Volunteer Firefighters and their M3's

[Accord]

So how many guys on here are volunteer firefighters? I'm a volunteer FF and i'm trying to figure out a good lightbar setup for my M3.

I can put red lights behind the grill or red LED's in the head and tail lights, or just simply get an LED lightbar across the top of my windshield held on by suction cups. Trying to find something on www.galls.com

To all the volunteer FF's on here, what kind of setup do you use? And post pics if you got them.

[monsta]

i'm not a volunteer FF but know of one who is, he drives an E60 M5 and he just has the one that goes on the dash....a light bar on the windshield is much cleaner so you should definitely try to stick that route

[sard]

Pardon my ignorance, but I'm assuming a light bar is like those flashing lights? Why would you install that in your "civilian" car?

[doba_s]

Originally Posted by sard

Pardon my ignorance, but I'm assuming a light bar is like those flashing lights? Why would you install that in your "civilian" car?

+1 ... why do you eve need those lights if you are a volunteer ?

[gr8000]

I guess in order to get fast to the fire station? Whats why he needs an M3 also!

[Patricius]

You guys haven't ever seen a civilian car with blue lights flashing? Perhaps you don't live near firehouses :P

[BRDHNTR]

You could probably get some lights mounted in the Kidney Grille and just put the switch on the steering column underneath the wheel. That way your passangers don't see it and "accidentally" turn them on.

[BRDHNTR]

Oh and I want to see a video when this is done.

[Radiation Joe]

It's a Pennsylvania thing. You can't throw a rock without hitting some yahoo with blue lights on driving 46 in a 45.

[D1911]

I'd get some low profile ones that you don't have to fuss with and can leave them on your car all the time and not get in the way.

I've seen this one in action and it works really well. Mounts to your vanity mirror. (watch the video)
http://www.galls.com/style.html?asso...og&style=DL188


And this one for your rear deck. (This one has a lot of positive reviews)
http://www.galls.com/style.html?asso...og&style=GR241

[J08M3]

I wouldn't suggest the grille. It's too low and other people on the road won't see them. The higher the better for visibility, which is the point of lights.

This is common where ever there is volunteer fire departments. Since the FF's must drive their personal cars either to the fire department or directly to the fire.

[Bikerjoy]

Originally Posted by Radiation Joe

It's a Pennsylvania thing. You can't throw a rock without hitting some yahoo with blue lights on driving 46 in a 45.

[Accord]

Originally Posted by doba_s

+1 ... why do you eve need those lights if you are a volunteer ?

Because we ARE volunteers, that's why we need them. Unlike paid firefighters we don't live at the station when we're on call and drive our civilian vehicles to the station when we get a call and in order to get there ASAP and speed in a safe manner we install lights in our cars, it's a safety issue. Every state has laws on what volunteer FF's are allowed to have as far as emergency lighting goes and here in North Carolina you can have pretty much anything you want so long as it's not blue AND red flashing which is reserved for police only. Some states it's red only, other states blue only, some states govern the amount of lights you're allowed to have, etc. but where I live you can get whatever you want pretty much.

Just imagine an ambulance or police car trying to respond to an emergency without any flashing lights, response times would take forever and getting through even the smallest amount of traffic would be extremely dangerous and the amount of accidents involving emergency vehicles would skyrocket.

[Accord]

Originally Posted by D1911

I'd get some low profile ones that you don't have to fuss with and can leave them on your car all the time and not get in the way.

I've seen this one in action and it works really well. Mounts to your vanity mirror. (watch the video)
http://www.galls.com/style.html?asso...og&style=DL188


And this one for your rear deck. (This one has a lot of positive reviews)
http://www.galls.com/style.html?asso...og&style=GR241

I have 15% tint on my rear window, think that would hinder the visibility of the light in any way?

[rouxeny]

Just out of curiousity, do you guys get any formal training on how to drive with the lights on?

