Emergency Equipment News

SPEEDCHECK RADAR SPEED SIGNS INCREASE WORK ZONE SAFETY

admin — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 23:13:10 +0000

Speed Displays Prove Highly Effective At Slowing Traffic

During Road Projects That Put Workers And Drivers At Risk

BEAVERTON, OR – February 1, 2010 – The city of Medford, Oregon has taken a huge step toward improving the safety of their workers. Given the dangers that speeding traffic often imposes on their work crews, the city’s public works department tried using a speedcheck radar speed sign during a particularly hazardous street repair project. The positive impact that the speed display had on slowing drivers and increasing worker safety was so dramatic that the city now regularly uses speedcheck radar speed signs to increase work zone safety whenever traffic speeds are an issue.

Tad Blanton, the field operations supervisor for Medford’s Public Works first considered employing radar speed signs after attending a demonstration given by Information Display Company, a leading manufacturer of traffic display technologies. IDC then loaned Blanton a portable display for a thirty-day trial period.

“The effectiveness of the speedcheck radar speed sign was dramatic and immediate,” said Blanton. “We first set one up during a storm drain repair project we had on a busy four lane road. The crew came back saying it was absolutely unbelievable the difference the speedcheck sign made on getting drivers to slow down. I know a traditional warning sign wouldn’t have had nearly the same effect.”

According to Blanton, the speed display they purchased from IDC three years ago continues to work exactly the way it was intended to do on the first day they tried it out.

“From the start, we were absolutely thrilled at how easy it was to set up and how effective it was at slowing drivers,” said Blanton.

According to the Federal Highway Administration, nearly 1,000 people are killed and more than 40,000 injured each year as a result of motor vehicle crashes in work zones. The majority of these cases involve excessive speeds.

“Radar speed signs are becoming standard safety equipment for a growing number of government agencies that work in and around environments where traffic safety is a concern,” said Gary ODell, president of Information Display Company. “Our Try-Before-You-By program provides a risk-free way for interested parties to see first hand how effective our speed displays can be at slowing cars and increasing work zone safety.”

For links to studies regarding the effectiveness of radar speed signs in work zone settings visit http://www.informationdisplay.com/traffic_calming_research-studies.php. For more information on high-quality radar speed signs or IDC’s Try-Before-You-Buy SpeedCheck loaner program visit the Information Display Company website at www.informationdisplay.com or call (503) 421-8325.

2011 Brings a New Crown Victoria

admin — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 19:36:00 +0000

Ford to Replace Crown Victoria in 2011

Ford Motor Company announced today it will produce an all-new purpose-built Police

Interceptor specially designed and engineered to replace the Ford Crown Victoria law

enforcement vehicle lineup in 2011. The new Ford Police Interceptor is being developed in conjunction with Ford’s Police Advisory Board, which provided input during the past 14 months on key vehicle attributes, such as safety, performance, durability, driver convenience and comfort.

The new Police Interceptor will be offered without interruption when production of the Ford

Crown Victoria ends in late 2011. “We have heard the repeated requests from the law enforcement community to continue uninterrupted support of the law enforcement community,” said Mark Fields, Ford’s president of The Americas. “Ford is answering the call with the new Police Interceptor – engineered and built in America.” Ford – which currently controls approximately 75 percent of the police pursuit vehicle business in the U.S. – has invested significantly in designing the purpose-built new police and municipal vehicles to meet the needs of these crucial customers.

The new Police Interceptor is designed to provide municipalities with reduced ownership costs through improved fuel efficiency, quality and the kind of durability police departments nationwide have come

to expect from Ford. “Ford’s commitment to the law enforcement community produced the Crown Victoria, the benchmark police vehicle,” said Lt. Brian Moran, fleet manager, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and a member of Ford’s Police Advisory Board. “This commitment has continued, and Ford has been working closely with the Police Advisory Board on developing the new Police Interceptor. I

am confident that the next-generation Ford police vehicle will meet the future needs of the law enforcement community and will set the new standard.” Ford plans to reveal the new model and provide full vehicle specifications in the first quarter of 2010 – in time for law enforcement agencies, police equipment manufacturers and upfitters to develop a transition plan from the Crown Victoria to the new product.

Each year, Ford sells approximately 45,000 police vehicles, making the Blue Oval the nation’s largest provider of police and municipal vehicles. “Ford long has supported our public servants with vehicles that work as hard as they do,” said Ken Czubay, Ford vice president, Marketing, Sales and Service. “We intend to build on this legacy with a new generation of municipal and police vehicles that set even higher standards.”

