REFLECTIVE ARROWS FOR APPARATUS COMPARTMENTS
INNOVATIONS: HOMEGROWN
The key word to survival in every fire department is safety. It should be the foundation of every task.
With safety as our objective, the City of Vacaville (CA) Fire Department has added reflective arrows to its apparatus compartment doors. They are affixed to the inside panels of compartment doors that open to the rear (doors swing toward cab). Such arrows have been applied to painted and brush-finished aluminum panels. The idea was born after experiencing a few near misses while working at nighttime incidents.
The unexpected benefit derived from adding the arrows was that of providing additional protection for the pump operator. The reflective arrows appear to encourage motorists to move over to the next lane. At night they help the motorist determine the approximate width of the apparatus, and they become another warning device in addition to those already in operation. The arrows are still visible when headlights are approaching from the opposite direction.
The arrows can be applied to double doors if you wish, but you must shut one door if the arrow is to be effective.
The length of the arrows we use ranges from 12 to 16 inches; the width is six inches at the point base; shaft width is four inches. The arrows cost approximately $2.17 each. They are cut from a roll of yellow, pressureadhesive reflective tape.
This idea originated with the late Captain John Schroedel, whose motto was, “You’re limited only by your imagination.”*
Photos by author.
