in his vehicle. He saw an accident. The police were not there at that time thus he arrived before them.

It is not impossible or magical as you put it that someone can be at 3 different accidents before the police.

 

[MatthewCarman]

There has been police videos of drunks hitting police cars while the officer had another car pulled over. I have seen 2 or 3 such videos but I would think that rarely happens.

 

[Ric Burney]

Again, not trying to cause another crud storm here, I just don't want to pick up the paper and read about an injury or fatality accident where it could be avoided, especially involving a chaser.
If you are going to use amber lights, please use them safely and responsibly.
http://www.policedriving.com/article145.htm

 

[Adam Lucio]

Adam please dont take this the wrong way but a stupid question deserves a stupid answer.

Accident #1: He was driving in his vehicle. He saw an accident. The police were not there at that time thus he arrived before them.

Once as your getting off on I-74 on University Avenue and you have a stoplight there. Someone ran the red, and I was first there. It was blocking two separate areas (a side street and University Ave.) and the cop asked me to sit on the side street and wait until tow trucks arrived.

Accident #2: He was driving in his vehicle. He saw an accident. The police were not there at that time thus he arrived before them.

2nd case: Again on University just before Carle Foundation Hospital. Rush hour traffic, and someone pulled out of KFC and was hit by someone going towards Carle (west). It blocked the left lane going west-bound, the center lane, and the left lane going east-bound. Again, I was first there and the cop asked me to sit in the east-bound lane using my lightbar to direct traffic right.

Accident #3: He was driving in his vehicle. He saw an accident. The police were not there at that time thus he arrived before them.

3rd case: Stalled car on Prospect Ave. this past Saturday. Holiday traffic (boy that was ugly!) and she was blocking the right lane. Cop that arrived just after I did had me help him push the car off to a side street and sit behind the car until her friend arrived to put gas in it

It is not impossible or magical as you put it that someone can be at 3 different accidents before the police.

You're right, I had prepared for a stupid answer, I was just hoping it wouldn't be THAT stupid.

 

[Jason Foster]

If you want one, get one! If someone other than LE tells you that you shouldn't have one....tell them the go ef themselves.

I don't like them...but I'll be damn if some of you guys are going to tell me what I can or can't do when it comes to chasing. Unless I'm somehow not being courteous (like the example of flashing lights interfering with a person ALREADY stopped and set-up for video/photo or spotting for safety) then you have no business telling me what to do in this regard.

 

[Chris Heater]

Am i gonna have to start taking video of when I arrive at an accident or something? Wowzers

 

[Adam Lucio]

Hey I was just curious is all. Ive been alive 27 years and live in a far more populated area filled with even more terrible drivers. I put 25+ thousand miles on my vehicle per year. Ive seen hundreds of accidents...yet only a handful of those either happened before my eyes/just happened without an officer on the scene...each time Ive stopped, asked if anyone needed help and every time they never did. I phoned in the accident and went on my way.

The way you made it sound was you have countless stories of you arriving on scene before authority - which struck me as a little off. I'm not saying its not possible but the statistics you've given defied my logic and thus I asked a simple question.

Yeesh - nothing worse than a couple of noobs scorned. You and Carman need to chill out and actually see a tornado.

 

[Chris Heater]

Hey I was just curious is all. Ive been alive 27 years and live in a far more populated area filled with even more terrible drivers. I put 25+ thousand miles on my vehicle per year. Ive seen hundreds of accidents...yet only a handful of those either happened before my eyes/just happened without an officer on the scene...each time Ive stopped, asked if anyone needed help and every time they never did. I phoned in the accident and went on my way.

The way you made it sound was you have countless stories of you arriving on scene before authority - which struck me as a little off. I'm not saying its not possible but the statistics you've given defied my logic and thus I asked a simple question.

Yeesh - nothing worse than a couple of noobs scorned. You and Carman need to chill out and actually see a tornado.

I guess i didnt make it clear. I didnt mean i had seen the accident itself (thats only happened once) but arrived just after it happened. Hopefully that clears it up a little better?

 

[Jay McCoy]

To back Chris a little. If he was directed by a LEO to help block traffic using his yellow lights he is covered at that point by that city or agency if anything happens. He wont be liable if something happens. I know we have had times where we or our PD was short of vehicles at a scene for a few minutes and asked a tow truck or other "escort" type vehicle to aid us until we had more units on scene and at that point they are under our umbrella. It is very rare for it to happen but I know of at least 4-5 times in my 9 years of Emergency service I have seen it happen. Just like an officer can direct somebody to aid in an arrest and it is legal since they are under direct oders from an LEO. And as for the Good Samaritain Law. As long as you arent certified as an EMT etc... then you are covered unless you tell somebody specifically you are an EMT or higher. just saying you have "training" does not remove that protection as long as you dont specify higher training. As long as you are acting in "good faith" your ok. Most LEO's only have basic first aid also so any help they can get is welcome until advanced care arrives.

And Nick I know of a number of chasers who have used lightbars for years like David and even myself (ofcourse mine are red/blue).. I guess we use them cause we have never seen a tornado and need them to tell folks we are chasers huh??? I think the 50+ years and probably 500 tornados between David and myself means we use the bars for attention. pleeeeeeeessse.

I will agree there are a few younger chasers who do everything in the world to let everybody know they are chasers like lightbars running the whole day and graphics and magnetic signs and mesonets etc...but dont just throw a blanket comment to cover everybody. Some of us were seeing tornados before you were even born. Ofcourse I dont use mine while chasing except in my counties of OEM coverage but....back in the day before 2000 I did have yellows but only used them while stopped or in zero visibility conditions so I didnt get plowed into. Some people know how to use them responsibly and only when needed for safety. Trust me when I am working a wreck on I-40 I turn on everything I have to make sure I can be seen clearly. Ofcourse with drunks it doesnt matter.

Just to stir the pot...lol
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RT3TMzAQso

I was surprised that Oklahomas rules showed yellow ONLY for vehciles not in motion except escort or tow vehicles so I guess any chaser using them while driving is illegal..wow that means about 500 OU kids breaking the law..lol

And the Texas listing is wrong about Blue. Blue/yellow is ok for city vehicles or POV but all blue is LEO only. any combo of red/ blue or all red all blue is LEO/fire/ams only as is white. yellow or yellow/blue is for tow/private vehciles. Green is for OEM command posts.