| Law enforcement officers and other emergency | | | | no filament surrounded by gas that produces |
| service providers need reliable equipment | | | | the light, but a small diode that emits light |
| that can serve them well as they serve | | | | when power is supplied. These diodes are much |
| others. Many of the tools that officers use | | | | more resilient in the face of abuse and can |
| are becoming more flexible. They are able to | | | | stand up to some harsh treatment. |
| operate in several different modes that can | | | | |
| change as the situation warrants. When a | | | | LED lights can also have variable light |
| police officer is writing a ticket at night, | | | | output, either by varying the number of |
| he is going to want different light from a | | | | bulbs, the amount of power applied or both. |
| flashlight than when she is chasing a | | | | Light at higher lumens is very bright and can |
| criminal down a dark alley. Sometimes a high | | | | produce a lot of discomfort when it hits |
| performance flashlight may have to stay lit | | | | someone in the face. These lights are often |
| for hours without being able to change the | | | | used to momentarily blind and intimidate |
| battery. | | | | suspects. At lower lumens the light is going |
| | | | to be very soft. It may be used, for |
| Police officers and rescue crews must take | | | | instance, to allow an officer to see their |
| into consideration the amount of they can | | | | surroundings but not make them conspicuous to |
| carry on any given day. They need to be | | | | others. There are also going to be |
| prepared for any situation in which they | | | | intermediate levels of light for writing a |
| might find themselves. This is another reason | | | | traffic ticket or helping a stranded motorist |
| that having multifunction tools is so | | | | change a flat tire. |
| important. If one piece of equipment can do | | | | |
| the job of three or four, it is going allow | | | | Another great feature to these new lights is |
| them to still perform all of their duties | | | | the relationship of the bulb(s) to the |
| without being weighed down by a ton of | | | | reflector. In the new LED Lenser High |
| equipment. | | | | Performance flashlight, you can twist a knob |
| | | | and adjust the beam size of the light. In |
| There are newer flashlights on the market | | | | other words, if you need a full floodlight, a |
| which are leaps and bounds above flashlights | | | | twist of the knob will widen the beam of |
| of the past. In many of these cases, LED | | | | light as much as you need it to. Another |
| lights are the bulb of choice. There are | | | | twist will bring the light back down to |
| several positives to LED lighting. In older | | | | spotlight proportions. Combine this feature |
| flashlights and spotlights, an inefficient | | | | with the adjustable light output, and you |
| bulb is used. Some of these bulbs put off a | | | | have a fantastic, high performance, |
| great deal of heat, making them less | | | | multifunction light that can be used in a |
| efficient and very susceptible to breaking | | | | wide variety of tactical situations. It is |
| easily when they receive a sharp blow. An LED | | | | flashlights with these types of new |
| bulb is much different. It does not produce | | | | functionality that are finding their way to |
| much heat at all, which means more of the | | | | law enforcement, fire and rescue and other |
| energy used is converted to light. There is | | | | professional personnel. |