Source: Ford Motor Company

SuperVisor® and WingMan™ now available with TriCore™ Technology

admin — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 02:05:22 +0000

Code 3, Inc. announces their popular SuperVisor and WingMan products are now available with TriCore Technology.

Patented TriCore Technology, exclusive to Code 3, delivers more light output per watt than any other current halogen, strobe or LED lighthead. It is more than two times brighter than any other warning light available today.

SuperVisor is a low-profile interior light, contoured to fit against the upper interior of a windshield between the sun visors and glass. At only 2” tall, the SuperVisorblends in with the interior of the car and remains unseen until energized. A special housing prevents the lights from reflecting back into the driver’s eyes.

The WingMan is designed to fit in the rear window of patrol vehicles and is the perfect complement to the SuperVisor. Like the SuperVisor, it is just 2” tall, virtually undetectable from the outside and will not block the driver’s view of traffic.

Both SuperVisor and WingMan come in vehicle specific designs to provide a custom fit. Lightheads in the product can be independently wired in a variety of flash patterns. All TriCore modules are covered by a 5 year warranty and are available in red, blue, amber or white.

About Code 3, Inc.

Established in 1974, Code 3, Inc. designs and manufactures a complete line of emergency lighting and warning products for police, fire, emergency response, utility and industrial applications. Code 3, Inc. is a Public Safety Equipment Company.

Updates from Police Fleet Manager Magazine

admin — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 19:49:45 +0000

Make sure to sign up for your copy on there site at the links below:

Idaho State Police Motor Team – Kawasaki 1400’s

Written by Scott Tulleners

The Idaho State Police Motor Team located in Boise, ID is one of the hardest working units in the Treasure Valley. More than half of all Idahoans live in this Snake River area of southwest Idaho. We are expected to ride our motors year round, weather permitting, even in the most extreme environments. During the summer the temperature rises above 100 degrees Fahrenheit on a regular basis and in the winter drops below 30 degrees Fahrenheit. The five man team, plus the sergeant, will ride in any temperature as long as the roads are clear and dry. READ THE FULL ARTICLE – CLICK HERE

Fleet Profile: San Francisco Police Department

Written by John Bellah

San Francisco is a unique city. To provide law enforcement services requires a variety of transportation methods—foot patrol, mounted or horse patrol, motorcycles, bicycles, watercraft and of course, the traditional black and white police sedan. Of this substantial fleet of vehicles, 304 are black and white police sedans, with the majority being Ford CVPIs. There are also 424 unmarked and administration vehicles. Prisoner transportation requires 26 vans. The SFPD fleet of 1,287 vehicles covers 3 million miles per year. READ THE FULL ARTICLE – CLICK HERE

Kawasaki and the Concours 14

Written by Scott Tulleners

Kawasaki has produced four police motorcycles, the Z1-P (1975-1976), the KZ900 Police Special (1977), the KZ1000C Police (1978-1981) and by far the most common model, the KZ1000P (1982-2005). (Yep, Jon and Ponch rode the Kawasaki KZ900 and KZ1000 in CHiPs.) All these were single rider versions of the “universal Japanese Motorcycle” design that was popular until the market became divided into special categories like sport, touring cruising, etc.

All these motorcycles had inline, four-cylinder engines with a chain drive and 5-speed gearboxes. The KZ1000 engine produced 88 hp and 112 lb-ft of torque. The Police Special for the North American market was produced in a Kawasaki plant at Lincoln, NE. This production ended in September 2005.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE – CLICK HERE

Other Articles from Police Fleet Manager Magazine:

2010 Dodge Charger and the Rest of the Story

Body Electrical: Wiring and Power Distribution

Emergency Vehicle Solutions: Division of AEP North America

Fleet Profile: San Francisco Police Department

FORD CVPI: Avoid Overdrive Failures

Idaho State Police Motor Team

Kawasaki and the Concours 14

Success Means Spec It Right

Using the Scan Tool for Maintenance, Part 1

January-February 2010 issue of California Fleet News

admin — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 01:55:05 +0000

Please find the January-February 2010 issue of California Fleet News posted at:

http://www.fleetnews.com

Lead Articles – Page 1

2010 IRS Standard Mileage Reimbursement Rates Released
Business driving rate drops 5 cents to 50 cents per mile

City of San Diego Fleet Policy Change Results in 97% Reduction in Elected Officials Auto Travel Costs

