Around here in WA state it had been up to the particular department's policy...or at least I thought so. I do believe that nowadays local departments have to include red in their emergency lighting per state statute. Fire and EMS is all-red, and always have been as long as I can remember. Amber lights are also extensively used, usually on during traffic-related incidents like violation stops or crashes.

Seattle police have always had blue lights during my lifetime. But in the 80s or so when they made the switch to the continuous light bar they made half of the bar red, probably when the state statute went into effect. AFAIK all other cities and towns around here also have blue and red to their light bars. Hardly if ever see individual gumball lights these days. However WSP I believe still uses all-blue. For our county sheriff's cars (non-Sound Transit) it's hard to tell what color it is unless they're turned on, which for myself I try REAL hard not to get them to do, even when I'm scooting around in a Porsche . They use an LED bar with clear lenses on a lot of their vehicles, making a color determination difficult. Their transit patrol cars however use a more conventional blue and red lensed light bar just like the city departments do.

New Mexico used to require tow trucks to have blue lights, at least while I lived there in the 1970's to 1980's.

I think the whole point of using blue has been missed......they are a lot easier to see in all types of weather and I like them.

People need to slow down when the police or fire are operating in the area. Give them a BRAKE!

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But in the 80s or so when they made the switch to the continuous light bar they made half of the bar red

Seattle is CALEA accredited agency. CALEA requires both red and blue lights for accreditation. CALEA began in 1979 I don't know how long Seattle has been accredited but this could be the reason for going with half red at that timeframe.

Back when I was working in Illinois, police agencies were required to use red lighting with the exception of Chicago which used blue. As I recall, that was linked to a statute in the vehicle code which specified that the use of blue lights was tied to the population of the jurisdiction. I believe the city had to have a population of at least half a million to be able to use the blue lights and only Chicago met that requirement.

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Originally posted by Blackmore:
At my advanced age I find the high intensity LED blues and sometimes whites on police cars absolutely blinding at night.

It's not just you.

A couple years ago I was pulled over at night and was completely blinded by those damned lights. The deputy asked for the license and registration and I asked him to turn down the lights so that I could see what I was looking for. I finally just handed him my wallet and let him take the license out because he wouldn't turn off the lights.

It's ridiculous that they have to be so damned bright.

The funny thing is, most if not all of the LED light bars come with a dimmer function, with a lot of them having the option to install a photocell which will automatically dim them at night.

But departments never use them.

Here in Texas, the color is red. However, the agency I retired from mostly had combinations of red, white and blue over the years. In the academy, we were taught that we had the other colors as a catch all so people from other locations where red wasn't the emergency color would yield to us.

If you see blue or amber here, it will be a road crew. To add, my former agency is CALEA, but I don't remember anything changing up top when we went CALEA.

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Originally posted by Dusty78:

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Originally posted by Chris42:
Due to a recent encounter with the local constabulary, I know that the colors on the vehicle, when flashing in south central Pennsylvania, are both red and blue and intensly bright.

It was a fine day until I saw those lights in the mirror of my motorcycle....

I took this pic in Pittsburgh not to long ago. Looks like mostly blue there

You just so happened to catch that picture when the blues all flashed. The lights are 50/50 red blue. Just odd they were all in sink.

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Originally posted by chellim1:
And they don't drive cars anymore.... all I'm seeing are SUVs.

More practical for most departments. Easier to get in and out, they always are adding more equipement to carry or travel around with, have 4 wheel drive, and chases are limited in a lot of places anymore. Its a mix with departments around me, and ours remain a mix and probably will. But nice to have them available during snow storms, and I prefer suv's anyway.

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Originally posted by FiveFiveSixFan:
Back when I was working in Illinois, police agencies were required to use red lighting with the exception of Chicago which used blue. As I recall, that was linked to a statute in the vehicle code which specified that the use of blue lights was tied to the population of the jurisdiction. I believe the city had to have a population of at least half a million to be able to use the blue lights and only Chicago met that requirement.

That's my recollection too, but I thought it was one million, not half-million.

I could be wrong. I cut all ties with the Chicago area in 1986.

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Originally posted by dwright1951:
When I was growing up everybody had red lights (bubble gum machine on roof).

Cherry on top

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Originally posted by Warhorse:
State Police here in Michigan have had a red “bubble gum machine” on their roof forever. The only police department I’ve seen with that, all other PD’s around here use blue lights.

I see a lot of mixed red and blue for locals.

NOW A GRIPE - these new LED flashers need a night time setting. I can't believe we do not read about more officers getting hit at night due to the way they blind you. I have good vision and even crawling by, it is hard to make out people on the other side of the lights.

New York is this way:
Volunteer Fire= Blue only, except the Chief can have red.
Volunteer EMS= Green only
Police and Fire= Red, blue, and white together

Weird, all the local differences.

Bruce

Blue and White in NH if I remember from all the times I've been pulled over

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Originally posted by Blackmore:
At my advanced age I find the high intensity LED blues and sometimes whites on police cars absolutely blinding at night.

Roger that. The new blue ones in my part of Louisiana will blind you at night. When you get up close to a crash scene you can hardly see the LEO or FD working the crash.

In Florida, LE must have blue, but can add red. Non LE cannot use blue, so many choose red with some white, yellow, and green mixed in.

In NE LEO vehicles have been red and blue forever. Same with EMS and Fire. Tow trucks yellow and white. Military green lights. Street and road dept vehicles yellow,blue, and white.

We are starting to get SUVs in our vehicle rotation. Nice to have. More room, easier to get in and out of, etc... We have Dodge Durango SSVs. Pretty zippy. We will probably be a mixed dept. Our sedan type cruisers are Chargers.

The two Taurus type Police interceptors are hated by all. Piles of dog crap that are always breaking down, no room for the officer or people getting rides in the back, and no power.

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Originally posted by Oz_Shadow:

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Originally posted by Warhorse:
State Police here in Michigan have had a red “bubble gum machine” on their roof forever. The only police department I’ve seen with that, all other PD’s around here use blue lights.

I see a lot of mixed red and blue for locals.

NOW A GRIPE - these new LED flashers need a night time setting. I can't believe we do not read about more officers getting hit at night due to the way they blind you. I have good vision and even crawling by, it is hard to make out people on the other side of the lights.

Oh they're getting hit all right. But they aren't going to tell anybody the the lights are disorienting. "Why I put a million candle power right in that SOB's retinas and he still couldn't see me", that's about as close as you're ever going to get.

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Originally posted by Oz_Shadow:
NOW A GRIPE - these new LED flashers need a night time setting. I can't believe we do not read about more officers getting hit at night due to the way they blind you. I have good vision and even crawling by, it is hard to make out people on the other side of the lights.

Even worse that they all wear asphalt camouflage with limited to no hi-vis elements.