[J08M3]

Originally Posted by rouxeny

Just out of curiousity, do you guys get any formal training on how to drive with the lights on?

The lights do not allow you to speed, run red lights, fail to stop at stop signs or any break any other normal driving laws. So special training is not really necessary. All it's supposed to do is warn other drivers so that hopefully they pull over and let you through so you don't get stuck in traffic.

[Buschy]

Originally Posted by Accord

Because we ARE volunteers, that's why we need them. Unlike paid firefighters we don't live at the station when we're on call and drive our civilian vehicles to the station when we get a call and in order to get there ASAP and speed in a safe manner we install lights in our cars, it's a safety issue. Every state has laws on what volunteer FF's are allowed to have as far as emergency lighting goes and here in North Carolina you can have pretty much anything you want so long as it's not blue AND red flashing which is reserved for police only. Some states it's red only, other states blue only, some states govern the amount of lights you're allowed to have, etc. but where I live you can get whatever you want pretty much.

Just imagine an ambulance or police car trying to respond to an emergency without any flashing lights, response times would take forever and getting through even the smallest amount of traffic would be extremely dangerous and the amount of accidents involving emergency vehicles would skyrocket.

Really, your allowed to speed cause you are a VF? I doubt that.
no disrespect intended>

[doba_s]

Originally Posted by Accord

Because we ARE volunteers, that's why we need them. Unlike paid firefighters we don't live at the station when we're on call and drive our civilian vehicles to the station when we get a call and in order to get there ASAP and speed in a safe manner we install lights in our cars, it's a safety issue. Every state has laws on what volunteer FF's are allowed to have as far as emergency lighting goes and here in North Carolina you can have pretty much anything you want so long as it's not blue AND red flashing which is reserved for police only. Some states it's red only, other states blue only, some states govern the amount of lights you're allowed to have, etc. but where I live you can get whatever you want pretty much.

Just imagine an ambulance or police car trying to respond to an emergency without any flashing lights, response times would take forever and getting through even the smallest amount of traffic would be extremely dangerous and the amount of accidents involving emergency vehicles would skyrocket.

I didn't know about that . I mean here in CA we don't have anything like that. And yes, if you drive ambulance or police car which is considered to be a special vehicle you definitely need to have lights ... But your M3 is not an ambulance nor a police car, that's why I was surprised. And I highly doubt that you can speed and put in danger other drivers without going through a special course or having some kind of permit.

[Zed]

Originally Posted by J08M3

The lights do not allow you to speed, run red lights, fail to stop at stop signs or any break any other normal driving laws. So special training is not really necessary. All it's supposed to do is warn other drivers so that hopefully they pull over and let you through so you don't get stuck in traffic.

And they pull over? I sure wouldn't pull over around here for an unmarked obviously civilian car with flashy lights... I've seen several jokers in this area that go around doing the flashy light thing for kicks to people. Not to mention some people that have been pulled over with legit seeming lights only to get car jacked as a result.

But then... I don't camp in the fast lane.

[Reedomn]

sell the M3...and get a real firefighting machine!!

[Blake]

[Accord]

Originally Posted by doba_s

I didn't know about that . I mean here in CA we don't have anything like that. And yes, if you drive ambulance or police car which is considered to be a special vehicle you definitely need to have lights ... But your M3 is not an ambulance nor a police car, that's why I was surprised. And I highly doubt that you can speed and put in danger other drivers without going through a special course or having some kind of permit.

That's because all the high taxes you pay in California enable the state and cities to pay for professional paid firefighters... more than 60% of American fire departments are completely volunteer, but you'll never know it because we're extremely good at what we do. Here in North Carolina there are very few completely paid fire departments and almost the entire state are volunteers except for a couple big cities like Raleigh and Charlotte.

The process to be a VFF isn't easy, you don't just decide to volunteer one day and you go countless hours of training, need to get the same certifications as paid FF's in big city departments as well as probationary periods and other things before you're ever allowed to respond to calls.