What Command Light does

Command Light is a privately held US manufacturer specializing in elevated all-electric light towers, traffic advisors, and portable scene lighting for emergency vehicles. Founded in the 1970s and headquartered in a 160,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Fort Collins, Colorado, the company invented the hydraulically operated fire truck light tower before transitioning to its patented all-electric design (US Patent #5303621) in 1992. Its product portfolio spans four tower series (CL up to 11-foot reach, KL mid-size 7.5-foot reach, SL compact 4.5-foot reach, and C-Lite compact lighting) plus the Trident Tripod, EOS-RDL rapid deploy light, telescoping pole lights, and Traffic Flow Boards with Z-Lift elevation. The company sells exclusively through regional dealer networks and direct sales (including HGAC BUY government procurement and grant assistance), with products specified into apparatus built by major North American fire truck OEMs including Pierce, E-One, Ferrara, SVI, Sutphen, and Rosenbauer.

The core technology combines all-electric drive systems with 360-degree continuous rotation and optional 180-degree backlighting for dual-scene illumination, deployed in under 15 seconds via push-button controllers. Command Light's IP extends to a second patent (US Patent #8638209) for vertical pop-up traffic advisor design, and the company has developed exclusive LED fixtures with FireTech (Helios, 14,000 lumens, 2020) and Fire Research Corp. (Radiant Command, 17,000 lumens, 2023). Products are NFPA 1901 compliant, tested to 90 mph winds, and backed by an industry-leading five-year warranty. Revenue derives from hardware sales of towers, traffic advisors, portable lights, LED retrofit upgrades, refurbished units, and replacement parts, with pricing primarily quote-based through dealers. The company has expanded its addressable verticals beyond fire and rescue into law enforcement and tow/recovery, and supports international sales through a dedicated sales manager.

Customer segments are predominantly government fire departments across the US and Canada, supplemented by law enforcement agencies, tow and recovery operators, and OEM partners. The company supports four major cordless battery platforms (DeWalt FlexVolt, Makita XGT, Milwaukee RedLithium, HURST EWXT/E3) for portable products, and integrates with V-Mux and Class 1 vehicle multiplex control systems. Despite no disclosed revenue or external funding, the consistent cadence of new product launches (five between 2020 and 2025) and the recent expansion into portable battery-powered form factors suggest active commercial development within a focused niche.

Name

Command Light

Legal name

Command Light

Website

https://commandlight.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Command Light is a privately held Fort Collins, Colorado manufacturer of patented all-electric light towers, traffic advisors, and portable scene lighting for fire trucks, law enforcement, and tow and recovery vehicles, sold through dealer networks and major fire apparatus OEMs across North America and internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Emergency Vehicle Lighting Equipment

NAICS

Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional Electric Lighting Fixture Manufacturing (335132)

SIC

Electric Lighting & Wiring Equipment (3640)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Signaling & Stack Lights (Tower/andon lights, beacons, strobes, signal columns) (IMAGAIAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Specialty & Task/Workstation Lighting (Inspection/task lights, cleanroom/food-grade, portable work lights) (IMAGAIAK)

Keywords

• Emergency vehicle lighting
• Fire truck light towers
• Traffic flow boards
• Portable scene lighting
• Apparatus lighting equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Collins

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Light Tower Sales: Sale of all-electric light towers in CL, KL, SL, and C-Lite series with various configurations of heads, power sources (AC/DC), and LED/quartz halogen fixtures. Towers range from compact 4.5' reach to 11' reach models.
2. Traffic Flow Board Sales: Sale of Traffic Flow Boards and Traffic Advisors including V-series (vertical pop-up), H-series (fold-down), message boards, and Z-Lift systems for elevating light bars.
3. Tripod Light Sales: Sale of Trident Tripod folding lights and EOS-RDL compact battery-powered work lights with various LED fixture and battery platform options.
4. LED Retrofit/Upgrade Services: LED conversion kits and retrofit services to upgrade existing quartz halogen towers to LED technology, including Helios and FRC Radiant Command fixtures.
5. Used/Refurbished Tower Sales: Sale of refurbished used light towers with minimum 1-year warranty or remainder of original 5-year warranty.
6. Pole Light Sales: Sale of telescoping pole lights in 43" and 63" heights with various LED head options for apparatus mounting.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Command Light designs, manufactures, and sells all-electric light towers, traffic advisors, and portable work lights for emergency vehicles. Core products include the CL, KL, SL, and C-Lite light tower series mounted on fire apparatus, plus Trident Tripod and EOS-RDL portable lighting, all produced in-house at the company's Fort Collins, Colorado facility.

