page_title: Emergency vehicle lighting
section_title: Volunteer Personnel
hierarchical_section_title: Emergency vehicle lighting / Usage by country / United States of America / Volunteer Personnel
caption_attribution_description: Image of a New Jersey EMT's personal vehicle with lights flashing, taken at night.
context_page_description: Emergency vehicle lighting is one or more visual warning lights fitted to a vehicle for use when the driver wishes to convey to other road users the urgency of their journey, to provide additional warning of a hazard when stationary, or in the case of law enforcement as a means of signalling another driver to stop for interaction with an officer. These lights may be dedicated emergency lights, such as a beacon or a light bar, or may be modified stock lighting, such as a wig-wag or hide-away light, and are additional to any standard lighting on the car such as hazard lights. Often, they are used along with a siren in order to increase their effectiveness.
  In many jurisdictions, the use of these lights may afford the user specific legal powers, and may place requirements on other road users to behave differently, such as compelling them to pull to the side of the road and yield right of way so the emergency vehicle may proceed through unimpeded.
  Laws regarding and restricting the use of these lights vary widely among jurisdictions, and in some areas non-emergency vehicles and semi-emergency vehicles may be permitted to use similar lights.
context_section_description: Many U.S. states allow volunteer fire, EMS and Search and Rescue personnel to place emergency warning lights in their personal vehicles for use when responding to emergencies. The degree of lighting is mandated by law and also by local custom in most areas, and can vary from a single rotating light on the dashboard or roof, to a setup much like modern police cruisers. Some states also allow volunteer use of sirens and air horns to request the right of way.
  Virginia state law allows emergency personnel to equip one private vehicle “with no more than two flashing or steady-burning red or red and white combination warning lights”.
  In some states, volunteers are allowed to use the normal red lights, while in other states volunteers must use some other color, usually blue or green.  In the latter case, the lights are used as a courtesy to ‘request’ the right of way and generally do not mandate pulling over.  Some states, such as  Pennsylvania, limit volunteer use of red lights to chiefs and captains of squads.
  Separate colors may be used for fire versus EMS volunteers.  In Connecticut, Indiana, and New York, volunteer firefighters use blue while volunteer EMTs use green. In New Jersey, volunteer fire and ambulance personnel use blue lights in their personal vehicles while responding to their stations. In NJ red lights are only allowed for emergency vehicles, fire chiefs, chief officers of first aid or rescue squads, or other law enforcement vehicles. In Iowa, volunteer firefighters can use flashing blue lights on their personal vehicles, while volunteer EMTs can use flashing white (clear) lights.
  New York also certifies some volunteer EMTs to use red lights and sirens provided their vehicles carry certain equipment; this is often used by Hatzolah volunteers in the NYC area. Typically in New York state, volunteer firefighters use blue lights in their personal vehicles and volunteer EMS use green lights.  This may generate confusion, as green lights are also used to signify an incident command vehicle. In the state of Texas, “a private vehicle of a volunteer firefighter or a certified emergency medical services employee or volunteer when responding to a fire alarm or medical emergency” is considered an “authorized emergency vehicle” and may use alternately flashing lighting equipment or may be equipped with a siren, exhaust whistle, or bell.
  The conflicting color assignments can create issues for volunteers who drive their vehicles out of state. One color in their state may mean firefighter or EMT when in another state it may mean police. While some authorities may be satisfied with covering the lights with an ‘Out Of Service’ tarpaulin, compliance may be more difficult in other jurisdictions.  For example, Arkansas bars civilian possession of blue lights on or in a vehicle unless sealed in the manufacturer's original package.
caption: A New Jersey EMT's vehicle at night with lights flashing.
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