Ford Tops Safest Vehicles List, Toyota Shut Out

Receive Employer Pull Notices On Line at www.samba.biz (page 3)

Oil Doesn’t Wear Out…It Just Gets Dirty – learn about re-refined oil at www.FleetsUseRRO.com (page 12)
CFN offers "Fleet Managers Guide to Vehicle Specifications and Procurement"

California Stories:

New Laws for California Drivers in 2010
DUI Offenders Ignition Project
Two Move Over Bills
Tolls and Bridges to fund transportation projects

Does California have its own Climate-Gate?
Leading columnist says coverup taints new truck policy
High Tech Cars are Trouble for some Mechanics

Whelen Engineering: Redefining the Inner-Edge

admin — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 23:36:00 +0000

Click for the video:

Michigan State Police go LED!

admin — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 16:36:26 +0000

12/30/09 – A technological advance by a Livingston County-based company is expected to save the Michigan State Police hundreds of thousands of dollars in the next few years. Whelen Engineering of Brighton developed new LED lights for use atop troopers patrol units that will replace the current incandescent lighting. It’s expected the new LED units, which will fit inside the existing overhead red beacon, will last ten years longer than the current bulbs. Combined with the fact that the new LED lights are essentially maintenance free and have no need for heavy-duty wiring and special switches, officials expect to save more than $220,000 over a four-year period. Patrol cars will be fitted with the new LED overhead light kits when there is a light failure. The LED lights will also be installed in the approximately 250 new patrol cars that come into service every year. (JK)

Found at: http://www.whmi.com/news/article/9435

EEN Welcomes a new Sponsor…. Powerprobeonline.com

admin — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 18:47:05 +0000

We would like to thank: www.powerprobeonline.com for becoming our latest site sponsor. They are the #1 location to get all your Power Probe related products. If you are not familiar with the Power Probe Product and you work on mobile vehicle based electrical systems it’s time for you to take a look at the product lineup – it will help you shave hours of your troubleshooting times. More Info below:

Site Information:

Your only stop for the complete line of Power Probe Test Equipment.

Please make sure to see the videos listed below in the Technical Support Section for a full description of the Power Probes Features & Benefits

We have the best Service, We have the best Customer Support and we have the best prices.

** We will meet or beat any online price for comparable product **

** We also charge fair shipping compared to many online retailers **

Some very important notes:

It is very important that you as the customer understand that what is being sold online by many vendors might not be full kits or properly described on their websites. Many times it is simply because many of the options have changed and they have not updated their websites. Thus the pricing displayed might not actually get you what you think you might be getting, or will get you old outdated stock inventory.
Avoid the issues and simply send us an email or call us and we will make sure you get what you need.

info@powerprobeonline.com

www.powerprobeonline.com

Tulsa based EMSA cuts Ambulance Crashes in half!

admin — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 23:27:51 +0000

Ambulance company outfits entire fleet with Whelen Howler sirens and after a year have cut their vehicles crashes in half.

Download the PDF letter / Press Release from this link:

http://whelen.com/_AUTOMOTIVE/media/news/emsa.pdf

Howler Siren Vibrates Ground To Get Drivers’ Attention

admin — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 23:24:54 +0000

By admin

From The Arkansas Democrat Gazette
Northwest Arkansas Edition

New sirens shake ground to get drivers to pull over

BY JACOB QUINN SANDERS

Forced to share the road with newer vehicles that are engineered to cancel out road noise, and with drivers distracted by cell phones, iPods and bass pumping (sic)stereo systems, Little Rock police and firefighters are using a new kind of emergency siren that motorists can feel.

The siren, which the two departments demonstrated Wednesday, emits a lower, denser tone that’s reminiscent of 1980s hip-hop, as opposed to the shrieking whine that usually emits from racing fire and police vehicles.

The idea behind the new siren is that vibrations from its lower tones project along the ground and into the structures of vehicles, getting the drivers’ attention to help clear the road for city vehicles barreling toward emergencies.

Little Rock has spent $600,000 so far installing the device, called the Howler, on four Fire Department battalionchief (sic) vehicles and on 34 police cars, with plans to install hundreds more.

The Fire Department has tested the Howler on the road for the past three months.

See the rest of the article here:

http://www.lenewscenter.com/2009/08/howler-siren-vibrates-ground-to-get-drivers-attention/