Beginning in 2009 Fire Trucks and Emergency vehicles will be subject to new standards for retro reflective striping. The new standards call for reflectivity levels of type I or better. Type I is also referred to as engineer grade reflective and is the most affordable class of tape. Type III is known as high intensity reflective tape and is more expensive but still relatively affordable. Prismatic films are even brighter and would be comparable to a Type V film. We carry all of these types of reflective tapes in yellow and red and in 6" by 150 and 6" x 30 foot rolls. The two tapes are further described below. We also carry a full line of chevron striping at our main reflective chevron panels store. Our colebrothers.com store also has other colors and widths of engineer grade, high intensity and prismatic reflective tapes. We carry reflective dots, overlays and squares for creating chevron striping on diamond tread plate at our Reflective Shapes Store. The specifics of the new regulation are as follows:
NFPA 1901 Standards For Retro Reflective Striping on Fire Trucks and Emergency Vehicles
REFLECTIVE REQUIREMENTS FOR DOORS
14.1.6 Any door of the apparatus designed to allow persons to enter or exit the apparatus shall have at least 96 in.2 (62,000 mm2) of retro-reflective material affixed to the inside of the door.
15.9.3.1* A retro-reflective stripe(s) shall be affixed to at least 50 percent of the cab and body length on each side, excluding the pump panel areas, and at least 25 percent of the width of the front of the apparatus.
15.9.3.1.1 The stripe or combination of stripes shall be a minimum of 4 in. (100 mm) in total width.
15.9.3.1.2 The 4 in. (100 mm) wide stripe or combination of stripes shall be permitted to be interrupted by objects (i.e., receptacles, cracks between slats in roll up doors) provided the full stripe is seen as conspicuous when approaching the apparatus.
15.9.3.1.3 A graphic design shall be permitted to replace all or part of the required striping material if the design or combination thereof covers at least the same perimeter length(s) required by 15.9.3.1.
REFLECTIVE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE
15.9.3.2 At least 50 percent of the rear-facing vertical surfaces, visible from the rear of the apparatus, excluding any pump panel areas not covered by a door, shall be equipped with retro-reflective striping in a chevron pattern sloping downward and away from the centerline of the vehicle at an angle of 45 degrees.
15.9.3.2.1 Each stripe in the chevron shall be a single color alternating between red and yellow.
15.9.3.2.2 Each stripe shall be 6 in. (150 mm) in width.
15.9.3.3 All retro-reflective materials required by 15.9.3.1 and 15.9.3.2 shall conform to the requirements of ASTM D 4956, Standard Specification for Retro-reflective Sheeting for Traffic Control, Section 6.1.1 for Type I Sheeting.
15.9.3.3.1 All retro-reflective materials used to satisfy the requirements of 15.9.3.1 that are colors not listed in ASTM D 4956, Section 6.1.1, shall have a minimum coefficient of retro-reflection of 10 with observation angle of 0.2 degrees and entrance angle of −4 degrees.
15.9.3.3.3 Any printed or processed retro-reflective film construction used to meet the requirements of 15.9.3.1 and 15.9.3.2 shall conform to the standards required of an integral colored film as specified in ASTM D 4956, Section 6.1.1.
REFLECTIVE REQUIREMENTS FOR OTHER PARTS OF THE VEHICLE
19.18.11 Where the design of the aerial device incorporates a knuckle, the knuckle shall be as follows: (1) Equipped with position lights or continuously illuminated by boom lights (2) Painted with reflective paint or provided with retro-reflective Striping
19.21.4.3 All stabilizers that protrude beyond the body of the apparatus shall be striped or painted with retro-reflective material so as to indicate a hazard or obstruction.
Engineer grade or Type I reflective tape has no pattern on top and is simply a solid color to the naked eye. When light strikes the tape it is reflected back to the source and the tape appears to light up. Engineer grade tapes typically reflect at a rate of about 75 candlepower for white and less for other colors. This is the same material that you would typically find on a speed limit or stop sign. It is also very popular on emergency vehicles and makes up most of the reflective lettering that you see. We carry the flexible engineer grade version because it will stretch making it perfect for applications on vehicles.
High intensity reflective tape is characterized by a honeycomb pattern and is also referred to as encapsulated lens reflective tape. Within each honeycomb there are concentrations of glass beads. Many more per square centimeter than engineer grade tape. This concentration of glass beads creates a much brighter tape. High Intensity tapes give off around 250 candlepower for the white and less for other colors. Traffic cones and road barrels use this material as well as many brighter street signs. Many fire departments prefer the high intensity type III material because it can be seen from further away.
Prismatic tapes which include our V92, V97, V82, and CRG tapes reflect light using prisms. These films are much brighter than engineer or high intensity tapes. They can generally be seen from over a thousand feet away. In fog or snowy conditions this if a definite safety advantage. The V98 combination of Red and Fluorescent Lime Yellow is the most popular combination by far.
Click Here for our full line of reflective tapes.
If you have any questions about which tape is right for your application or need samples feel free to email me at steve@colebrothers.com
Steve Cole - Owner
850-934-3157
About our Company - We are Reflective Incorporated, the largest retailer of reflective tapes in the United States, in business since 1998. Our goal is to provide easy access to reflective safety products that are often difficult to source. We specialize in visibility enhancement through the use of bright and vivid retro reflective tapes and other reflective products. Our product lines include rolls of reflective tape, reflective chevron panels, block panels, Battenburg panels, reflective road markers, reflex reflectors, NFPA helmet decals, preformed thermoplastic, reflective shapes, and more.
About our Products - We carry a wide variety of reflective tapes. They are all branded and certified products. We stock almost everything that we sell in house and ship quickly. If a product is not in stock or is to be drop shipped, we will make you aware and specify a lead time. We carry Oralite and Nikkalite reflective tapes. Both are on QPL lists across the country and both are manufactured by reputable, global manufacturers. Our reflective tapes are rated for outdoor applications with life expectancies of from 5 - 12 years depending on the film. For applications where the tape is out of the weather like a fire truck in a firehouse, the life expectancy is longer.
Shipping - We ship quickly using US Mail for light boxes and UPS Ground for heavier ones. The majority of our products are in stock and ship out the same or next day. Delivery time is approximately 3-5 days on most standard orders.
Return and Order Cancellation Policy - Reflective tape orders can be cancelled until they are shipped out. After products are shipped, we accept returns in certain cases. If we have made a mistake and have shipped the wrong item, we remedy that at no cost to the customer. For returns where another item is purchased to replace an item purchased in error, we accept those with no restock fee. For all other returned items we apply a 10% restock fee.
Privacy Policy - all customer information is kept in strict confidence. We do not release any information on any of our customers to anyone without that customer’s consent. For our full privacy policy, Click Here.
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