Because emergency vehicles are meant to be in hazardous situations, you may find yourself needing specific emergency vehicle equipment to do your job properly. You will need specific things to make it safer to do your job and get there on time and ready to work. These can include passive and active warning options, audible sirens, auxiliary lighting, communication devices and much more.
Passive Warning
Passive visual warning options are helpful because it still lets others know you are coming without scaring them or worrying them. This type of signal includes reflective designs for the vehicles and the name of your service, such as Police Department or Ambulance. Reflective designs can be any number of things. You may want to talk with the major of your town to come up with specific designs or use the tried-and-true method.
Active Warning
Active warnings are typically considered to be lights and sirens, depending on your options. Lights can be helpful to signal to others that you need to move quickly, so they should get out of your way safely and carefully. Sirens can help you warn innocent people that you are coming, so they should make plans immediately to give you space.
Lights can include lightbars, beacons, grille lights, dash lights, deck lights, directional arrows and more. Typical lighting options include incandescent, strobe and LED lighting, which is increasingly becoming more popular.
Sirens
Typically, sirens are used to warn people of your approach. They can be manual, electric or electronic. All options are meant to use different sound patterns to inform people of your pending arrival, and each emergency vehicle has a particular type of siren. For example, police vehicles typically have a different sound than ambulances.
Auxiliary Lighting
Auxiliary light is used to help illuminate a situation. This can include an accident at night, behind or to the side of vehicles and any other time you feel extra light may be helpful. In most cases, the light is nearly white or white to make it easier to deal with the problem. Types can include flood lights, spot lights, load and alley lights, just to name a few.
Communication Devices
Communication devices are also necessary equipment to have in police vehicles because they can help you communicate quickly with others, such as dispatchers, other officers and facilities. Types can include two-way radios, car/cell phones, mobile data terminals, laptops with wi-fi built in and more.