Original Article Posted on the CBC website and written by David Bell at this link: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/redwood-meadows-fire-light-carousel-1.5447739

Fire chief says drivers aren't expecting emergency vehicles in a recreational area.

Redwood Meadows Fire has a new light that should catch driver's in the rear-view mirror and hopefully get them to move over 1:33

A shiny new toy for a rural fire department is designed to shine a light on first responder safety where some drivers aren't expecting it.

"With sound deadening in cars today, the optical warning helps more, and hopefully people will move out of the way better," said Rob Evans, fire chief at Redwood Meadows Emergency Services.

• Watch the chief of a rural Alberta fire department explain how a new truck-mounted light carousel could make roads safer for everyone, in the video at the top of this story.

It's a 3-light carousel with 18 light-emitting diodes in each light, and it spins at more than 3 times per second. (Monty Kruger/CBC)

Redwood Meadows is just a stone's throw from Bragg Creek and about 35 kilometres west of Calgary.

That optical warning is a three-light fixture mounted on the fire truck's grill. It spins really fast, up to 200 revolutions a minute, projecting a lot of light into the rear-view mirror of the vehicle ahead of it.

Each of those three lights has 18 light-emitting diodes — a far more powerful combination than its halogen predecessors, Evans said.

Rob Evans is the fire chief for Redwood Meadows. (Monty Kruger/CBC)

The first generation of this light carousel was patented in 1929. The company that made it changed hands a few times until the 1960s, when it went out of business.

After an estate sale, the patent was bought for $500 and production resurrected in the early 1970s.

Today, about 250 are sold every year, mostly to communities in the U.S. Eastern Seaboard, he said.

Here's what the light carousel looks like at rest. (Monty Kruger/CBC)

It serves more than one purpose.

"Not just the safety of our responders in the truck, but the safety of people on the road," Evans said.

"You come up to Bragg Creek and enjoy the trails, you are not necessarily thinking, like in the city, of emergency vehicles coming up behind you. All the noisemakers, the sirens and horns, they are great, but we need those visual cues as well. Cars today are so soundproof."

See that red light in the rear-view mirror? Redwood Meadows Fire is hoping you do. And get out of the way. (Monty Kruger/CBC)

Today, about 250 are sold every year, mostly to communities in the U.S. Eastern Seaboard. (Monty Kruger/CBC)

With files from Monty Kruger.

It's here!

(Click for larger image)

The new Engine is on the way!!!

There’s an estimated 3,460 fire departments in Canada, 85% of these are staffed by volunteer firefighters. As a volunteer-driven organization, Redwood Meadows Emergency Services (RMES) responded to 280 calls in 2019; 51% were medical and 13% were fire-related.

Every year, Canadian firefighters are injured or killed in the line of duty. This month, we’re giving some tips to protect your volunteer firefighters as we do our work.

SLOW DOWN. AND THEN SLOW DOWN SOME MORE: One of the most dangerous part of our job is doing traffic management at car accidents. When you see emergency vehicles on the highway, slow down well in advance. The slower the better when we have team members on slippery highways and focused on quickly grabbing equipment from trucks! Follow the directions of the first responders. Don’t stop to take pictures (we aren't that good looking!). Focus on your own safe driving. Resume speed only when you are well clear. Treat every firefighter you see working on the highway as a family member, neighbour or friend – because we are all of these to someone in the community.

MOVE OUT OF THE WAY – IT’S THE LAW: When you see the big red trucks heading to someone else’s emergency with lights flashing, pull over to the right side of the road and STOP, until the emergency vehicle passes. Once the truck passes, check your mirrors to ensure more emergency vehicles aren’t following before resuming speed.

KEEP YOUR DRIVEWAYS AND PATHS CLEARED OF SNOW AND ICE: Sliding is fun on sleds and skates in the winter, but not down snowy driveways in firetrucks or while carrying emergency gear. If you know of a neighbor with mobility issues, be a snow angel and help them keep their paths clear of snow and ice.

On behalf of the firefighters and officers of Redwood Meadows Emergency Services, it was an honour and privilege to serve our community and protect our neighbours in 2019. Best wishes for a safe and happy new year!