NYS lights in POV

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emt4thsnds

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Im a NYS EMT and I was talking with another friend today and we got into a discussion about lights in our car. The question was if you are an EMT and your dept hasn't "signed off" on paper for lights and you aren't using it for solely response in your district, can you have a green light in case you were to need it? For scenario purposes say you pulled up on a bad mva at night with no one else on scene and you found it beneficial to have the light for identification and visibility say.
 
emt4thsnds said:
Im a NYS EMT and I was talking with another friend today and we got into a discussion about lights in our car. The question was if you are an EMT and your dept hasn't "signed off" on paper for lights and you aren't using it for solely response in your district, can you have a green light in case you were to need it? For scenario purposes say you pulled up on a bad mva at night with no one else on scene and you found it beneficial to have the light for identification and visibility say.
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Identification for what?
Once FD arrives, they'll clear you.
Not much you can do.
For visibility, turn your hazard lights on.
Green light means center of command.
 
Unless you are employed by an agency that signs you off on it you shouldn't need or have any light in you car.

Some areas now use green now as a courtesy light.
 
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Identification to ID one self as an emt. Some places around here have ems and fire in separate depts, and many FFs aren't emt's. So the only one who could clear me is other ems when they arrive. When care iis turned over. Untill then the EMT on scene would be responsible for their patients.
 
emt4thsnds said:
Identification to ID one self as an emt. Some places around here have ems and fire in separate depts, and many FFs aren't emt's. So the only one who could clear me is other ems when they arrive. When care iis turned over. Untill then the EMT on scene would be responsible for their patients.
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If your on duty then yes the only person you could hand over care to is a person of same or greater cert. However in this scenario you are not on duty meaning you are not acting as an EMT. You are acting as a citizen. As a citizen you can only do basic first aid and CPR/AED. Once anyone arrives you can leave or you can leave without anyone arriving.

So if your off duty you can leave before anyone else arrives on scene or you can leave when a LEO gets there or a tow truck driver, or the fire engine, or the ambulance.
 
emt4thsnds said:
Im a NYS EMT and I was talking with another friend today and we got into a discussion about lights in our car. The question was if you are an EMT and your dept hasn't "signed off" on paper for lights and you aren't using it for solely response in your district, can you have a green light in case you were to need it? For scenario purposes say you pulled up on a bad mva at night with no one else on scene and you found it beneficial to have the light for identification and visibility say.
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Are you asking for the legality of using the lights without being signed off or about the consequences of using a green light without your agency signing off on it?
 
DesertEMT66 said:
If your on duty then yes the only person you could hand over care to is a person of same or greater cert. However in this scenario you are not on duty meaning you are not acting as an EMT. You are acting as a citizen. As a citizen you can only do basic first aid and CPR/AED. Once anyone arrives you can leave or you can leave without anyone arriving.
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Or you could just keep on driving.
An MVA, (a bad one)
I'm not sure what your definition of a "bad" MVA is but we'll just assume that both PTs are trapped. There's probably tons of fuel leaking, and other fluids, broke, glass sharp metal, bumpers that can fly off etc. plus you're on the road by yourself. Now I'm not sure about your but in my class, the first few weeks they drilled scene safety into our heads. A MVA in the road is not a safe place to be.

Best bet would be stay in your car call 911. Wait for FD or PD and clear.




ffemt8978 said:
Are you asking for the legality of using the lights without being signed off or about the consequences of using a green light without your agency signing off on it?
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Holy batman and joker!
Where've you been?
 
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No reason for the light unless your responding to your dept for a call. On scene it means nothing.
 
emt4thsnds said:
Im a NYS EMT and I was talking with another friend today and we got into a discussion about lights in our car. The question was if you are an EMT and your dept hasn't "signed off" on paper for lights and you aren't using it for solely response in your district, can you have a green light in case you were to need it?
Click to expand...

I used to live in NYS and I'm pretty sure you need authorization from a state-recognized EMS agency to install and use the green courtesy lights.

emt4thsnds said:
scenario purposes say you pulled up on a bad mva at night with no one else on scene and you found it beneficial to have the light for identification and visibility say.
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Personally, I don't usually stop at accidents when I'm off-duty. But if I were to do so, I would simply make sure my truck was parked in a safe place and the hazard lights were on. No courtesy lights needed.

It will usually be the rear of your vehicle that is closest to oncoming traffic, and since courtesy lights are on the front, they won't help much with making your parked vehicle more visible to traffic.
 
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Yea I was also thinking the same thing about the cars regular yellow flashers would be most ideal. A Friend of mine isn't in an agency and is just an emt so I figured this would be a good place to ask the question.
 
Off the clock means you un-velcro your cape, cowl and mask and join the rest of us covered by Good Samaritan laws.

Pull PAST the accident to make way for real responders, set blinkers and headlights, carry flares and or triangles upstream and set them to increase safety.

What sort of equipment are you carrying around that you can make more impact than a regular responder at that time?
 
off duty I am just that. Off duty. You can act as a layperson only, No reason why you would need any kind of courtesy light.

Lets be real here most people don't adhere to the red lights on a ambulance with a siren.. What makes you believe you they are gonna adhere to your lights
 
It's an honest question, OP, but it (used to) get asked with such regularity and subsequently argued to death that bis became sort of a cliche.
Like asking about what knife is best, etc.
 
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