What Are Scene Lights?

A scene light is a system of lights and fixtures used to illuminate large areas of a fire ground, vehicle accident or hazmat incident.

They provide critical illumination all around the incident that enhances safety and makes it easier for responders to do their job.

Unlike portable personal lighting or task lights, true scene lights should illuminate an entire scene or site.

They Illuminate the Scene

While fire crews may not be able to control when an accident or incident happens, they will need to illuminate the scene as soon as possible. Whether a crash occurs in a bar at 2am or a tire flip on dark roads, it’s a good idea to have portable scene lighting on hand that can be quickly repositioned as the situation changes.

When evaluating different scene lights, consider their height, mounting, and size. These factors will determine how well the light will shine down on the area of concern.

Height – Scene lights need to be tall enough to raise up above alley walls, bushes, vehicles, and people. A good height is about 8 feet.

Mounting – When you’re looking at scene lights, look for ones that are mounted on the SURFACE of the body instead of recessed. This style is easier on your truck’s interior.

Aside from mounting, you’ll also want to consider the type of light you need. LEDs are more efficient than halogen, and the brighter the lights, the longer their runtime.

If you’re looking for a portable scene light, consider one that’s a self-contained scene lights unit with a rechargeable battery and can operate as either a spotlight or floodlight. For example, FoxFury’s Nomad Transformer is a self-contained unit that can provide 14,000 lumens of lighting in a 12-pound package.

Choosing the right LED lighting can help you achieve a more realistic appearance of a scene. There are many options for LEDs, including the latest high-intensity white and blue LEDs. Some of these options include a flame flicker feature that makes it easy to add an effective fire light simulation to your scenes.

These lights are also available in several different sizes and styles to meet your needs. You can find a large selection of scene lights on the TOMAR website, and we also offer a variety of other accessories to enhance your lighting.

You can illuminate a scene by using the Illumination split button on the View tab in the Scene group. This button mimics the lighting originating directly overhead as if it were noon on a sunny day, and can be adjusted to change the time of day and calendar date.

They Are Portable

Whether you’re cutting vents in a roof, or trying to get out of a bar with a drunk driver on your tail, you need light. No one wants to be working on a scene where they can’t see or be safe.

Fortunately, there are portable scene lights that can make your job a lot easier and safer. They allow firefighters to illuminate the entire incident instead of just the area in front of their trucks.

They are also more compact than other lighting options, which makes them easy to carry around and transport to different jobs. This can help reduce trip hazards and keep workers more comfortable and calm in chaotic situations.

These lights are also portable and cordless, which means they don’t require a generator or cords to connect them. This saves time and allows firefighters to move the lights from one job to another without worrying about their cords.

There are many different styles of scene lights, including surface mounted and recessed lights. The recessed style is often preferred when departments are concerned about trees or limbs coming in contact with the fixture.

When choosing a scene light, look for ones that are waterproof. This is important if you’re working on a wet site, as water can damage or discolor the fixture and affect your operation.

You should also consider if the light is able to be recharged using a battery or other power source. This can make it more efficient and less expensive in the long run.

A few other things to think about include whether or not the light is available with flood or spot patterns and whether it can be adjusted to provide a wide or a narrow beam. Spot scene lights and flood patterns are a great option for illuminating the entire scene and also providing additional task lighting for when it’s needed.

The best choice for scene lighting will depend on the location and specific needs of the fire department. For example, if you need lights to cover a large area, you should consider a surface mounted light that can be easily installed or a bail mountable light that can be attached to your vehicle.

They Are Silent

A scene light is designed to illuminate the entire area of a fire, accident, or other incident. This is usually a much larger area than just the truck or trailer, so it’s important to have lighting that will make the entire area visible and enhance safety.

Aside from the actual illumination, scene lights also help in making sure crews are visible to each other. A scene light can be a life saver in chaotic situations where communication is difficult or where stress levels are high.

Another way that scene lights can be used to make an incident more visible is by providing a wide, even beam of light all around the area. This can be done with a flood or spot light, depending on the situation. This allows responders to easily change from one type of lighting to another without having to take the light off the apparatus or move it.

The type of power source you have available will also impact the type of lights you choose. LEDs consume less power than halogen lights and are generally more efficient. However, if you have a generator to run your lights on, then you might want to consider halogens for the extra power they offer.

It’s also important to choose the right mounting location for your scene lights. Mounting a surface or recessed fixture too far from the edge of your rig can result in shadowing near the sides of the apparatus. In these situations, it may be better to opt for a pedestal, trunnion, or bar style fixture that is mounted closer to the edge of your apparatus.

They Are Adjustable

A scene light is an adjustable light, so you can direct it to the exact area of the scene that you need to illuminate. This can be a great advantage because you don’t need to rely on a single high power light for the entire job.

LED scene lights are the best for this, as they use less power and can be controlled using a remote control. You can also choose to have your LEDs mounted on the front of your apparatus, or on a recessed bracket that sits flush with the outer shell of your truck.

The Ziamatic Stackable Scene Light Bracket has a flexible draw strap that gently but firmly presses the light against the backplate to prevent shifting and tilting during transport. This is a nice feature, especially for departments that have a large fleet of trucks that may need to be transported at different times.

The XPR-5592GCX Rechargeable LED Scene Light Kit is cULus certified Intrinsically Safe, and boasts an array of 5 floodlight LEDs that produce an impressive 1,000 lumens on high for 6 hours or 500 lumens on low for 17 hours when activated using the robust three-position toggle switch. It’s also waterproof, and features a 360deg rotating head to make light aiming easier than ever. It comes with an adjustable steel handle for carrying or hanging, a 6-foot tripod with Camlock adjusters, and both AC/DC power supplies placed inside a durable blow molded carrying case for ease of use and storage.