Maine Vehicles Permitted to Use Emergency Vehicle Lights

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1. Definitions.  As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings.

A. "Ambulance" means any vehicle designed, constructed and routinely used or intended to be used for the transportation of ill or injured persons and licensed by Maine Emergency Medical Services pursuant to Title 32, chapter 2-B. [1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); 1993, c. 683, Pt. B, §5 (AFF).]

B. "Authorized emergency vehicle" means any one of the following vehicles:

(1) An ambulance;

(2) A Baxter State Park Authority vehicle operated by a Baxter State Park ranger;

(3) A Bureau of Marine Patrol vehicle operated by a coastal warden;

(4) A Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry vehicle operated by a forest ranger;

(5) A Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry vehicle used for forest fire control;

(6) A Department of Corrections vehicle used for responding to the escape of or performing the high-security transfer of a prisoner, juvenile client or juvenile detainee;

(7) A Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife vehicle operated by a warden;

(8) A Department of Public Safety vehicle operated by a police officer appointed pursuant to Title 25, section 2908, a state fire investigator or a Maine Drug Enforcement Agency officer;

(9) An emergency medical service vehicle;

(10) A fire department vehicle;

(11) A hazardous material response vehicle, including a vehicle designed to respond to a weapon of mass destruction;

(12) A railroad police vehicle;

(13) A sheriff's department vehicle;

(14) A State Police or municipal police department vehicle;

(15) A vehicle operated by a chief of police, a sheriff or a deputy sheriff when authorized by the sheriff;

(16) A vehicle operated by a municipal fire inspector, a municipal fire chief, an assistant or deputy chief or a town forest fire warden;

(17) A vehicle operated by a qualified deputy sheriff or other qualified individual to perform court security-related functions and services as authorized by the State Court Administrator pursuant to Title 4, section 17, subsection 15;

(18) A Federal Government vehicle operated by a federal law enforcement officer;

(19) A vehicle operated by a municipal rescue chief, deputy chief or assistant chief;

(20) An Office of the Attorney General vehicle operated by a detective appointed pursuant to Title 5, section 202;

(21) A Department of the Secretary of State vehicle operated by a motor vehicle detective; and

(22) A University of Maine System vehicle operated by a University of Maine System police officer. [2017, c. 229, §32 (AMD).]

C. "Auxiliary light" means a light, other than standard equipment lighting such as headlights, taillights, directional signals, brake lights, clearance lights, parking lights and license plate lights, that is displayed on a vehicle and used to increase the operator's visibility of the road or the visibility of the vehicle to other operators and pedestrians. [1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); 1993, c. 683, Pt. B, §5 (AFF).]

D. "Emergency light" means an auxiliary light displayed and used on an authorized emergency vehicle to distinguish it and make it recognizable as an authorized emergency vehicle. [1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); 1993, c. 683, Pt. B, §5 (AFF).]

E. "Emergency medical service vehicle" means a vehicle equipped and used to transport emergency medical personnel or equipment to ill or injured persons and authorized by Maine Emergency Medical Services. [1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); 1993, c. 683, Pt. B, §5 (AFF).]

E-1. "Fire department vehicle" means a vehicle owned by, registered to and maintained by a governmental agency or political subdivision that is equipped and used primarily for response to a fire or emergency situation. [2007, c. 348, §19 (NEW).]

F. "Fire vehicle" means any vehicle listed under paragraph B, subparagraph (5) or (16). [1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); 1993, c. 683, Pt. B, §5 (AFF).]