Florida Highway Patrol Color Markings Can Not be Used on Non Police Vehicles
Florida Statute: 321.03 Imitations prohibited; penalty.—Unless specifically authorized by the Florida Highway Patrol, a person in the state shall not color or cause to be colored any motor vehicle or motorcycle the same or similar color as the color or colors so prescribed for the Florida Highway Patrol. A person who violates this section or s. 321.02 with respect to uniforms, emblems, motor vehicles and motorcycles commits a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083. The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles shall employ such clerical help and mechanics as may be necessary for the economical and efficient operation of such department.
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Jeremy Dewitt & METRO ONE Should Be in Arizona
Funeral Escort Vehicles in Arizona
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CBS NEWS AND COLORADO POLICE CLAIM IT REMAINS HARD TO GET POLIC CARS IN TO SERVICE
The historic United Auto Workers union strike against the nation’s three unionized automakers — Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis, known as the “Big Three” — could finally be over soon.
This news comes after all three automakers reached tentative deals with the union.
Ford was the first to announce it reached a tentative agreement with the UAW on Wednesday. Then came Stellantis over the weekend and GM today.
A brief refresher
The strike, which began nearly seven weeks ago, has been the longest US auto strike in 25 years. It was the first time in its history that the UAW staged a simultaneous strike against the nation’s three unionized automakers
The strike began at one assembly plant at each company, but the UAW expanded the scope of the strike six times since then in an effort to step up pressure on the companies at the bargaining table.
The production losses have likely cost the automakers billions of dollars. But the damage it’s done to the broader economy carries an even heftier price tag.
The first five weeks of the strike has had an economic impact of $9.3 billion, the Anderson Economic Group estimated.
Their estimate takes into account:
Lost wages for striking workers and other workers who were laid off or forced to work fewer hours
Lost earnings for the Big Three automakers
Supplier losses including delays and cancellations for car parts orders and the wage impact it’s had on workers within the industry
Dealer and customer losses as a result of indefinite delays of new vehicles
The final straw
The linchpin in negotiations between the UAW and Ford came on October 11, when the union struck Ford’s largest and most profitable plant, my colleague, Vanessa Yurkevich, reported.
Similarly, the UAW’s hardest hits against Stellantis and GM came shortly before both announced tentative deals.
What will this mean for car prices?
Now you’d think people in the market for a new car would pay the price, by way of higher car prices, given all the added costs the Big Three will face if the tentative deals go into effect.
But as my colleague Chris Isidore — CNN’s expert reporter in all things strike-related — tells me, there’s a good chance cars won’t get more expensive because of all this.
Here are a couple of reasons why:
Car prices are based on supply and demand. For instance, when demand was high but supply was constrained by a shortage of computer chips needed to build new cars a few years ago, prices went up to record levels. And at the end of the day, it was the auto dealers, which are independent businesses, that benefitted the most from buying cars at wholesale prices from automakers and selling them to consumers earning massive profits.
The automakers might cut corners somewhere else to maintain their pre-strike prices (think lower quality or less aesthetically appealing interiors, wheels or tires)
The Big Three have to stay competitive with nonunion automakers which keeps their car prices in check
The automakers will need to find ways to build cars more efficiently and figure out how to make money selling electric vehicles
TLDR: The biggest loser is probably going to be the automakers who are going to see their profits decline one way or another.
One last thing — none of this is a done deal
You may have noticed I use the word “tentative” multiple times. That’s because the historic strike doesn’t officially end until it is ratified by rank-and-file members.
And it is possible that members at one or more companies could vote down the tentative deal, leading to a resumption of the strike at that company, CNN’s Yurkevich and Isidore wrote.
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FEDERAL SIGNAL AND CODE 3 SHOW OFF NEW PRODUCTS AT POLICE FLEET EXPOSITION
Federal Signal Corporation is an American manufacturer headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois. Federal Signal manufactures street sweeper vehicles, public address systems, emergency vehicle equipment, and emergency vehicle lighting.
The company operates two groups: Federal Signal Environmental Solutions and Federal Signal Safety and Security Systems. Federal Signal Environmental Solutions Group manufactures street sweeper vehicles, sewer cleaner and vacuum loader trucks, hydro excavators, water blasting equipment, dump truck bodies, and trailers. Federal Signal Safety and Security Systems Group manufactures campus alerting systems, emergency vehicle lighting, emergency sirens, alarm systems, outdoor warning sirens, and public address systems.
Currently, the company has 14 manufacturing facilities in 5 different countries.
Code 3
Respected in the field
Whenever and wherever, professionals in the emergency services are called to put their skills to the test, you'll find Code 3 on the job. That's because there's a bond of trust between operator and equipment that we respect and earn everyday. For 49 years, our products have answered the call of service with the promise of uncompromising performance.
Code 3 is a leader in emergency product design, engineering, testing, manufacturing, and quality control.
