A. For purposes of this section, “traffic incident management vehicle” means any vehicle operating en route to or at the scene of a traffic accident or similar emergency that affects the travel lanes of a highway, provided that such vehicle is a (i) Department of Transportation vehicle operated by an incident management coordinator or (ii) vehicle operated pursuant to the Department of Transportation safety service patrol program or a contract with the Department of Transportation that includes traffic incident management services as defined in § 46.2-920.1. The provisions of § 46.2-920 shall not apply to the operation of such traffic incident management vehicle.
B. In addition to other lights authorized by this article, any (i) fire apparatus, (ii) government-owned vehicle operated on official business by a local fire chief or other local fire official, (iii) emergency medical services vehicle, or (iv) traffic incident management vehicle may be equipped with alternating, blinking, or flashing red or red and white secondary warning lights mounted inside the vehicle’s taillights, headlights, or marker lights of a type approved by the Superintendent of State Police.
C. In order to operate a traffic incident management vehicle with lighted warning lights pursuant to this section, a traffic incident management vehicle operator shall be required to (i) complete an initial emergency vehicle operators course from an approved course list prepared by the Department of Fire Programs, the Office of Emergency Medical Services, or an equivalent agency and (ii) recertify as an emergency vehicle operator every two years.