Bill Text: FL S1158 | 2024 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Lights Displayed on Fire Department Vehicles
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 3-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2024-03-04 - Laid on Table, refer to CS/HB 463 [S1158 Detail]
Download: Florida-2024-S1158-Introduced.html
Florida Senate - 2024 SB 1158 By Senator Bradley 6-01021D-24 20241158__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to lights displayed on fire department 3 vehicles; amending s. 316.2397, F.S.; authorizing that 4 certain government-owned fire department vehicles may 5 show or display blue lights under certain 6 circumstances; making technical changes; providing an 7 effective date. 8 9 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 10 11 Section 1. Subsections (2) and (3) of section 316.2397, 12 Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 13 316.2397 Certain lights prohibited; exceptions.— 14 (2) It is expressly prohibited for any vehicle or equipment 15 to show or display blue lights, except the following: 16 (a) Police vehicles; 17 (b) Government-owned fire department vehicles, except 18 vehicles of a fire patrol or volunteer fire department, with a 19 gross vehicle weight rating of more than 24,000 pounds, if 20 authorized in writing by the fire chief of the government agency 21 and if shown or displayed only on the rear of such vehicles; and 22,to show or display blue lights. However,23 (c) Vehicles owned, operated, or leased by the Department 24 of Corrections or any county correctional agencymay show or25display blue lightswhen responding to emergencies. 26 (3)(a) Vehicles of the fire department and fire patrol, 27 including vehicles of volunteer firefighters as permitted under 28 s. 316.2398, may show or display red or red and white lights. 29 However, blue lights may only be shown or displayed on fire 30 department vehicles pursuant to paragraph (2)(b). 31 (b) Vehicles of medical staff physicians or technicians of 32 medical facilities licensed by the state or of volunteer 33 ambulance services as authorized under s. 316.2398, ambulances 34 as authorized under this chapter, and buses and taxicabs as 35 authorized under s. 316.2399 may show or display red lights. 36 (c) Vehicles of the fire department and,fire patrol, 37 police vehicles, and such ambulances and emergency vehicles of 38 municipal and county departments, volunteer ambulance services, 39 public service corporations operated by private corporations, 40 the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Department of 41 Environmental Protection, the Department of Transportation, the 42 Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and the 43 Department of Corrections as are designated or authorized by 44 their respective department or the chief of police of an 45 incorporated city or any sheriff of any county may operate 46 emergency lights and sirens in an emergency. 47 (d) Wreckers, mosquito control fog and spray vehicles, and 48 emergency vehicles of governmental departments or public service 49 corporations may show or display amber lights when in actual 50 operation or when a hazard exists provided they are not used 51 going to and from the scene of operation or hazard without 52 specific authorization of a law enforcement officer or law 53 enforcement agency. Wreckers must use amber rotating or flashing 54 lights while performing recoveries and loading on the roadside 55 day or night, and may use such lights while towing a vehicle on 56 wheel lifts, slings, or under reach if the operator of the 57 wrecker deems such lights necessary. A flatbed, car carrier, or 58 rollback may not use amber rotating or flashing lights when 59 hauling a vehicle on the bed unless it creates a hazard to other 60 motorists because of protruding objects. Further, escort 61 vehicles may show or display amber lights when in the actual 62 process of escorting overdimensioned equipment, material, or 63 buildings as authorized by law. 64 (e) Vehicles owned or leased by private security agencies 65 may show or display green and amber lights, with either color 66 being no greater than 50 percent of the lights displayed, while 67 the security personnel are engaged in security duties on private 68 or public property. 69 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.