Ambulance decal laws

[rossiter78]

One of the things I want to try to get away with using my newly purchased ambulance is to camp in places where you are allowed to "park" but not allowed to "camp". So...the more it looks like an ambulance the better.

I'm having a hard time find the actual laws on what is legal here. I'm okay with getting my hand slapped for being inside a vehicle when I'm not supposed to be. But I don't think I want the hassle of a charge of impersonating an emergency vehicle. So, I obviously own't be running the sirens and lights; but...what about the word "Ambulance" and the paramedic symbols? Is it REQUIRED that I remove that?

If it matters. I'm in the state of Colorado?

Google searching didn't yield much, but this is a strange thing to search anyway.

 

[rossiter78]

Oh, and similar question, what about the word "Rescue"? A similar idea is to make it a "rescue" vehicle since I'm not sure that this has any real standard markings and symbols. But.. as long as it looks like something official, I'm hoping the folks patrolling ski towns just keep driving. A rescue vehicle has the benefit of being able to give it lifts and racks and still look like something official.

 

[eporter]

You should get rid of any reference to EMS, Ambulance and the star of life symbol on it. Keeping red lens covers might not be good/legal in your state. I've though about putting "RESPONSE UNIT" on mine, with some kind of badge/shield/forest service looking logo. You know, make it look somewhat legit, but not actually really mean anything...

 

[pugslyyy]

One of the things I want to try to get away with using my newly purchased ambulance is to camp in places where you are allowed to "park" but not allowed to "camp". So...the more it looks like an ambulance the better.

I'm having a hard time find the actual laws on what is legal here. I'm okay with getting my hand slapped for being inside a vehicle when I'm not supposed to be. But I don't think I want the hassle of a charge of impersonating an emergency vehicle. So, I obviously own't be running the sirens and lights; but...what about the word "Ambulance" and the paramedic symbols? Is it REQUIRED that I remove that?

If it matters. I'm in the state of Colorado?

Google searching didn't yield much, but this is a strange thing to search anyway.

I'm not a big fan of the idea of having a fake or replica ambulance, but suspect it would be protected under the First Amendment as long as you don't attempt to represent it as the real thing.

Barry's Cafe in Raleigh NC has a fire truck that they use to promote their business and also take food to firefighters. Nobody seems to mind it.

 

[Mmm pie]

I wouldn't suggest keeping too much ambulance, police, fire or emergency decals. Should you pass an accident or emergency situation and someone is able to remember your information, you could be in some legal hot water even if it is only a hassle/slap on the wrist. Also Impersonating a vehicle that says I can save a life, I wouldn't want some injured person knocking on my door in the middle of the night and not being able to render useful aid/equipment.

I would makeup a phony cleaning service business name and phone number. Businesses have cleaners come at night, it wouldn't be out of the norm to see a cleaner parked overnight in front of a business.

 

[Haf-E]

There is a guy in Oregon with an red ex-swedish firetruck Volvo C303 that put white lettering that says "Search and Recreation" on the side. Most people don't notice what it actually says...

 

[fire_strom]

The cops in any area you are trying to be stealth know what the actual EMS/Rescues rigs look like. Public safety knows each other. You would more likely stand out to the people you are looking to disappear from than to be un noticed.
-G

 

[rossiter78]

The cops in any area you are trying to be stealth know what the actual EMS/Rescues rigs look like. Public safety knows each other. You would more likely stand out to the people you are looking to disappear from than to be un noticed.
-G

Good thought here storm.

eporter - my mind is close to yours as well.

The points about not having someone knock on the door hoping to be contacting EMS is also a good point, and one I've considered too.

My plan so far
1. Definitely remove official blue stars.
2. At a minimum remove the word AMBULANCE - I was actually thinking MANBULANCE, but I wonder if that is too close.
3. The name of the originating county must be removed or modified too.

