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189.920 Flashing lights and sirens.
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
All fire department, rescue squad, or publicly owned emergency management
agency emergency vehicles and all ambulances shall be equipped with one (1)
or more flashing, rotating, or oscillating red lights, visible under normal
atmospheric conditions from a distance of five hundred (500) feet to the front of
the vehicle, and a siren, whistle, or bell, capable of emitting a sound audible
under normal conditions from a distance of not less than five hundred (500)
feet. This equipment shall be in addition to any other equipment required by the
motor vehicle laws.
All state, county, or municipal police vehicles and all sheriffs' vehicles used as
emergency vehicles shall be equipped with one (1) or more flashing, rotating,
or oscillating blue lights, visible under normal atmospheric conditions from a
distance of five hundred (500) feet to the front of the vehicle, and a siren,
whistle, or bell, capable of emitting a sound audible under normal conditions
from a distance of not less than five hundred (500) feet. This equipment shall
be in addition to any other equipment required by the motor vehicle laws.
By ordinance, the governing body of any city or county may direct that the
police or sheriffs' vehicles in that jurisdiction be equipped with a combination of
red and blue flashing, rotating, or oscillating lights.
All public safety vehicles shall be equipped with one (1) or more flashing,
rotating, or oscillating yellow lights, visible under normal atmospheric conditions
from a distance of five hundred (500) feet to the front of the vehicle. Yellow
flashing, rotating, or oscillating lights may also be used by vehicles operated by
mail carriers while on duty, funeral escort vehicles, and church buses.
All Department of Corrections vehicles used as emergency vehicles shall be
equipped with one (1) or more flashing, rotating, or oscillating blue lights,
visible under normal atmospheric conditions from a distance of five hundred
(500) feet to the front of the vehicle. The Department of Corrections vehicles
shall not be equipped with or use a siren, whistle, or bell. The equipment
prescribed by this subsection shall be in addition to any other equipment
required by motor vehicle laws.
(a) If authorized by the legislative body of a county, urban-county, charter
county, consolidated local government, or unified local government:
1.
All publicly owned county jail and regional jail vehicles used as
emergency vehicles may be equipped with the one (1) or more
flashing, rotating, or oscillating blue lights, visible under normal
atmospheric conditions from a distance of five hundred (500) feet to
the front of the vehicle; and
2.
An elected jailer or the chief administrator of a county or regional jail
not managed by an elected jailer may equip one (1) personally
owned vehicle with one (1) or more flashing, rotating, or oscillating
blue lights, visible under normal atmospheric conditions from a
distance of five hundred (500) feet to the front of the vehicle.
(b) Publicly owned county jail or regional jail vehicles shall not be equipped
with or use a siren, whistle, or bell.
(c) The equipment prescribed by this subsection shall be in addition to any
other equipment required by the motor vehicle laws.
(7) Red flashing lights may be used by school buses.
(8) No emergency vehicle, public safety vehicle, or any other vehicle covered by
KRS 189.910 to 189.950 shall use any light of any other color than those
specified by KRS 189.910 to 189.950. Sirens, whistles, and bells may not be
used by vehicles other than those specified by KRS 189.910 to 189.950,
except that any vehicle may be equipped with a theft alarm signal device which
is so arranged that it cannot be used by the driver as an ordinary warning
signal.
(9) Vehicles used as command posts at incidents may be equipped with and use
when on scene, a green rotating, oscillating, or flashing light. This light shall be
in addition to the lights and sirens required in this section.
(10) A personal vehicle used by a paid or volunteer firefighter, ambulance
personnel, or emergency services director who is responding to an emergency
shall display the lights required in subsection (1) of this section.
(11) An elected coroner may equip a publicly or privately owned motor vehicle, or
both, with flashing, rotating, or oscillating red and blue lights and a siren
meeting the requirements of this section solely for the purpose of responding to
a report of the death of a human being subject to the following terms and
conditions:
(a) The coroner makes a written request to the legislative body of the county,
urban-county, charter county, consolidated local government, or unified
local government in which the coroner was elected to equip a publicly or
privately owned motor vehicle, or both, with flashing, rotating, or
oscillating red and blue lights and a siren meeting the requirements of this
section, and that request is approved by the legislative body by ordinance
or by court order;
(b) The coroner may use the lights and siren only while responding to the
scene of the report of a death of a human being and shall not, KRS
189.940 to the contrary notwithstanding, exceed the posted speed limit;
and
(c) The permission granted pursuant to this section shall expire upon the
coroner leaving office or the legislative body revoking the authorization.
(12) A deputy coroner certified pursuant to KRS Chapter 72 may equip a publicly
owned or privately owned motor vehicle, or both, with flashing, rotating, or
oscillating red and blue lights and a siren meeting the requirements of this
section solely for the purpose of responding to a report of the death of a human
being, subject to the following terms and conditions:
(a) The deputy coroner has made a written request to the coroner to equip a
publicly owned or privately owned vehicle with flashing, rotating, or
oscillating red and blue lights meeting the requirements of this section
and the coroner has approved the request in writing;
(b) The coroner makes a written request to the legislative body of the county,
urban-county, charter county, consolidated local government, or unified
local government in which the coroner is elected to permit the deputy
coroner to equip a publicly owned motor vehicle or privately owned motor
(c)
(d)
vehicle, or both, and that request has been approved by the legislative
body by ordinance or by court order;
The deputy coroner may use the lights and siren only while responding to
the scene of the report of the death of a human being and shall not, KRS
189.940 to the contrary notwithstanding, exceed the posted speed limit;
and
The permission granted pursuant to this section shall expire upon the
coroner leaving office or the legislative body revoking the authorization.
Effective:June 8, 2011
History: Amended 2011 Ky. Acts ch. 17, sec. 2, effective June 8, 2011; and ch. 99,
sec. 2, effective June 8, 2011. -- Amended 2006 Ky. Acts ch. 173, sec. 25,
effective July 12, 2006. -- Amended 1998 Ky. Acts ch. 226, sec. 107, effective
July 15, 1998. -- Amended 1992 Ky. Acts ch. 211, sec. 17, effective July 14,
1992. -- Amended 1986 Ky. Acts ch. 419, sec. 2, effective July 15, 1986. -Amended 1984 Ky. Acts ch. 55, sec. 1, effective July 13, 1984. -- Created 1970
Ky. Acts ch. 93, sec. 2.
Legislative Research Commission (6/8/2011). This section was amended by
2011 Ky. Acts chs. 17 and 99, which do not appear to be in conflict and have
been codified together.
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