A global leader providing the most comprehensive line of emergency vehicle safety solutions Industry leader in product innovation, including several “Industry Firsts” ISO 9001 Certified, St.Louis, MO based facility
400,000 square feet of manufacturing, distribution and warehousing space worldwide Local and National supporter of the public safety community for more than 40 years
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TOMAR ELECTRONICS SCENE LIGHTING RECAP SUMMER 2023
UpFitting Public Safety Vehicles, there is more choice than ever to obtain quality products quickly at budget strapped pricing.
Founded in Chicago in 1969 and now headquartered in Gilbert, Arizona, TOMAR Electronics, Inc. is a pioneering, family-owned and operated business providing signaling, illumination, and right-of-way enhancing products in the industrial and emergency industries which serve government, public, and private communities. TOMAR is committed to protecting people, property, and budgets through solutions which clear the way for safer, more sustainable environments.
Research and development
The performance and reliability of TOMAR products evolves from over a half century of intensive research and development of high efficiency electronic circuit designs, robust product packaging, and innovative optics.
TOMAR’s talented and disciplined engineers utilize state-of-the-art design and testing equipment to create industry-leading products. TOMAR’s approach of creativity combined with engineering rigor is supported by research, development and testing tools which include:
An advanced computerized circuit simulator that defines critical tolerance parameters and troubleshoots for potential design weaknesses.
Firmware and software management tools that allow efficient and accurate capture of multiple development paths.
High-speed optical ray-trace software for designing and simulating optical output.
A 100 foot automated light measurement tunnel which uses photometers calibrated to display measurements in candelas effective in accordance with FAA, SAE, and IES standards. High speed photodiodes are used to measure and display light pulse wave shapes to ensure accuracy in light intensity output specifications.
A fast scanning spectroradiometer for color measurements.
3D modeling software for adaptable iterative development of mechanical engineering solutions.
Thermal simulation tools for early design optimization, and environmental chamber testing to verify that hardware meets design parameters.
Faraday cage and instrumentation to verify that electromagnetic emissions meet or exceed corporate and/or industry performance standards.
A fully equipped test lab capable of making all tests and measurements required by SAE and AMECA/AAMVA.
Manufacturing & Quality Control
Rigorous quality control standards and detailed inspections are implemented at various stages in the production process. Fixture “burn-in” provides for an unprecedented 100% testing of all TOMAR products to ensure accurate and trouble free performance for the life of the lamp. Statistical Process Control is used to monitor production quality with detailed precision. TOMAR’s warranties are among the longest in the industry, made possible by the dedication to quality in both the design and manufacturing processes. A computerized system integrating order entry, inventory, and production control helps to facilitate rapid order fulfillment.
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ADVANCED TOUCH SCREENS, VIDEO SYSTEMS, TELEMATICS IN EUROPE FROM PREMIER MANUFACTURER -STANDBY GROUP
Upfitting Public Safety Vehicles, there is more choice than ever to obtain quality products quickly at budget strapped pricing.
Emergency Vehicles in North America rely on old-fashioned pushbutton control heads and a theory "the more lights the better". European emergency vehicles do with less lights and intelligent control systems.
The right system for your vehicles
The core of our business consists of both hardware and software solutions, which gives us a competitive advantage within our industry.
Enjoy the freedom to customize and control your business solutions.
Advanced automotive telematics and CCTV systems, built to your specific needs, have custom software solutions for easy data transmission, bringing added value. We ensure that software works effectively and that system updates and new releases are managed efficiently.
We develop and manufacture alarm- and warning equipment for emergency-, commercial- and special vehicles and we are a complete system supplier of light-, audio- and CAN-Bus control systems.
Please visit our website: www.standby dot eu
CARAT Switch System
FleetMotus Magna-Elite
Europa Telematics System
Safe Responder R – Rear LED Sign
Traffic Commander – Programmable LED Matrix Display
Run Lock Solutions For Vehicles with CAN Based Ignitions
Selection of Battery Management Devices designed to protect the battery when hazard equipment is engaged by monitoring power or keeping the engine running.
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TEXAS COUNTY PLANS FOR EXPLODING UPFIT COSTS BY LEASING FLEET VEHICLES
Thanks to the US Government, inflation is exploding forcing more and more government agencies to seek lease agreements to hide the costs of rapidly rising public safety vehicles and upfits. Another Patrol quote at the $80,000plus / vehicle in late 2023
American National Leasing Company
940-397-2491
2732 Midwestern Pkwy, Wichita Falls, TX 76308
American National Leasing Company is the leader in government lease-purchase financing, consumer, and commercial leasing. Since 1998, we have proudly served the North Texas and Southern Oklahoma area.
