An Act To Allow Fire and Emergency Medical Services Response Vehicles To Display One Blue Light at the Rear of the Vehicle
Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 0464
Committee: Transportation
Sponsors: BULL, BUNKER, MARLEY, RINES, STONE, USHER
Amends: 29-A MRSA §2054

12lst MAINE LEGISLATURE 
Legislative Document 
No. 464 
H.P.356 
House of Representatives, February 4,2003 
An Act To Allow Fire and Emergency Medical Services Response 
Vehicles To Display One Blue Light at the Rear of the Vehicle 
Reference to the Committee on Transportation suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representative BULL of Freeport. 
Cosponsored by Senator SA V AGE of Knox and 
17/~ 
1?1.1Jld£~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Representati ves: ANDREWS of York, BUNKER of Kossuth Township, DUGA Y of 
Cherryfield, MARLEY of Portland, McNEIL of Rockland, RINES of Wiscasset, STONE of 
Berwick, USHER of Westbrook. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec.!. 29-A MRSA §2054, sub-§2, ~D, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 
683, Pt. A, §2 and affected by Pt. B, §5, is amended to read: 
D. 
Emergency lights used on a police vehicle; a Department 
of 
Corrections 
vehicle 
as 
described 
in 
subsection 
1, 
paragraph B, subparagraph (6); a vehicle operated by a chief 
of police, 
a sheriff or a deputy sheriff; and a vehicle 
operated by a qualified deputy sheriff or other qualified 
individual performing court security-related functions and 
services must emit a blue light or a combination of blue and 
whi te light. 
Ne--4t::he-F---vehi-£..J.-e--fflay--ge-~ipp€-d---w-i-t.fl--eF 
Elis~J:ay--a--hl-ue--J:il3at=T--€-*C~--t.fl..a-t--eB On 
any vehicle, or 
replica 
of 
a 
vehicle, 
manufactured 
prior 
to 
1952 
and 
registered under section 457, the taillight may contain a 
blue or purple insert of not more than one inch in diameter. 
Sec. 2. 29-A MRSA §2054, sub-§2, F, as amended by PL 1995, c. 
22, §l, is further amended to read: 
F. 
Only vehicles listed in this paragraph, 
rural 
vehicles as provided in paragraph C, 
subparagraph (5) 
school buses may be equipped with, display or use a 
auxiliary or emergency light. 
mail 
and 
red 
(1) 
Emergency 
ights 
used 
on 
an 
ambulance, 
an 
emergency medical service vehicle, 
a fire department 
vehicle, 
a 
fire 
vehicle 
or 
a 
hazardous 
material 
response vehicle must emit a red light or a combination 
of red and white light and may be equipped with one 
blue light mounted at the rear of the vehicle so that 
the light is visible to approaching traffic. 
(2) 
The municipal officers or 
a municipal official 
designated by the municipal officers, with the approval 
of the fire chief, may authorize an active member of a 
municipal 
or 
volunteer 
fire 
department 
to 
use 
a 
flashing red signal light not more than 5 inches in 
diameter on a vehicle. 
The light may be displayed but 
may be used only while the member is en route to or at 
the scene of a fire or other emergency. 
The light must 
be 
mounted 
as 
near 
as 
practicable 
above 
the 
registration plate on the front of the vehicle or on 
the dashboard. 
A light mounted on the dashboard must 
be 
shielded 
so 
that 
the 
emitted 
light 
does 
not 
interfere with the operator's vision. 
(3) 
Members of an emergency medical service licensed 
by Maine Emergency Medical Services may display and use 
Page l-LR0672(1) 
on a vehicle a flashing red signal light of the same 
proportion, 
in the same location and under the same 
conditions as those permitted municipal and volunteer 
firefighters, when authorized by the chief official of 
the emergency medical service. 
SUMMARY 
This bill allows a blue light to be mounted at the rear of 
authorized emergency vehicles.