Something new and blue on fire trucks in Kitchener
Posted Dec 14, 2018 08:57:18 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
You may have noticed them flashing in your rearview mirror recently.
A new colour has been added to the flashing lights on four new Kitchener Fire Department trucks, that colour is blue.
It's due to a change in provincial legislation.
Under the Highway Traffic Act, fire department vehicles and ambulances can now have blue flashing lights on them.
The change took effect this past July.
“Due to some studies across the nation, they determined … the blue lights are more highly visible during daytime and nighttime responses,” explained Kitchener's Deputy Fire Chief, Bob Gilmore.
He said they will be adding blue lights to the rest of their fleet, as budget and time permits, but expects that will be completed within the next year.
“There's really no mandate to switch to blue lights, so it's nice that we have four that are outfitted that way … the trend will be to continue going to the blue lights.” Gilmore added.
Two of those fire trucks with blue lights are based out of headquarters on Strasburg Road. The others are at Station 5 (on Queen's Boulevard) and Station 6 (on Pioneer Drive).
Blue lights can only be added on the passenger side of fire vehicles, in both the front and rear.