We are a subsidiary of an independent, locally owned bank, which was chartered in 1976 – American National Bank & Trust. We have twelve branch locations serving the North Texas area, along with Denton, Dallas, Flower Mound and Fort Worth, Texas. The bank has over $1.4 billion in assets; ranking as the largest independent financial institution in our area. We are pleased to offer a full array of banking services for your convenience.
Leasing Services
American National Leasing Company has served the North Texas and Southern Oklahoma area since 1998. While costs continue to escalate, we can help structure a lease to make your payments more affordable on vehicles, construction, office or medical equipment. Our office hours are 9:00 am to 4:00 pm Monday through Friday. We are a full service branch which will allow you to take care of all your leasing and banking needs with just one stop. Come by and see us today!
The Leader in Government Leasing & Commercial Leasing
American National Leasing Company is the leader in government lease-purchase financing, consumer, and commercial leasing. Since 1998, we have proudly served the North Texas and Southern Oklahoma area.
We are a subsidiary of an independent, locally owned bank, which was chartered in 1976 – American National Bank & Trust. We have twelve branch locations serving the North Texas area, along with Denton, Dallas, Flower Mound and Fort Worth, Texas. The bank has over $1.4 billion in assets; ranking as the largest independent financial institution in our area. We are pleased to offer a full array of banking services for your convenience.
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OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL TO REPORT CORRUPTION AND VIOLATIONS OF LAW
Do not allow local government rubber stamp purchasing requests by overzealous public safety officials.
what is procurement fraud
procurement fraud refers to violations of the
bidding process when private companies
solicit contracts from public agencies
it includes overcharging for materials
or labor non-competitive bidding
processes conflicts of interest in
supplying defective materials this type
of fraud prohibits public agencies from
obtaining goods or services at the
lowest possible cost fraud might occur
during the bid preparation process if
costs are inflated or when a request for
bids gives advantage to a certain firm
public agencies typically place
advertisements to solicit bids from
competing companies when planning or
budgeting errors undermine competition
it might be considered procurement fraud
Procurement Fraud
Fraud can also occur when a government
employee gives confidential information
to a particular supplier procurement
fraud can also occur during the
selection process typically when bribes
or kickbacks are offered in exchange for
awarding the contract to a certain
company government employees commonly
rank submitted bids to evaluate which
firm can provide the service at the best
price the policy of some public agencies
requires two or more people during the
bid consideration process to ensure
fairness public employees might commit
Deception
procurement fraud by deception
they might split goods or services into
two separate contracts to avoid going
through a formal approval process public
bodies that oversee spending typically
set a threshold for contracts approval
linked to a certain monetary amount if
an employee deliberately splits the
order to avoid scrutiny he or she might
be accused of this type of fraud
suppliers might also cheat the public
during the bidding process or after a
contract is awarded bid rigging occurs
when companies conspire to submit high
Bid Rigging
bids that give one firm an advantage a
contractor that wins the bid might agree
to send subcontracting work to a
competitor who submits a high or
unacceptable bid these conspiracies give
the appearance of competitive bidding
when none exists another form of
procurement fraud happens when a
contractor inflates costs of materials
or falsified documents submitted to
support these costs when a firm charges
for work that wasn't performed
materials not provided it represents
fraud in some cases a contractor might
substitute defective or inferior
products to increase profits some public
agencies ask for documentation to
confirm certain materials were used in
Emergency situation their cost controlling procurement fraud
in an emergency situation is typically
more difficult if a natural disaster
occurs public agencies generally lack
time to solicit competitiveness and
follow the normal procedure when
awarding contracts in some cases there
may be a sole source of the services the
agency needs in an emergency which
eliminates opportunities for competition
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County of Santa Clara, Fleet Operations SELF-UPFITTING ORGANIC FLEET of 1,700+ Vehicles
Fleet Management
The Fleet Management division, upon request, provides vehicles to all County agencies and departments. These vehicles serve employees' transportation needs to carry out their day-to-day business activities.
The county consolidated three locations into one centralized facility to operate as a multi-functional center. This allows for the improvement of operations and the reduction of overhead expenses. As well as managing the automotive center, Fleet oversees a paint and body shop.
The department provides maintenance and repair for approximately 1,744 County vehicles. It complies with State and Federal regulatory requirements, including vehicle smog inspections, O.S.H.A. & D.O.T. safety standards, and E.P.A. hazardous waste standards.
We currently have 304 level II charging station ports provided by ChargePoint at 12 different County facilities. All charging stations are available to fleet vehicles, and the vast majority are open to employees and the public.
The Facilities and Fleet (FAF) Department serves as an internal resource organization, providing a full range of services to County departments and agencies that offer vital resources and programs to the public. FAF consists of capital planning, design, construction management, operational management, Project management, and lifecycle maintenance/repair of all vehicles and equipment.
In addition, FAF leads the Logistics Section of the County's Emergency Operations Center.
Our goal is to provide quality services that enable County departments and agencies to carry out the County's mission; meeting the needs of a dynamic community, providing quality services, and promoting a healthy, safe, and prosperous community for all.
