(1) A privately owned vehicle belonging to an active firefighter member of a regularly organized volunteer firefighting company or association, while en route to the fire station for the purpose of proceeding to the scene of a fire or other emergency or while en route to the scene of a fire or other emergency in the line of duty as an active firefighter member of a regularly organized firefighting company or association, may display or use red or red and white warning signals. A privately owned vehicle belonging to a medical staff physician or technician of a medical facility licensed by the state, while responding to an emergency in the line of duty, may display or use red warning signals. Warning signals must be visible from the front and from the rear of such vehicle, subject to the following restrictions and conditions:

(a) No more than two red or red and white warning signals may be displayed.

(b) No inscription of any kind may appear across the face of the lens of the red or red and white warning signal.

(c) In order for an active volunteer firefighter to display such red or red and white warning signals on his or her vehicle, the volunteer firefighter must first secure a written permit from the chief executive officers of the firefighting organization to use the red or red and white warning signals, and this permit must be carried by the volunteer firefighter at all times while the red or red and white warning signals are displayed.

(2) A person who is not an active firefighter member of a regularly organized volunteer firefighting company or association or a physician or technician of the medical staff of a medical facility licensed by the state may not display on any motor vehicle owned by him or her, at any time, any red or red and white warning signals as described in subsection (1).

(3) An active volunteer firefighter may not operate any red or red and white warning signals as authorized in subsection (1), except while en route to the fire station for the purpose of proceeding to the scene of a fire or other emergency, or while at or en route to the scene of a fire or other emergency, in the line of duty.

(4) A physician or technician of the medical staff of a medical facility may not operate any red warning signals as authorized in subsection (1), except when responding to an emergency in the line of duty.

(5) A violation of this section is a nonmoving violation, punishable as provided in chapter 318. In addition, a volunteer firefighter who violates this section shall be dismissed from membership in the firefighting organization by the chief executive officers thereof.

History.—s. 1, ch. 71-135; s. 1, ch. 76-31; s. 1, ch. 77-454; s. 3, ch. 80-176; s. 2, ch. 87-157; s. 324, ch. 95-148; s. 31, ch. 96-350; s. 1, ch. 2003-165; s. 3, ch. 2019-92.

Note.—Former s. 316.292.