The idea of a another company service like Mmm mentioned is a good idea. It seems extreme for a cleaning service to have an ambulance size vehicle. But perhaps something like "Diesel Roadside Assistance" or even simply "Maintenance Vehicle" would not assume any sort of life saving capabilities (and thus liability) while at the same time give the impression of a legitimate service vehicle. I'm liking this idea. Not to mention it gives me a reason to cover up the blemishes caused from existing letter removal.

 

[pugslyyy]

Good thought here storm.

eporter - my mind is close to yours as well.

The points about not having someone knock on the door hoping to be contacting EMS is also a good point, and one I've considered too.

My plan so far
1. Definitely remove official blue stars.
2. At a minimum remove the word AMBULANCE - I was actually thinking MANBULANCE, but I wonder if that is too close.
3. The name of the originating county must be removed or modified too.

The idea of a another company service like Mmm mentioned is a good idea. It seems extreme for a cleaning service to have an ambulance size vehicle. But perhaps something like "Diesel Roadside Assistance" or even simply "Maintenance Vehicle" would not assume any sort of life saving capabilities (and thus liability) while at the same time give the impression of a legitimate service vehicle. I'm liking this idea. Not to mention it gives me a reason to cover up the blemishes caused from existing letter removal.

Heh, go all out and label it "Mobile Radiation Monitoring Station", "Crime Scene Decontamination Unit", or something equally weird but offputting.

 

[Bikersmurf]

How old is your rig? A friend had a original Fire Truck that he had as a period correct original collector piece. He said he never got hassled by the authorities. He even offered it to them if they needed an extra rig on scene.

That said, I've heard of a local company that was charged $3500 for each of the 10 stretcher service ambulances that he had because they still had red lenses on them.

I could Boondock in many ares without being hassled because ours is a business vehicle and doesn't even remotely resemble a camper... at a Ski hills or some other areas it'd be hard to miss. That said, if it were street parked near an area with only underground parking, people would have no way of knowing I wasn't In a nearby building.

 

[rossiter78]

Pugs you're a mad man! I love it!!

Biker- Mine is a 2009 model - definitely not a collector piece yet.
Tell me more about the lenses. Clearly red lenses themselves aren't an issue - every car in the country has red tail lenses. What was the issue with his?

 

[Airmapper]

I see an Ambulance around locally that is painted red and used by a handyman of some sort, for construction. It's very obviously not an active EMS type Ambulance but it has that "oh it's just a re-used utility vehicle" quality about it. I think it has a few ladders strapped to it which is the key visual aid that puts it over as not EMS but a work vehicle.

 

[vintageracer]

You can also do what "Emergency Vehicle" restorers do their vehicles when traveling.

Install magnetic or other self adhesive "Not In Service" stickers/signs on the exterior like many other public transportation buses do when "Not In Service", make sure any fuses are pulled to any type of emergency lighting that my still be installed/working on the vehicle and cover with painter's tape any official seals or Police/Emergency references. Depending upon your state of residence you might want to consider covering any lightbar (A "Not In Service" bag can easily be made to cover a lightbar), blue lights, red lights etc.

Given this is a personal vehicle and you are not RESTORING this ambulance for show "I" would remove all "Emergency" references on the vehicle, change out any red or blue light lenses to clear or yellow and call it a day. I would add "Not In Service" stickers front and back that way there is no doubt that you are NOT a currently active Emergency vehicle. I like this idea better than some of the other vehicle designation suggestions.

The State of Tennessee just passed a new law outlawing any type of blue light visible from the front of a motor vehicle. This includes marker lights, parking lights, windshield wiper stem lights and halo headlights that transmit "Blue" light. Each state is a little different! I think your lighting choices can be the biggest issue on this type of vehicle.

 

[dwh]

 

[NevadaLover]

Can't say where you live but here in Nevada you can have stickers, lights and sirens as long as you aren't using them, red lights and sirens are considered accessories when not turned on and decals on the side mean nothing, we sell offline Sheriff vehicles with everything still on them, we just remove the radio.