The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office is a local law enforcement agency that serves Santa Clara County, California. It provides general-service law enforcement to unincorporated areas of Santa Clara County, as well as incorporated cities within the county that have contracted with the agency for law-enforcement services such as Saratoga, Cupertino, and Los Altos Hills. The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority also contracted with the Sheriff's Office for law enforcement service.
Currently, the Sheriff's Office has 586 full-time sworn staff. In addition to the full-time sworn staff, the Sheriff's Office has 65 Reserve Deputy Sheriffs. To support the entire operation, the Department employs 223 non-sworn, civilian staff.
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Ford Mach E, Electric vehicle Saves Money - Somehow/ ELECTRIC POLICE VEHICLES HELP EXPLODE COSTS
Upfitting Public Safety Vehicles, there is more choice than ever to obtain quality products quickly at budget strapped pricing.
TOPSFIELD, Mass. — Topsfield police has taken a step into the future and added an electric vehicle to its cruiser fleet.
“When we pull them over, they ask what we are driving,” said Topsfield police Capt. Dan Bell. It’s a 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E electric cruiser.
“People want to come to the police station and check it out,” he said.
Last year, the town and the department started to think about its carbon footprint when it came to its combustible fleet of Ford Explorers and determined electric vehicles can last longer and save money in the long run.
“The life expectancy is eight years, opposed to five years for our Ford Explorers and Interceptor vehicles. Over time, there will be significant savings,” said Chief Neal Hovey.
The Mustang can patrol 220 miles on a full charge – a distance that covers a few shifts in Topsfield.
The Mustangs cost about $12,000 more than the traditional Explorers, but Bell said he has already seen how the EVs can save the department money.
“There’s not much maintenance on them. Don't have to change the oil or anything like that. You go through tires and brakes. Other than that, there's not much to it. No antifreeze, coolant. Longevity-wise, it's going to be something that will last longer than the combustible engine,” Bell said.
The town plans to order more EV cruisers.
There is no turning back, multiple sirens and too many lights contribute to driver confusion on the admittedly congested public roads (maybe funding for a Ukraine war can be used to improve US infrastructure), public safety is pissing on a forest fire with their sole shot solution of more lights and sirens. City residents will tell you the siren noise is constant, technology can and should be used to reduce siren noise and agencies of all types should reduce the quantity, the flash frequency and overall intensity of their lighting packages as they cause confusion are overwhelming, produce no discernable message and are blinding especially when multiple emergency vehicles are visible simultaneously. Immediate medical care, like on aircraft and boats, needs to be located at the scene - ie, AED's and similar. Even that seconds do count, an emergency driver in an accident helps no one, so drive safely versus driving "fast".
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San Rafael Waives Competitive Bidding, Signs Ten Year Agreement with GTT- Traffic Preemption Award
Upfitting Public Safety Vehicles, there is more choice than ever to obtain quality products quickly at budget strapped pricing.
Staff recommends a waiver of competitive bidding for this contract as a sole-source purchase pursuant to San Rafael Municipal Code 2.55.100(C), due to the unique nature of the product offered by the partnership of the three companies ( Attachment 2).
FISCAL IMPACT: The quoted cost of the agreement is $548,850, which is being amortized over a 10-year period. The amount will be paid over time with an initial annual subscription of 54,885. This amount will be absorbed in the current budget and will be funded by the Internal Service Fund – Communications # 609. Future annual payments for the 10-year contract will be appropriated for through the annual budget process.
GTT does not represent its prices are equal to or lower than prices charged to other customers, or its prices are comparable to prices offered by any third party. However, GTT hereby agrees that should the total published list price for the Products, Software and Services ( as defined herein) decrease during the duration of this contract from the total price agreed to by the Parties herein, the Parties may, at the discretion of GTT, renegotiate the remainder of the term of the Annual Subscription Total as set forth in Schedule A.
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Tesla Y Packaged for Police Departments - IT SAVES TAXPAYERS MONEY
Upfitting Public Safety Vehicles, there is more choice than ever to obtain quality products quickly at budget strapped pricing. Electric Vehicles are here to save the world.
A police department in California has decided to convert its entire patrol fleet to all-electric vehicles using the Tesla Model Y and Model 3.
There is an impressive number of police departments around the world realizing that electric vehicles are the perfect solution to both reduce the operating cost and the environmental impact of their patrol vehicles.
While we have seen many police departments start to convert their patrol fleet, we haven’t seen any make the jump to only using all-electric vehicles until now. The South Pasadena Police Department announced that it will be the first (via Pasadena Star News):
The South Pasadena Police Department will become the first such agency in the nation to convert its entire police fleet to electric vehicles, authorities said Monday, May 8.
