Emergency Blue Lights For Auxiliary Police Officers

Honorable John A Girgenti
NJ State Senator Chair Law & Public Safety Committee
507 Lafayette Avenue
Hawthorne, NJ 07506


Dear Senator Girgenti:

As you are aware, your district has several volunteer Auxiliary Police units in operation. The purpose of these Auxiliary Police units are to supplement police departments in times of crisis, or during States of Emergency as declared by the Governor.

The legislative body has already acknowledged the importance of the members of these units by the introduction of ASSEMBLY, No. 1716, STATE OF NEW JERSEY 211th LEGISLATURE;

Sponsored by:
Assemblyman SAMUEL D. THOMPSON
District 13 (Middlesex and Monmouth)
Assemblyman JOSEPH AZZOLINA
District 13 (Middlesex and Monmouth)

SYNOPSIS
Includes auxiliary police officers in Emergency Services Length of Service Award Program.

Obviously, this is a vital step in ensuring that Auxiliary Police members are afforded similar benefits to those of their volunteer counterparts in the Fire and EMS services in this state. We fully support this bill and look for an expeditious resolution to be passed to encompass volunteer Auxiliary Police in the Length of Service Award Program. We would greatly appreciate your support concerning this bill.

NEW ITEM:

We respectfully ask that an additional bill be introduced into the legislature to amend the current statutes pertaining to Emergency Lights used by volunteer firefighters and EMTs to encompass active members of bona fide Auxiliary Police units governed by municipal or State police departments.

You may or may not be aware that many Auxiliary Police personnel are asked to respond to their respective police departments to reinforce regular police staff, provide emergency services within their respective townships, and provide first responder assistance at the scene of motor vehicle accidents, fires, or other disasters. These Officers are, in general, emergency personnel and should be afforded the same courtesies extended to other emergency volunteer personnel.

Therefore, in the spirit of keeping the State of NJ volunteer police units active and to perform their duties effectively and in the safest manner, we would like to see the following included in the application for emergency lighting for Motor Vehicle operations in NJ:




INFORMATION PERTAINING TO
BLUE EMERGENCY WARNING LIGHT REGULATIONS

ELIGIBLE:
Applicants for permits authorizing the use of blue emergency warning lights pursuant to N.J.A.C. 13:24-5 et seq., may be considered eligible only if the applicant is an active member in good standing of a volunteer fire company, volunteer first aid or rescue squad or Auxiliary Police unit, and may display a blue emergency warning light or lights.

POSSESSION AND EXHIBITION OF PERMIT:
The permit issued must be in the possession of the operator at all times when the blue light(s) are displayed on the vehicle and must be exhibited upon the request of any law enforcement official.

PERMIT VALIDITY; CANCELLATION; REVOCATION:
Permits are valid for four (4) years from the date of issuance and are non-transferable. When a person to whom a permit was issued ceases to be an active member in good standing of a volunteer fire company, volunteer first aid or rescue squad or Auxiliary Police unit, the permit must be surrendered. Permits must be surrendered to the Motor Vehicle Commission within ten days of the cause for cancellation or revocation.

MOUNTING OF LIGHTS; CANDLEPOWER:
No more than two blue lights may be installed on a vehicle. If one light is used, it shall be mounted on the center of the roof; the left windshield column; or the front of the vehicle so that the top of the light is no higher than the top of the vehicles headlights. If two blue lights are used, they shall be mounted on either side of the roof at the front of the vehicle directly behind the top of the windshield or on each windshield column.

The blue lights shall be temporarily attached, removable lights of the flashing or revolving type, and shall not exceed seven and one-half inches in diameter. The lights shall have a blue lens and shall be equipped with a lamp of not more than 51 candlepower as measured without a lens. The lights shall be controlled by a switch installed inside the vehicle.

Alternating flashing or strobe headlights are prohibited and shall not be incorporated into the housing of any lighting.

USE:
The lights may be used only when the vehicle is being operated in response to an emergency, on the scene of any emergency within the State of New Jersey, or as authorized by the Governor, State, County and Local OEM coordinators or any Chief Officer of any State, County or Local Police Department. Any other use of the lights is prohibited.


We thank you in advance for your consideration regarding this proposed amendment and look forward to your response.

CC:

Honorable Andrew R. Ciesla (Via E-Mail & Regular Mail)
NJ State Senator District 10
852 Highway 70
Brick, NJ 08724

Honorable David W. Wolfe (Via E-Mail & Regular Mail)
NJ State Assemblyman District 10
852 Highway 70
Brick, NJ 08724

Honorable Gordon M. Johnson (Via E-Mail & Regular Mail)
NJ State Assemblyman Vice Chair Law & Public Safety Committee
1 Engle Street
Suite 104
Englewood, NJ 07631

Honorable James W. Holzapfel (Via E-Mail & Regular Mail)
NJ State Assemblyman District 10
852 Highway 70
Brick, NJ 08724

Honorable Peter J. Barnes, Jr. (Via E-Mail & Regular Mail)
NJ State Assemblyman Chair Law & Public Safety Committee
1967 Route 27
Suite 20
Edison, NJ 08817

Honorable James E. McGreevey
Governor
State of New Jersey
PO Box 001
Trenton, NJ 08625