A ten-point toolkit for more effective emergency vehicle warning lights

This is the final part of three articles written for the Colorado EMSAC Star.
This article discusses ten vital elements in a tool-kit that provides the basis for an effective warning light layout suitable for use on any emergency vehicle.

The first article in the EMSAC Star series discussed the Ambulance Visibility ten-point toolkit for applying markings to emergency vehicles. The second article looks at advertising agency visibility, Battenburg markings and the ongoing chevron debate.  All of the articles should be read alongside the PowerPoint presentation from the Colorado EMS Safety Summit held in 2010 that is available for download on the Ambulance Visibility website.

The first article is HERE
Read the second article – CLICK HERE
Here is the full PDF of the third and final article – HERE

……..I realised very quickly that I should listen to my own advice!

The Intensive Care ambulance was on its way to an urgent case, weaving though heavy traffic under lights and sirens. It approached my car, swiftly closing the gap and soon passed by. It now became glaringly obvious to me that the new flash pattern we had programmed into the light-bar was utterly confusing. As I continued on my thoughts turned to the many times I had spoken at conferences and presentations, each time emphasising the importance of undertaking careful testing of new warning lights or vehicle markings before committing the vehicles to the road.  The sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach soon began to shift to the mental arithmetic of how much it was going to cost to fix this problem with the light-bar….continue reading the article – CLICK HERE