The department decided to use a grant to help them buy 10 Tesla Model Y vehicles and install nine level 2 charging stations and even a DC fast-charger. South Pasadena Councilmember Michael Cacciotti commented:
“We will be putting our officers in the safest and most effective police vehicles on the market. In addition to that, we will be investing in technology that will help reduce harmful vehicle emissions to improve air quality for all our residents. This effort will provide a model for other jurisdictions; we can build a 21st century police force, save significant resources and clean the air at the same time.”
On top of that, the police department is looking at some significant savings based on what other PDs have announced.
The Somerset PD was one of the first police departments to buy a Model Y to use as a police patrol, and they believe that a single Model Y could save them $80,000 over 10 years due to gas savings and lower maintenance costs.
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METRO STATE CRUISER WALK-THRU WITH IMPERSONATOR 1st CLASS J-D
The psychosis of JD formerly of metro state is similar to the lighting lunacy found at many police agency fleet managers.
Upfitting Public Safety Vehicles, there is more choice than ever to obtain quality products quickly at budget strapped pricing.
low frequency sirens are not SAE approved devices, more wasted tax dollars for unneeded noise
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$82,000 ROAD-READY POLICE CAR AND ARPA FUNDING, MASSACHUSETTS TOWN STRUGGLES TO SPEND FREE MONEY
A perfect example of how free money causes price inflation in goods and services. Police chief claims a laptop costs $7,500 and a 2-Way Radio costs $14,000. The car is around $40,000 and double plus for all the gear inside. See the video from Pinetop Lakeview, two Ford Expeditions equipped for under $140k,. There are serious issues in this market.
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1000 PATROL CARS PER YEAR-4 PER WEEK. THE MOST EXPENSIVE PATROL BUILDS IN THE USA-CHP FLEET OPS
4/19/2022, BID EVENT #000021286
Government employees are in no rush in the California Highway Patrol, CHP, assembly line. 2,700 Cars in the CHP Fleet.
Low-Frequency Siren – These are not SAE recognized audio warning devices
California State Auditor, auditor dot CA dot Gov
Our work is independent, nonpartisan, and based on the facts and data we collect. We develop recommendations based on our analysis to improve government services for Californians.
Californians turn to us because our reports are a catalyst for positive change. After months of hard work analyzing facts and data, you'll find us at the Capitol briefing Legislators, in our pressroom answering questions from the media, or at local school board meetings helping decision makers and the public understand their options. People trust what we say because our reports are unbiased and based on an objective evaluation of the evidence we collect. Untangling problems and getting to the truth takes grit. Figuring out how to solve complex problems takes creativity. The only way we can fulfill our mission is by working together, supporting each other, and always improving as individuals and as an organization.
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MICHIGAN STATE POLICE ADOPT REDESIGNED RED WARNING BEACON ADDED FEATURES AND FUNCTIONS LOWER PROFILE
Michigan State Police Updates Iconic Beacon Lighting
For some law enforcement agencies, features on their vehicles are a major part of their identity. For Michigan State Police, it's the red bubble lighting. The agency just shared that the beacon will be redesigned, but the iconic single light will not be going away.
An MSP spokesperson told Government Fleet that the agency partnered with SoundOff Signal to redesign its well-known single beacon using feedback from MSP officers.
The final product expands the functionality of the beacon, providing technologies that until now were only available in a traditional light bar.
The redesign will allow patrol vehicles to access facilities that were previously inaccessible.
In 2020, GM redesigned its Chevrolet Tahoe PPV for the 2021 model year, resulting in an increase in the overall vehicle height. As a result, fully upfitted MSP Tahoe PPVs had difficulty entering some secured facilities with standard garage door openings.
Increasing Officer Visibility
The upgrade will increase visibility for officer safety, the agency noted. New features include:
360˚ scene, front takedown, alley, and reverse lighting: White lighting around the entire vehicle will create additional visibility during incident management, investigations, and search and recovery efforts.
360˚ warning light (off-angle): Reflectors provide for a full coverage of emergency lighting around the vehicle, providing better off-angle coverage during traffic stops and intersection clearing.
Additional visibility: Although the new modernized beacon is 3 inches shorter, the new beacon boasts 144 LEDs. That's a 42% increase from the previous model.
Synchronized flash patterns: These are designed to increase officer safety during traffic stops and scene investigations, as well as provide less distraction and more clarity for approaching motorists.
The new beacons will be installed on all of MSP's new builds starting this year. The agency does not have plans to retrofit its older vehicles with the new lighting. This year, the agency has approximately 100 Chevrolet Tahoe PPVs and 100 Dodge Durango Pursuit vehicles scheduled to be built.
MSP's beacon was last updated in 2009 when the original housing was retrofitted with LEDs. Since then, the only major change made to the beacon was the adjustment to the flash pattern, which was changed from the original rotary pattern to a triple burst flash pattern.
What Are the Signs on the Hood of the Vehicles?
