What should you do to prepare for night operations in terms of lighting and caution?

• A. Plan for extra caution and use proper lighting.
• B. Ignore lighting and proceed as in daylight.
• C. Increase speed to minimize exposure.
• D. Rely on headlights alone with no additional lighting.

Answer: (A)

Night operations require planning for extra caution and the use of proper lighting to see hazards and be seen. In the dark, visibility is reduced, so you must prepare by ensuring you have adequate lighting to illuminate the work area, identify uneven surfaces, steps, debris, and other hazards, and to make your crew and apparatus visible to others. This means using the vehicle’s essential lights plus additional lighting such as portable floodlights or handheld lights, positioned to light the scene without causing glare or blinding others. Check that lights are functioning, carry spare batteries, and set up lighting before moving into the area. Move thoughtfully, scan the environment systematically, and adjust speed to the conditions rather than rushing, so you can respond to hazards as they appear.

Relying on headlights alone or increasing speed would increase risk in low visibility, and ignoring lighting undermines safety by leaving hazards hidden and responders less visible.