Product overview

Command Light manufactures a comprehensive portfolio of elevated emergency scene lighting products for fire trucks, law enforcement, and tow/recovery vehicles. The core product line consists of four light tower series (CL, KL, SL, and C-Lite) differentiated by reach height (11 feet down to 2 feet) and mounting requirements, plus the Trident Tripod mobile work light and EOS-RDL battery-powered rapid deploy light. Supporting products include Traffic Flow Board series for traffic direction, the Z-Lift elevating system, and optional accessories including wireless remotes, 360-degree cameras, and exclusive LED fixtures (Helios FireTech and FRC Radiant Command). The product ecosystem is tied together by a tower configurator tool and virtual demo experience, allowing customers to spec and experience products before purchase. All products are manufactured in Fort Collins, Colorado with an industry-leading 5-year warranty.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CL Series Light Tower Command Light's largest light tower with up to 11-foot reach from base, designed for large fire apparatus. Features 360-degree continuous rotation, aircraft-grade aluminum alloy construction, and available with 4, 6, or 8 LED heads producing up to 327,072 lumens total output. For fire departments and large apparatus.
• KL Series Light Tower (Knight Series) Mid-size light tower delivering 7.5-foot reach, ideal for fire apparatus with limited space. Features 360-degree rotation, 165-lb weight, and available in standard and Slim configurations with optional backlight for dual scene coverage. For fire departments operating mid-sized apparatus.
• SL Series Light Tower (Shadow Series) Compact light tower with 4.5-foot reach (up to 6.5 feet with optional long arm), weighing approximately 65 lbs. Designed for SUVs, vans, and pickup trucks with 355-degree rotation and multiple configurations including Straight Shadow and Slim variants. For fire and law enforcement agencies with smaller vehicles.
• C-Lite Compact Light
• Trident Tripod 40-inch and 50-inch folding tripod work light designed for the fire industry. Features patented movement with endless positions, deploys in under 15 seconds, and offers multiple power options including AC, DC, and non-proprietary battery platforms (DeWalt, Makita, Milwaukee, HURST). For fire departments needing portable scene lighting.
• EOS-RDL Rapid Deploy Light Compact battery-powered rapid deploy work light with magnetic attachment option and tripod magnetic mount compatibility. Compatible with multiple battery platforms (DeWalt Flexvolt, Makita XGT, Milwaukee Redlithium, HURST EWXT) and LED fixtures. Weighs 9-13 lbs. For first responders needing portable scene lighting.
• Telescoping Pole Lights 43-inch or 63-inch telescoping push pole lights for trucks providing 61-inch or 100-inch light extension respectively. Features anodized black pole design with optional bottom cradle and elevated warning sensor. Compatible with Akron, FireTech, FRC, and Whelen LED heads for up to 40,884 lumens. For fire apparatus and emergency vehicles.
• Z-Lift LED Traffic Advisor Light Bar Lift LED traffic advisor light bar lift system that elevates emergency lights 40 inches above roofline in 10 seconds. Features 90-degree left/right rotation, auto-deploy and auto-park functionality via umbilical remote. Also compatible with antennas and WiFi routers/range extenders. Operates on 12V DC at 17 amps. For emergency apparatus requiring elevated light bars.
• Helios FireTech LED Fixture Command Light exclusive LED fixture developed with FireTech and HiViz LED Lighting. Delivers 14,000 lumens at 60W with aircraft-grade aluminum housing. Designed for easy quartz-to-LED retrofit on existing CL, KL, SL, Straight Shadow, and C-Lite towers. For fire departments seeking LED upgrades.
• FRC Radiant Command LED Fixture Command Light exclusive LED fixture manufactured by Fire Research Corp. Features symmetrical optics ideal for tower and backlighting applications, delivering 17,000 lumens at 120W with spot/flood combination. Provides 2,000 more lumens than similar economical LEDs and reduces tower cost by 30%. For fire and emergency service agencies.
• LED Retrofit Upgrade Program LED conversion program converting existing quartz halogen light towers to latest LED technology from FRC, Whelen, and FireTech Helios. Available for CL, KL, and SL Series towers with 2, 4, or 6 heads. For existing Command Light customers seeking LED technology upgrades.
• Used/Refurbished Light Towers Sale of refurbished used light towers with minimum 1-year warranty or remainder of original 5-year warranty. For budget-conscious fire departments and emergency services.