The “Stop State Police” sign on the hood of the patrol vehicles is a longtime feature. The sign is rooted in MSP history; the current hood sign is an imitation of the original stop sign on the fender of the agency's motorcycles dating back to the early 1920s.
The sign was originally created because MSP performed “side stops." It made it easy for troopers to identify themselves. MSP stopped using motorcycles in the early 1940s and a larger “Stop State Police” hood sign was installed on the hoods of the patrol cars around 1949.
The hood signs had multiple uses: they were signage for “side stops”, blockades, and eventually became a form of recognition of a Michigan State Police patrol vehicle.
Although the hood sign is now largely ornamental, troopers still use the illuminated sign when responding to calls for service to make the vehicle more recognizable to the residents when responding to calls for service.
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FIRE APPARATUS SPECIFICATIONS - CUSTOMIZED BOON FOR MANUFACTURERS
How much less Fire Apparatus would cost the taxpayers if the truck manufacturer was allowed to pick the best products based on price versus the end user picking every single attribute possible. Products combined with engineering effort per truck drives the cost up, and up and up. For manufacturers this is highly inefficient especially when fire apparatus runs calls mainly for medical or accidents. The OEM passes all the cost for highly specified fire rig right on to the taxpayers, pumpers which cost less than $300k just a few years ago are now $800k.. MUCH of that resulting from the OEMs inability to use economy of pricing for products and materials.
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LABCRAFT, LED LIGHTING made in the UK
UpFitting Public Safety Vehicles, there is more choice than ever to obtain quality products quickly at budget strapped pricing.
About Labcraft
Labcraft are industry leaders in the field of LED Commercial Vehicle lighting for trailers, trucks and vans, and for the Emergency Vehicle sector. Labcraft design and manufacture in the UK a range of high-quality LED lighting products with distinctive design features. Labcraft lighting solutions have proven to improve safety and reduce vehicle lifetime costs.
Our Vision
To be recognised as the leading innovator of low voltage LED lighting solutions.
LEARN MORE ABOUT LABCRAFT
Labcraft design and manufacture LED lighting for the commercial and emergency vehicle sectors, selling to 32 countries around the world. These low voltage products have diversified into many other applications such as commercial, marine and leisure. Established in 1956 Labcraft have a developed a strong reputation for innovative high quality lighting solutions with distinctive design features.
All aspects of technical and product design are carried out in-house, with 100% of Labcraft’s LED products manufactured in UK within the 15,000 square foot factory in Saffron Walden, Essex. Last year Labcraft produced over 300,000 lights utilising 4.5 million high quality Cree LED devices.
Labcraft is a family run business committed to providing customers with the highest quality of both products and service. Labcraft have doubled their workforce and turnover in the past 5 years, with plans for further expansion into new markets in the coming years.
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DEWITT COUNTY SHERIFF USES MORE THAN 1 BLUE LIGHT PER LINEAR PATROL CAR FOOT
UpFitting Public Safety Vehicles, there is more choice than ever to obtain quality products quickly at budget strapped pricing. When an agency requires ridiculous and unnecessary levels of equipment it promotes the large dealer and hampers the upfit. How much does this cost in time, money and is there a return for the agency when a lightbar alone meets all the requirements of an emergency vehicle.
Count the lights on this patrol car upfit and determine how many lights are added to this Ford vehicle. Each light has associated wiring, vehicle disassembly along with incredible amounts of labor.
There is no turning back, multiple sirens and too many lights contribute to driver confusion on the admittedly congested public roads (maybe funding for a Ukraine war can be used to improve US infrastructure), public safety is pissing on a forest fire with their sole shot solution of more lights and sirens. City residents will tell you the siren noise is constant, technology can and should be used to reduce siren noise and agencies of all types should reduce the quantity, the flash frequency and overall intensity of their lighting packages as they cause confusion are overwhelming, produce no discernable message and are blinding especially when multiple emergency vehicles are visible simultaneously.
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INNOVATION AT HIVIZ - FIRETECH, QUIETLY TAKING ON LEGACY CORPORATIONS WITH AN OMEN FOR THE INDUSTRY
COMMAND - ON - DEMAND, GREEN LIGHT ALWAYS AN OPTION FOR OMEN
Specialized Products to Fit the Needs of the Fire Rescue Market – Brow Lights to Work Lights
HiViz LED’s is owned by Firefighter / EMT Sam Massa and operated by him and his team of lighting professionals. Through developments inspired on the fireground, and work with key industry partners in other markets, HiViz LEDs focuses on building products that solve the everyday problems firefighters and other public-service workers face after dark.
The “Fire Tech” configuration is a specialty line developed exclusively for the fire market by HiViz. The FireTech branding means the products have been tested by firefighters, deployed in the field, and proven to solve real-world problems. The best part? FireTech branded products are backed by the industries ONLY limited Lifetime Warranty.
