APPARATUS AND EMERGENCY VEHICLE CHEVRONS-DOWNLOAD THE

The NFPA 1901 Apparatus Committee is considering including rear apparatus marking in the forthcoming 2008 edition of the standard. Thanks to Firehouse.com and Chief Instructor Ron Moore here's everything you need to know in a Ron Moore "Crash Course" Quick Drill.

Painted traffic markings are used on paved roadways throughout the United States to provide guidance and information to motorists and pedestrians. Uniformity of the markings from state to state is an important factor in minimizing confusion and uncertainty about their meaning.

The type, placement, and graphic designs used for traffic signs and pavement markings are legally regulated - the Federal Highway Administration's Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) is the standard, although each state produces their own state MUTCD manual based upon the Federal manual.

A recent safety trend in the U.S. fire service has been to provide a pattern of diagonal striping across the rear of emergency vehicles to increase visibility of the vehicle when it is working in or near moving traffic. The diagonal pattern chosen by the fire service is called a chevron. What is important to note is that this pattern is actually defined by the MUTCD as a 'vertical panel' and as such must conform to the MUTCD guidelines.