Command Light

from Tow Professional - Volume: 9 Issue: 2

Ranger SST

Industry Report Highlights Adoption of Emergency Lighting In Response to Increasing Roadway Fatalities

By Amy Speer, Command Light

In the first two weeks of 2020, seven roadway responders were struck and killed by vehicles. That’s seven lives in 14 days with three of those lives belonging to tow truck drivers.

In an era of distracted drivers, tow companies are adopting new emergency lighting and vehicle conspicuity practices to better alert drivers and divert oncoming traffic away from the scene. The Emergency Responder Safety Institute (ERSI) recently released a report summarizing 44 struck-by fatalities of U.S. roadway responders in 2019, the first report of its kind to include mobile mechanics and tow truck drivers among first responders. Another study, analyzing data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, found that 191 tow workers were killed between 2011 and 2016 with 64 percent of those deaths being attributed to motor vehicle incidents. So, what can be done? As part of the 35-page report, the ERSI suggested several mitigation strategies:

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF APPARATUS TRAFFIC ADVISORS

The ERSI documented a number of organizations that have adopted traffic advisors, lit amber/yellow arrows sticks that improve visibility, and give clear direction to approaching motorists. Additionally, the report recommended multi-level or high-rise light systems above obstructing views and to create visibility farther away from the scene. While some advisors utilized directional pulsing light bars, the study found that large arrow boards were especially effective at diverting motorists away from the scene.

Command Light, an industry leader in emergency scene lighting for more than 25 years, manufactures a series of Traffic Flow Boards that can rotate up to 360 degrees, giving drivers the ability to direct the advisor toward oncoming traffic as they position the rig for recovery operations. When not in use, these Traffic Flow Boards fold down for a low-profile design. Command Light offers three different traffic pattern variations powered by 12V DC. A 2019 Emergency Responder Safety Institute (ERSI) report stressed the importance of elevating scene lighting.

THE USE OF LIGHT TOWERS FURTHER ENHANCE ROADSIDE SAFETY

The report also addressed bright white lights, which often cause glare and visibility problems for crews and motorists when these LEDs are not properly elevated. The report strongly suggests elevating and positioning white light to illuminate only work areas. Light towers are one of the most effective ways to control lighting.

In fact, these towers offer up to 360 degrees of rotation, while the light tower clusters and elevates the light, much like sports stadium lighting, to improve illumination for recovery teams while creating nonglaring light that alerts motorists of the incident ahead. To illuminate dual work areas, Command Light offers optional backlight that enables the bottom row of lamp heads to rotate 180 degrees, and Command Light’s design allows the tower to overhang the vehicle in a streetlight position, directing the light down as suggested by the ERSI report.

Command Light offers more than 20 different DCpowered light towers in varying heights and eight different fixture choices. To see the full tow industry catalog, visit bit. ly/tow-catalog. And to ensure more companies can equip their trucks with a light tower, Command Light commissioned HiViz LED Lighting, a FireTech brand, to create an economical fixture for its Knight Series, Shadow Series, and Straight Shadow models. This LED shaves the cost of a new light tower by 33% while delivering a 14,000-lumen output per fixture.

“We can’t say enough about elevating scene lighting, whether your crew is deploying a traffic advisor or a light tower,” said Roger Weinmeister, Command Light President. “Seven lives in 14 days. It’s unacceptable. The ResponderSafety Team said it best after releasing its ERSI report, ‘We simply cannot wait another day to make this a top priority.’”

The ERSI has made its tracking of 2020 struck-byvehicle deaths to date available to the public at www.respondersafety.com/FatalityReports. The ERSI also produces ResponderSafety.com and the ResponderSafety Learning Network (learning.respondersafety.com), which offer online training and traffic safety certification programs. A BLEAK START TO 2020 In just nine days, three tow truck drivers were killed while aiding the public.