Our entire product line is focused on providing our customers with emergency scene lighting that will be at its best when situations are at their worst.
Unlike other manufacturers, our focus lays exclusively in forward-facing visible LED scene lighting products. This singular focus allows a specialist’s approach designing the ultimate scene lighting solution. We are so confident in our product offering that we couple them with the industry’s only limited lifetime guarantee.
A PASSION TO IMPROVE THE WORKING CONDITIONS OF
EMERGENCY RESPONDERS
We are proud to be one of the most trusted sources for LED scene lighting for first responders and believe that this label comes with the obligation to always keep our products to the highest quality. With that in mind, we constantly strive to exceed the expectations of our customers. Since our focus is entirely on emergency LED scene lights, you can be confident that all of our expertise and focus is bent toward perfecting the particulars of scene lighting in general, and our FireTech brow lighting specifically.
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POLICE WARNING LIGHTS AND VEHICLE HEADLIGHTS - TOO BRIGHT
Police lights in many areas are being criticized for being too bright, causing a hazard at night to drivers and being unnecessary. While police lights are generally bright enough in the daytime, maintaining that brightness at night is questionable. The newer police emergency lights are bright at night to warn other drivers to get out of the way of an approaching emergency vehicle or to give a wide berth to one that is stationary. However, a bright light source in a person's field of view can reduce their ability to see other objects, which may be exacerbated by rain, windshields, or eyeglasses. A study distinguished between 'disability glare', where a driver may be temporarily blinded and unable to see hazards in the road, and 'discomfort glare', which is a more general effect from lights which may cause motorists to avert their eyes. Most police cars cannot control the brightness of the lights.
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Gamber Johnson Company, More products, Solutions and opportunity than Most
Upfitters, especially small ones, need choices to compete. End Users should be tired of paying ridiculous prices for brands spending millions in fancy marketing schemes. Another cool brand offering interesting and competitive products.
Gamber-Johnson is an award-winning manufacturer of mobile mounting solutions trusted to be rugged, reliable, and responsive! Our products are used by public safety, enterprise, military, and warehouse fleets worldwide, fulfilling our promise to “support technology to help save the world!”
From humble beginnings as a local wooden furniture manufacturer in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, Gamber-Johnson has developed into the global go-to partner for equipment mounting products — fulfilling the company’s cause of "supporting technology to help save the world."
This evolution from producing furniture in 1954 to becoming a 21st-century world leader in mounting equipment for electronics was a natural progression, fostered by a company culture of innovation and continuous improvement. As it expanded, Gamber-Johnson began producing fleet vehicle mounts for radios and computers, then providing solutions for material handling and point-of-sale, including mounts for security cameras and more.
Today, Gamber-Johnson is still proudly “made in Wisconsin” and manufactures mounting components and systems for laptop and tablet computers, radios, light and siren controls, surveillance cameras, point-of-use kiosks, printers, keyboards and other devices — all meticulously designed to be rugged, reliable, and responsive.
Partnering with major technology manufacturers such as Dell, Getac, Panasonic, Samsung, and Zebra is key to this success. Gamber-Johnson is a trusted name in the industry; long known as the go-to partner for major rugged computer OEMs. With more than 20 patents and counting, the company continues to evolve, creating numerous jobs and meaningful opportunities for community stewardship.
As a pioneer in design innovation — receiving numerous awards and accolades as an industry leader — Gamber-Johnson has been the preferred choice of fleet managers for decades. Gamber-Johnson is a worldwide corporation with subsidiaries around the globe, including Precision Mounting Technologies (PMT) in Calgary. Currently, the company exports to more than 40 countries, with installations in thousands of fleets worldwide. Heroes in police, fire and emergency medical services rely on Gamber products every day in order to better protect and serve.
For these significant contributions to vital industries on a global scale, Gamber-Johnson has received numerous accolades. These include the President’s “E” and “E” Star Awards, recognizing outstanding contributions and growth to U.S. exports; Wisconsin Governor’s Export Achievement Award, which honors the company’s work in furthering Wisconsin’s global economy; and the Cygnus Innovation Award, acknowledging that the company is at the cutting edge of emerging technologies. Gamber-Johnson has been nominated as Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year eight times, winning a special award for Outstanding Customer Relations in 2019. Gamber-Johnson has also received the J.P. Leggett Innovator Award from Leggett & Platt, in addition to being named a “Workplace of Distinction” by Corporate Report Wisconsin.
Gamber-Johnson’s dedication to producing products that are rugged, reliable, and responsive is unparalleled. The Gamber-Johnson name has become synonymous with high quality, rugged products that can withstand even the most extreme situations. These products are guaranteed and reliable, hand tested for perfect performance every single time. With a strong focus on customer service, the Gamber-Johnson brand is responsive: offering custom-designed solutions, lightning-fast production and shipping, and working directly with technology partners to ensure the optimum fit, every time.
