Proposed Maine Legislation

[EliotO3]

Hey Fellow Maine FF's

Not sure if you were all aware but there is a New bill going that possibly is going to go before the Legislature this year in reference to our red lights. Here is the proposal.

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

What do you guys all feel about this? Personally i think that it is crap, I have heard word that it might not get out of committee but that is just hear say. depending on your view it might be a good idea to call your Rep and view your concern.

[Resq14]

Since they're courtesy lights (whatever those are), and since you must still abide by the rules of the road even when your red light is blinking, I don't have a problem with the law at all.

I've seen more life and property ENDANGERED by red lights on POV's than lives or property POTENTIALLY SAVED by redlights on POV's.

I'd bet the farm my opinion isn't a popular one though.

[Jim917]

The red lights do not provide us any advantage in traffic. Once in a great while, you'll catch a break from someone who will let you into or out of a traffic jam.

If they were completely eliminated, no one would miss them.

[firemed9]

try going through Wells, or Ogunquit in the summer with out one. Given they are just courtesy lights, but without them, you would be stuck in traffic with no hope in getting to the call. People do pay attention to them, and move. If they ban them, there will be issues in a lot of summer communities.

[BuxtonFFEMTI]

I don't think that this legislation is such a bad idea. Yeah the red lights help sometimes, but 9 times out of 10 it doesn't get you there any faster. I can understand heavy traffic and other examples. When it comes down to it, its life and safety, I think this is a better attempt then to allow a ridiculous amount of lights (like in NH) with no regulations.

-Conrad J

[jfrd04]

I think it is a great idea, putting people behind the wheel with a red blinking light especially the young ones can create some rather interesting situations.This law is not an elimination of them but a way to create some guidelines and training to earn one. We train on a lot of other skills but this is an area that has lacked both in driving our personal vehicles to the scene and our apparatus.

Stay Safe:D :D

[EliotFireChief]

I think a few of you are missing the point. It's not about the mis-use of red lights, it'a about State imposed requirements that may have a tremendous effect on the vol. service. If you can't use the lights until you take a State certified course, what happens to the guys that have been responding for years. There is no language in the law for an ease in period or funding the training. Most departments can't get guys to commit to more than a few hours of training now. Try telling them they have to take a 16 hour class next weekend in order to use the redlights they purchased and installed. Granted the lights are only for asking permission to yield, but they are also a traffic warning that something may happen ahead. We allow our 18 year olds to die overseas but not to have the maturity to use redlights. Let the local Chiefs develope and implement the redlight use criteria for their own response area. Let them continue to pull permissions after discovering abuse. Let them deliver the EVOC training as it pertains to their community. Keep big politics out of my station.

Look into the whole law and all the other items attached to it before fully deciding how you feel. I can tell you it's not driven by small towns.

[Fire304]

I have to agree with Elliot here, that the state has no business madating more training (and I'd be willing to bet there is no funding to pay for said training). If they want to get rid of red lights, then do so, don't jerk us around with yet another unfunded mandate.

While I think red lights are a problem, that there are many people who abuse them, and I have heard of many "close calls", there are already laws which govern their use, and I have not heard of any accidents caused by them in my 8 years as a maine firefighter. Its a local issue, and should be left that way with appropriate intervention by the state and county police if there is abuse.

[Sanford610]

With regards to vetrans members of a department having there Red Lights revoked there should be some consideration and time allowed for any king of certification, time in service etc.. With new members I see no harm in training someone before we send them into the world to fight fire. That includes responding in your POV. There are a lot of departments that don't use any kind of introduction program or rookie training. Join today, get your gear, and tomorrow your racing to the scene of a fire. Huge exposure here for some serious liabilty. Both personal and with the department. In this day and age the risk your organization runs by not requiring your members to be trained and meeting the requirements as this law mandates would be greater than the benefit of having a them respond at all.

Stay safe out there and don't expose yourself to any unnecessary riks.
:cool:

[Resq14]

Once again, what is the point of courtesy lights?

They don't make turn your vehicle into an emergency vehicle. So, what is the point?

The only point is to "enable" operators to drive as if they were in an emergency vehicle. Currently that's not the way the law is written. So the next time you speed, blow a stop sign, or pass a vehicle as if you were in an emergency vehicle, just remember you are in violation of state law.

I have seen way too many close calls. It's not worth one injury--or worse. To those that say "seconds count" I say prove it. Show me one example where driving a little faster has measurably resulted in the preservation life. I say it endangers more than it preserves... that it does more bad than good. This is an old mind set that people need to leave in the past. My safety, my team's safety, and the public's safety all outweigh whatever emergency we're being called to. Don't create another emergency. We're supposed to be the ones who handle emergencies, not create them.

Want to be able to drive your Toyota like a patrol car? Simple solution. Have the law changed.

[sfd275]

I think the resriction of red light usage is a great idea. I believe with the help of dispatchers and local chiefs we could respond to calls code 1 in the appartus.Is it really needed to have a truck plus POVs screaming across town for a mulch fire,10-55 w/o PI, CO calls w/o symptoms, etc.?? We should start buckling down on code 3 usage. I have been working fire and ems for a while now and believe that in most cases we could respond code 1 on a number of incidents. The problem is people are so excited when that tone goes out they forget about everything and believe they own the road. It is not your emergency.