An Act To Allow Volunteer Firefighters To Use Red Flashing Lights when Responding to a Fire
Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 0111
Committee: Criminal Justice and Public Safety
Sponsors: GOODWIN
Amends: 29-A MRSA §2054

Legislative Document 
No.tll 
H.P.120 
House of Representatives, January 21, 2003 
An Act To Allow Volunteer Firefighters To Use Red Flashing Lights 
when Responding to a Fire 
Reference to the Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety suggested and ordered 
printed. 
Presented by Representative GOODWIN of Pembroke. 
Printed on recycled paper 
17/~ 
1I7.7lbc~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 29-A MRSA §2054, sub-§I, ,B, as amended by PL 2001, c. 
360, §5, is further amended by amending subparagraphs (17) and 
(18) to read: 
(17) 
A vehicle operated by a qualified deputy sheriff 
or 
other 
qualified 
individual 
to 
perform 
court 
security-related functions and services as authorized 
by the State Court Administrator pursuant to Title 4, 
section 17, subsection 15; e~ 
(18) 
A 
Federal 
Government 
vehicle 
operated 
by 
a 
federal law enforcement officerTL-Q£ 
Sec. 2. 29-A MRSA §2054, sub-§I, ,B, as amended by PL 2001, c. 
360, §5, is further amended by enacting subparagraph (19) to read: 
(19) 
A personal vehicle operated by an active member 
of a municipal or volunteer fire department, only when 
the member is en route to or at the scene of a fire or 
other emergency. 
Sec. 3. 29-A MRSA §2054, sub-§2, ,A, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 
683, Pt. A, §2 and affected by Pt. B, §5, is amended to read: 
A. 
Only an ambulance: an emergency medical service vehicle: 
a fire department vehicle; a police vehicle; a Department of 
Conservation 
vehicle 
used 
for 
forest 
fire 
control: 
a 
Department of Corrections vehicle as described in subsection 
1, paragraph B, subparagraph (6); and a highway maintenance 
vehicle may be equipped with a 
device that provides for 
alternate flashing of the vehicle's headlights. 
A personal 
vehicle 
operated 
by 
an 
active 
member 
of 
a 
municipal or volunteer fire department may be equipped with 
a 
device 
that 
provides 
for 
alternate 
flashing 
of 
the 
vehicle's headlights, but the devices may be used only when 
the member is en route to or at the scene of a fire or other 
emergency. 
Sec. 4. 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. 
Page l-LR0570(1) 
mail 
and 
red 
(1) 
Emergency 
lights 
used 
on 
an 
ambulance, 
an 
vehicle, 
a 
fire department 
or 
a 
hazardous 
material 
a red light or a combination 
emergency medical service 
vehicle, 
a 
fire 
vehicle 
response vehicle must emit 
of red and white light. 
(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 
si~Ra;!, 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 
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. 
Sec. 5. 29-A MRSA §2054, sub-§10 is enacted to read: 
10. 
Use 
of 
lights; 
requirements; 
revocation. 
Active 
members of a municipal or volunteer fire department must meet the 
following requirements prior to exercising the privilege of using 
flashing red lights on personal vehicles: 
A. 
Be at least 21 years of age; 
B. 
Have completed 3 years of active service in a municipal 
or volunteer fire department: and 
C. 
Have 
completed 
a 
state-certified 
emergency 
vehicle 
operators course. 
The privilege of using a light may be revoked at any time for 
misconduct 
by 
a 
municipal 
officer 
or 
a 
municipal 
official 
designated by the municipal officers, with the approval of the 
fire chief. 
SUMMARY 
This bill permits municipal and volunteer firefighters to 
use a flashing red light on personal vehicles while en route to 
or at the scene of a fire or other emergency. 
It also provides 
that such vehicles are covered by the rules of operation applying 
to 
authorized 
emergency 
vehicles. 
The 
bill 
also 
adds 
requirements that must be met before a person may use flashing 
lights on personal vehicles.