From the company’s local origins to its modern-day global impact, Gamber-Johnson has continued pursuing its mission — supporting our heroes and saving the world through a laser-like focus on innovation.
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INTERESTING TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOUND WITHIN WHELEN CLOUD PLATFORM MASTER SERVICES AGREEMENT
Whelen Cloud Platform, a cloud-based vehicle communication platform that sends and receives data through cellular networks and provides the following functionality: fleet tracking, equipment configuration management and remote equipment control.
There are no fees for Whelen Cloud Platform services within the Promotional Period provided that the Promotion Rate is available to Customer for up to 100 vehicles or 25% of Customer’s fleet, whichever is larger. If Customer will use the Application Services for a number of vehicles larger than the Promotional Cap, Customer must execute an additional Order Form for such additional vehicles; additional fees and charges may apply.
UpFitting Public Safety Vehicles, there is more choice than ever to obtain quality products quickly at budget strapped pricing. Large manufacturers are gimmick driven, overpriced with ridiculous lead times delivering NO ADDED VALUE to your build.
Low-Frequency Siren – These are not SAE recognized audio warning devices
SEE THE VIDEO ON AUGMENTED REALITY TRAFFIC ADVISOR SYSTEM AND METHOD, Systems and methods for displaying projected image onto a surface to create an active augmented reality environment may include a lighting device and a controller. The controller may receive information, such as a user input or sensor information, and determine one or more projection properties for the lighting device. The lighting device may receive a control signal from the controller and adjust one or more parameters in order to project the image onto the surface in accordance with a desired user input and the sensor information.
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ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, Too many warning lights, too Bright, Flashing at High Rate
The Metro-Dimwitt award is awarded to departments and agencies who appear unable or unwilling to self-regulate the addition of warning lights to their emergency vehicles. There are no standards limiting the number, performance or flash frequency for passenger vehicles outfitted or upfitted into emergency vehicles. Consequently agencies can place as many lights as they wish onto their vehicles.
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UNMARKED CONNECTICUT State Police Fleet, Basic Police Accountability Missing - MARK THE FLEET
Hard to hire troopers, No Problem. Marking the fleet will amplify the police presence throughout Connecticut.
Are they driving out of State
Are they parked illegally
Are they speeding off duty
Are they involved in questionable behavior
IT is much harder for the public to tell when with an unmarked fleet. In 2019 the CSP stopped purchasing roof mounted bars. The signage they rely on are approximately 1 inch tall and 16 inches long. The public, local or otherwise, deserve to be able to easily and distantly recognize law enforcement vehicles. There is a mountain of recommendations combined with universal precedent which the Conn DPS chooses to ignore. The presumption being the car belongs to the employees and not the taxpayers!
The Connecticut State Police (CSP) are the only agency in the USA, Canada, Europe and anywhere in the modern world where the patrol fleet, their entire fleet, has no overt high visibility markings. The CSP has no specific identifiable license plate, striping, no rear visibility chevrons, no badging or graphics, no roof mounted warning lights that allow easy recognition and identification from a distance during any weather or ambient lighting condition. By marking their cruisers the CSP would have the affect of appearing more ubiquitous. The Mass state police, the Federal government, the Arizona Department of Public Safety and others have indicated the importance of vehicle markings for the officer and the public.
September 29, 2000
2000-R-0922
STATE POLICE CARS
By: Veronica Rose, Principal Analyst
You asked if any of the states that border Connecticut use only unmarked state police cars. You also want to know why the Connecticut State Police uses only unmarked cars.
According to the Connecticut State Police, Massachusetts, New York, and Rhode Island use both marked and unmarked state police cars. Connecticut does the same.
All Connecticut state police cars are equipped with permanently installed standard rear deck red and blue emergency lights and siren. Patrol cars have a detachable roof bar with the words State Police, but in certain patrol operations that call for low visibility, a supervisor may direct an officer not to attach the bar. The division has 12 cars with the “STATE POLICE” decal extending on both sides from the front to the rear bumper (one for each troop) and six more being outfitted. It gave the following rationale for using unmarked vehicles:
“Patrol vehicles utilized by the Connecticut State Police are designed for multiple capabilities….Unmarked capabilities allow for tactical operations to detect hazardous moving violations such as detecting aggressive drivers and commercial motor vehicle enforcement.”
Under the current State Police union contract, officers keep their assigned cars for off-duty use. (Part of the reason for this is that police officers perform law enforcement activities while off-duty.) While the car is being used in an off-duty capacity, markings are not desirable. The trooper can attach the State Police light bar if he is required to perform a law enforcement function involving the car.
It costs approximately $200 to $500 to apply the state police decal on the side of new vehicles. And the decal must often be reapplied to vehicles involved in accidents. In 1999, the division had 413 accidents. If half of the decals were replaced, it would have cost between $42,000 to $103,000, depending on the application process and extent of the damage.
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