In Maywood, Ill., Andre Dove-Ferdere, a 23-year-old tow truck driver, was struck and killed while assisting state police in towing two cars from a crash. He died on the scene. His emergency lights were activated. The incident happened at 6:03 a.m. In Millani, Hawaii, Aaron Malama, a 43-yearold tow truck driver, was struck while standing next to a stalled vehicle on the freeway. He was transported to the hospital where he later died. In Watertown, S.D., a vehicle struck and killed Dales Jones, 47, while he was trying to remove another vehicle from a ditch. The incident happened at 8:35 am.

Clutch Pump, Alternator, & A/C Compressor Mounting Kits

The Memphis Fire Department purchased a 1962 chemical tanker car for training purposes. They needed it moved from the Fire Prevention Bureau to the Fire Training Academy. The tank car weight 65,000 lbs. The wheel truck assemblies weigh 7,000 lbs. each. They had to be removed for transport and height clearance. They used two rotators to lift the tank car. One of the rotators used was a 60-ton 1060 Century 05 Peterbuilt driven by James Jones with Visual Towing. The other rotator used was an 1150 Century 2020 Peterbuilt driven by Jeff Casper with B&D Towing. They lifted the tank car separately from the wheel truck assemblies and placed it on a 55-ton ‘95 Kenworth RGN Trailer driven by Andy Oberle with Beltana Transport. The two-wheel truck assemblies where placed on two separate rollback wreckers driven by Justin Clements and Hugh Wooten. Once they got to the Fire Training Academy the wheel assemblies where unloaded first and then the two rotators placed the tank car back on top of the wheels. It took them approximately eight hours to complete this job.

GOLIGHT’S STRYKER ST SERIES OFFERS AN ENHANCED FEATURE SET THAT MEETS AND EXCEEDS INDUSTRY DEMANDS

Founded in 1994, Golight, Inc. continues to set the industry standard in remote-controlled lighting today. Based in Culbertson, NE, the company has lights in service around the world. New technologies and new models are constantly under development, and Golight remains committed to delivering durable, versatile performance guaranteed. The company pledges to keep its eye on the future while embracing innovations in the lighting industry, to design and manufacture the highest quality products in the marketplace, and to stand behind its products with unparalleled warranties and service. Golight Inc. is proud to announce the New Stryker ST Series.

The Stryker ST Series is the culmination of continuous field studies and voice-of-the-customer research that identified desired functional enhancements across the company’s broad land and marine markets. Some new features in the Stryker ST line include:

Multiple Unit Selector Function: Allows for independent control of 2 units with 1 remote Home Position Function: On-Command return to 0° home New Wireless Technology Benefits including: Simultaneous Pan + Tilt; Multiple users can operate lights in close proximity without interference. Smart Programming Logic: Quick and simple pairing without dipswitches Fluorescent Remote Buttons

The Stryker ST’s newly designed remote-control unit is as simple to operate as it is intelligent. Large buttons are easy to access even with gloved hands, and fluorescent iconography makes the controller buttons legible in dark or low-light conditions. Now powered by two regular AAA batteries, the controller is more convenient to maintain than ever. The Stryker ST comes standard with 12-volt electrical system compatibility and is available with 24volt compatibility. The lamps come with either LED or halogen light sources. The LED Stryker ST lamp employs 10 high-flux LEDs, producing an industry-leading 544,000-candela beam projecting to a maximum distance of 4,839 feet. The halogen Stryker ST lamp produces a 225,000-candela beam projecting to a maximum distance of 3,113 feet. The Stryker ST is available in a permanent-mount model with a stainless-steel mounting bracket and a portable model with a magnetic base. There is also a magnetic base adapter kit that allows users to install

a Stryker ST with a magnetic base to a non-magnetic surface, such as aluminum. An optional remote-control holster is also available. Both LED and halogen lamps come with a five-year unlimited warranty. Like all its products, the Stryker ST Series lamps are supported by Golight’s unparalleled customer service department, which prides itself on accessibility and effectiveness.