Emergency light install

[Paraphoe]

Wanted to throw up a thread on how I installed my emergency blue lights now that they're finally operational. I'm a volunteer firefighter and I live about 1.75 mi from my station, so it really helps to have people move aside for you when you have that distance to drive.




Anyway, I have in the front a suction mounted LED bar - the 'ET-7' from ExtremeTacticalDynamics.com, and two LED boxes hidden in the rear window.



The front was a pretty easy (read: 3 minute) install. Suctioned it to the windshield. ran the cable up and along the front edge of the headliner, down the pillar (between the pillar and the windshield) and then under the dash, ziptied up and out of the way. Power is a cig lighter plug with a switch on the back. Simple.

It's pretty hard to see in most lighting conditions too, which is good:

The rears were a lot more work. I had to fab some brackets up -

got some steel strips from Home Depot, cut, bent, filed, drilled and painted them to the way they needed to be.


Measured out and drilled the top part of the inside liftgate next:

Screwed in the brackets, ran the wiring through the 'walls' of the truck, up into the console where power is tapped off the battery, and mounted the control box right above my scangauge (you can see it in one of the previously posted pictures above).


They're completely undercover until they light up.

Finally, the finished product at night. I hope to have a better video soon, when I can shoot when I'm not in an area that's going to attract a lot of attention.

 

[X6StringerX]

So, did any of your neighbors come out when you shot the video? LOL!

 

[BrianDye]

Haha i was wondering the same thing!


Are you gonna get any red or anything?

That looks great though, good clean instal, btw are you also gonna add any headlight or taillight strobes or anything?

 

[ericautopart]

Looks good..I'm a FF/EMT too. I just use a dual LED visor light so it's out of the way when not in use. You go through fire school yet?

 

[Paraphoe]

X6 - the first time I tested the windshield bar I had a neighbor look out the window, but no one came out when I shot the vid. I made it as quick as I could.


BrianDye - red is illegal for me. Only police and high ranking fire officials (chief, Marshall) can run with anything other than blue. I will not be adding any strobes or anything. I think this is enough.


Eric - Yessir. So glad to finally have a few weeknights freed up again.

 

[BWilliams]

Jesus Christ, that's bright.

A buddy of mine has a Whalen (I think) LED blue light in his truck for VFF duty ... doesn't throw the light as much like that, just lights up so that you can see it through the windshield.

 

[X6StringerX]

BrianDye - red is illegal for me. Only police and high ranking fire officials (chief, Marshall) can run with anything other than blue. I will not be adding any strobes or anything. I think this is enough.

In my state, only LEOs can have blue lights. Fire & Rescue must use red.

On a side note, I was a volunteer firefighter for a couple years after high school. I wouldn't mind doing again after college if I can make time for it. I only have one semester left... WOOT!

 

[huntersteve61]

Very nice. Do you get any crap for having more then 2 blue lights from your station guys?? I don't know if you know this but your only allowed to have 2 light units... To my knowledge this is state wide here in Pa not just by borough. I could be wrong but when I wanted to do my blue light setup they gave me a TON of **** about running grill windshield and tailgate lights...

 

[Rofocowboy84]

Very nice. Do you get any crap for having more then 2 blue lights from your station guys?? I don't know if you know this but your only allowed to have 2 light units... To my knowledge this is state wide here in Pa not just by borough. I could be wrong but when I wanted to do my blue light setup they gave me a TON of **** about running grill windshield and tailgate lights...

They actually revised the law again about two years ago. I forget the exact wording, but it pretty much only allows you on rooftop mini-bar. It's funny how while most states are giving their responders more privileges, PA just keeps getting more and more restrictive. Of course, depending on the LEO's in your area, you can get away with having an "illegal" setup. I had a windshield light and two grille lights for the longest time, but took them off about a year ago because I wasn't running much, and when I was the lights didn't really help my response times anyway...

And yes, it's a statewide thing.

 

[Paraphoe]

Very nice. Do you get any crap for having more then 2 blue lights from your station guys?? I don't know if you know this but your only allowed to have 2 light units... To my knowledge this is state wide here in Pa not just by borough. I could be wrong but when I wanted to do my blue light setup they gave me a TON of **** about running grill windshield and tailgate lights...

They don't mind, and the cops don't have any major issues with it either. As long as you aren't rolling around like a Christmas tree. The law is 1 bar, in view 360 degrees, but with my roof rack that doesn't exactly work for me, so I just went with the front and rears.

 

[Blee1099]

You need a siren.. Might I suggest a Fed SIg PA 300

 

[Rofocowboy84]

You need a siren.. Might I suggest a Fed SIg PA 300

Not in PA, unless he's an officer. And while PA300's are cool, there's much, much better out there these days. I prefer Unitrol, just because of their sweet sounding Yelp....and Carson would be my second choice, I have the one with the Mechanical tone, hee-hee!!

 

[Blee1099]

Yea I'm partial cause I have a few from previous installs & spares..

 

[Paraphoe]

Yea, no siren for me. Not that important yet. Gimme a few years.

 

[huntersteve61]

Ya I only have state patrol out here in the country and 90% of those guys don't know and probably don't really care as long as your using your light for the intended purpose and not turning it on at a bar or pulling up to a local hangout all lit up like its WW3...

who would do that

Just the chief at the time had a thing for bein an ass. It wasn't his fault he just was born that way. Our new guy is really cool and likes his lights. I might try to outfit my ex once I get a couple hun for led's

 

[Blee1099]

I'm a firm believer that you can never have enough lights.
case in point

http://www.blee1099.com/p71/98p71.avi

http://www.blee1099.com/p71/98p71_back.avi

 

[huntersteve61]

Holy lights! put those cars outside the county fair its sure to attract attention

 

[smurfxlt]

i have a blue light and im not even a firefighter or anything lmao. i dont use it though, its just chillin in my garage right now.

 

[Blee1099]

Holy lights! put those cars outside the county fair its sure to attract attention

One of my past professions was emergency equipment installations. We wanted to make sure you could see and hear the vehicles.

 

[Paraphoe]

Better to be safe...