Spartan Fire, LLC, Receipt of Petition for Decision of Inconsequential Noncompliance

Issuing agencies

Abstract

Spartan Fire, LLC (Spartan) has determined that certain model year (MY) 2015-2023 Spartan Fire Gladiator and Spartan Fire Metro Star emergency vehicles do not fully comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 108, Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment. Spartan filed a noncompliance report dated January 28, 2025, and subsequently petitioned NHTSA (the "Agency") on February 18, 2025, for a decision that the subject noncompliance is inconsequential as it relates to motor vehicle safety. This document announces receipt of Spartan's petition.

Full Text

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 165 (Thursday, August 27, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 165 (Thursday, August 27, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55431-55432]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-17469]



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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA-2025-0014; Notice 1]


Spartan Fire, LLC, Receipt of Petition for Decision of 
Inconsequential Noncompliance

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 
Department of Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Receipt of petition.

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SUMMARY: Spartan Fire, LLC (Spartan) has determined that certain model 
year (MY) 2015-2023 Spartan Fire Gladiator and Spartan Fire Metro Star 
emergency vehicles do not fully comply with Federal Motor Vehicle 
Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 108, Lamps, Reflective Devices, and 
Associated Equipment. Spartan filed a noncompliance report dated 
January 28, 2025, and subsequently petitioned NHTSA (the ``Agency'') on 
February 18, 2025, for a decision that the subject noncompliance is 
inconsequential as it relates to motor vehicle safety. This document 
announces receipt of Spartan's petition.

DATES: Send comments on or before September 28, 2026.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written data, 
views, and arguments on this petition. Comments must refer to the 
docket and notice number cited in the title of this notice and may be 
submitted by any of the following methods:
    <bullet> Mail: Send comments by mail addressed to the U.S. 
Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30, West Building 
Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 
20590.
    <bullet> Hand Delivery: Deliver comments by hand to the U.S. 
Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30, West Building 
Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 
20590. The Docket Section is open on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
except for Federal Holidays.
    <bullet> Electronically: Submit comments electronically by logging 
onto the Federal Docket Management System (FDMS) website at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov/">https://www.regulations.gov/</a>. Follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments.
    <bullet> Comments may also be faxed to (202) 493-2251.
    Comments must be written in the English language, and be no greater 
than 15 pages in length, although there is no limit to the length of 
necessary attachments to the comments. If comments are submitted in 
hard copy form, please ensure that two copies are provided. If you wish 
to receive confirmation that comments you have submitted by mail were 
received, please enclose a stamped, self-addressed postcard with the 
comments. Note that all comments received will be posted without change 
to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>, including any personal information 
provided.
    All comments and supporting materials received before the close of 
business on the closing date indicated above will be filed in the 
docket and will be considered. All comments and supporting materials 
received after the closing date will also be filed and will be 
considered to the fullest extent possible.
    When the petition is granted or denied, notice of the decision will 
also be published in the Federal Register pursuant to the authority 
indicated at the end of this notice.
    All comments, background documentation, and supporting materials 
submitted to the docket may be viewed by anyone at the address and 
times given above. The documents may also be viewed on the internet at 
<a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> by following the online instructions for 
accessing the dockets. The docket ID number for this petition is shown 
in the heading of this notice.
    DOT's complete Privacy Act Statement is available for review in a 
Federal Register notice published on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477-78).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kelley Adams-Campos, Safety Compliance 
Engineer, NHTSA, Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance, (202) 366-7479.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    I. Overview: Spartan determined that certain MY 2015-2023 Spartan 
Fire Gladiator and Spartan Fire Metro Star do not fully comply with 
paragraph S7.6.13 and Table XII of FMVSS No. 108, Lamps, Reflective 
Devices, And Associated Equipment (49 CFR 571.108) and filed a 
noncompliance report on January 28, 2025, pursuant to 49 CFR part 573, 
Defect and Noncompliance Responsibility and Reports. Spartan petitioned 
NHTSA on February 18, 2025, for an exemption from the notification and 
remedy requirements of 49 U.S.C. Chapter 301 on the basis that this 
noncompliance is inconsequential as it relates to motor vehicle safety, 
pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 30118(d) and 30120(h) and 49 CFR part 556, 
Exemption for Inconsequential Defect or Noncompliance.
    This notice of receipt of Spartan's petition is published under 49 
U.S.C. 30118 and 30120 and does not represent any agency decision or 
another exercise of judgment concerning the merits of the petition.
    II. Vehicles Involved: Approximately 35 MY 2015-2023 Spartan Fire 
Gladiator and Spartan Fire Metro Star emergency vehicles, manufactured 
between April 25, 2016, and February 29, 2024, were reported by the 
manufacturer.
    III. Rule Requirements: Paragraph S7.6.13 of FMVSS No. 108 includes 
the requirements relevant to this petition. Paragraph S7.6.13 requires 
each backup lamp to conform to the photometry requirements of Table 
XII. Table XII limits each backup lamp to 300 candela (cd), in a 
multiple lamp system, and to 600 cd in a single lamp system.
    IV. Noncompliance: Spartan states that the subject vehicles are 
equipped with ``scene lights'' installed as backup lamps which are not 
designed as backup lamps and may be too bright, exceeding the maximum 
photometric intensity allowed for backup lamps by Table XII of FMVSS 
108.
    V. Summary of Spartan's Petition: The following views and arguments 
presented in this section, ``V. Summary of Spartan's Petition,'' are 
the views and arguments provided by Spartan. They have not been 
evaluated by the Agency and do not reflect the views of the Agency. 
Spartan describes the subject noncompliance and contends that the 
noncompliance is inconsequential as it relates to motor vehicle safety.
    Spartan gives two reasons why this noncompliance is inconsequential 
to motor vehicle safety:
    1. Spartan states that emergency vehicles are frequently operated 
in environments with limited visibility due to inclement weather or 
smoke. Spartan states that compliant backup lamps do not provide enough 
light in such conditions for the vehicle operator to have enough 
visibility when backing up. In support of these claims, Spartan states 
that its customers and/or dealers specified the subject ``scene 
lights'' be installed ``for backup lamps.''
    2. Spartan states that emergency vehicles benefit from ``maximum 
conspicuity'' during emergency situations. Spartan asserts that the 
subject ``backup lamps,'' which exceed the maximum allowed photometric 
intensity, serve to provide additional conspicuity for bystanders and 
passing vehicles at the scene when the subject vehicles are backing up.
    NHTSA notes that the statutory provisions (49 U.S.C. 30118(d) and 
30120(h)) that permit manufacturers to

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file petitions for a determination of inconsequentiality allow NHTSA to 
exempt manufacturers only from the duties found in sections 30118 and 
30120, respectively, to notify owners, purchasers, and dealers of a 
defect or noncompliance and to remedy the defect or noncompliance. 
Therefore, any decision on this petition only applies to the subject 
vehicles that Spartan no longer controlled at the time it determined 
that the noncompliance existed. However, any decision on this petition 
does not relieve vehicle distributors and dealers of the prohibitions 
on the sale, offer for sale, or introduction or delivery for 
introduction into interstate commerce of the noncompliant vehicles 
under their control after Spartan notified them that the subject 
noncompliance existed.

(Authority: 49 U.S.C. 30118, 30120; delegations of authority at 49 
CFR 1.95 and 501.8)

Otto G. Matheke III,
Director, Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2026-17469 Filed 8-26-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P


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