By Alan M. Petrillo
Lighting manufacturers offer a seemingly endless number of choices when it comes to the warning lights that can be used on the front, sides, and rear of fire apparatus.
Light bars, light heads, light sticks, micro-bars, beacons, rotating lights, and arrow sticks are some of the more popular offerings. But, determining what will work best for a department depends on the type and size of the vehicle, the rig’s intended use, and departmental preferences.
Vehicle Light Bars
Kelly Kyriakos, vice president of emergency business and marketing for Code 3, says the company recently introduced a two-level LED light bar called the Pursuit “that’s a true two-level bar in a one-level profile.” Pursuit, Kyriakos says, “is fully programmable where the customer can select and program flash patterns into the unit. In addition, the lower level can be used for either flash patterns or scene lighting.”
The Pursuit is three inches tall at its highest point, is 13½ inches wide, and is available in lengths of 30 to 72 inches. It is a multivoltage light bar, available in 12- and 24-volt versions, and departments can choose the type of lighting that goes into the bar from various LED light head modules.
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| Federal Signal makes the Navigator two-tier LED linear light bar as part of its emergency warning light line. (Photo courtesy of Federal Signal.) |
Kyriakos notes that Code 3 integrated solar panels underneath the lens of the Pursuit to charge the vehicle’s battery and that integrated signage can be put into the bar, like a message, department name, or arrow stick. In addition, the Pursuit has an auto-dimming feature-two photo cells that capture the ambient light and dim the bar’s light level so it’s not so piercing at night on a scene.
He adds that Code 3 also makes the Triumph two-level LED light bar that’s useful on large fire trucks because it is 4.6 inches tall as well as the Model 2700 single-stack light bar and the RMX, a double-stack light bar.
Derek Zaremba, of Whelen Engineering Company’s OEM sales division, says Whelen’s Liberty 2 is the newest version of its redesigned line of LED light bars. “We’ve updated the optics, maximized the size of the reflectors to increase the brightness of the lights, and put in improved heat sinks and sealing capabilities,” Zaremba says. “Likewise, our Freedom 4 Series integrates all of the capabilities of our prior Freedom LED light bar into a more modern design.”
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| The WideLux Series of LED perimeter warning lights made by Feniex are available in several sizes and colors. Shown is the seven- by three-inch LED warning light. (Photo courtesy of Feniex.) |
Federal Signal makes a variety of light bar styles, including the Navigator two-tier linear light bar, Vision SLR V-shaped LED light bar, and others. Ron Zack, market manager at Federal Signal, notes its Solaris technology maximizes the light performance of the most intense LEDs available and disperses the light where it