Quantifiable outcome

• Light towers deploy in under 15 seconds
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Super Vac (SuperVac)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership for battery-powered rescue tools designed to work with Command Light's Trident Tripod and EOS-RDL products. Combined product lineup enables fire departments to use unified battery-tool platforms across rescue equipment and scene lighting.
• FireTech / HiViz LED LightingflagshipOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerCo-developed Helios LED fixture exclusive to Command Light. FireTech team and HiViz LED Lighting developed the fixture specifically for Command Light towers, offering 14,000 lumens at 33% lower cost than new tower purchase.
• Fire Research Corp (FRC)flagshipOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerFRC manufactures Radiant Command LED exclusively for Command Light. Features 17,000 lumens per head - 2,000 more than similar economical LEDs. Reduces tower cost by 30%. Available across CL, KL, SL, C-Lite series and Trident Tripod.
• DeWalt (FlexVolt)coreTechnology or IntegrationDeWalt FlexVolt battery platform compatible with Trident Tripod and EOS-RDL portable lights. Non-proprietary battery system allows fire departments to use existing DeWalt tools batteries.
• Makita (XGT)coreTechnology or IntegrationMakita XGT battery platform compatible with Trident Tripod and EOS-RDL portable lights. Non-proprietary system integration.
• Milwaukee (RedLithium)coreTechnology or IntegrationMilwaukee RedLithium battery platform compatible with Trident Tripod and EOS-RDL portable lights. Non-proprietary system integration.
• HURST (EWXT/E3)coreTechnology or IntegrationHURST EWXT/E3 battery platform compatible with Trident Tripod. Available through HURST dealer network. Only compatible with Akron Revel fixtures or light/message boards.
• Fire Apparatus Manufacturers (Pierce, E-One, Ferrara, SVI, Sutphen, Rosenbauer, etc.)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommand Light towers featured on apparatus from major fire truck manufacturers including Pierce Manufacturing, E-One, Ferrara Fire Apparatus, SVI Trucks, Sutphen, and Rosenbauer. Gallery pages showcase installations on partner vehicles.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Super Vac: Closest direct peer — Super Vac manufactures portable scene lighting, ventilation, and battery-powered rescue tools for fire service, including tripod-style work lights that compete head-to-head with Command Light's Trident Tripod and EOS-RDL. Super Vac is also a strategic partner to Command Light, deepening the comparison on product, customer, and channel.
• Fire Research Corp (FRC): Manufactures scene lighting and pump-panel electronics for fire apparatus, including the Radiant Command LED fixture made exclusively for Command Light. Competes with Command Light's tower and LED offerings while also being a key OEM partner, making it a hybrid competitor-supplier with overlapping customer relationships in fire departments.
• Akron Brass: Major manufacturer of scene lighting, monitors, and valves for fire apparatus. Akron's Revel SL/XL LED fixtures are an option on Command Light towers, but Akron also sells competing tower-mounted and apparatus lighting solutions to the same fire-service customers as Command Light.
• FireTech LED (HiViz LED Lighting): Co-developer of Command Light's Helios FireTech LED fixture and a direct seller of scene and apparatus lighting to fire departments. Operates in the same niche (high-output LED fixtures for emergency vehicles) and competes for the same retrofit and new-build specifications.

Broad incumbents

• Whelen Engineering: Dominant incumbent in emergency-vehicle warning and scene lighting, offering Pioneer Plus LED fixtures that integrate with Command Light towers. Whelen competes broadly across warning lights, light bars, and scene lighting for fire, police, and EMS vehicles, but is not a specialist in elevated tower lighting.
• Federal Signal: Large public safety and industrial signaling company offering warning lights, sirens, and scene lighting for fire, police, and industrial markets. Broader portfolio than Command Light but overlapping on industrial signaling/beacon product categories and emergency-vehicle customers.
• Code 3 / PSV: Public-safety-vehicle lighting and warning products company with overlapping fire and police customers. Sells light bars, scene lighting, and sirens but does not specialize in elevated tower lighting; relevant comparison on channel and customer overlap.

Emerging players

• Tomar Electronics: Specialty manufacturer of high-intensity LED warning and scene lighting for emergency vehicles. Tomar TRX6 LED fixtures are offered on Command Light's EOS-RDL, indicating both partnership and competitive overlap on compact battery-powered scene lighting.
• Pelican Products / Pelican RALS: Manufacturer of portable, rugged scene-lighting systems (Remote Area Lighting Systems) used by fire, military, and industrial customers. Competes on portable/rapid-deploy lighting rather than truck-mounted towers, but overlaps on portable battery-powered work-light categories like Trident Tripod.

Regional players

• Ritelite (Kempsafe): UK-based portable industrial and emergency lighting specialist with comparable tripod and tower-mounted scene lighting products. Overlaps on product form factor (portable elevating tripods) and industrial customer base, but primarily serves European rather than North American markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCFCheF0DyfXWdkKsUVc8B2g
• Facebookfacebook.com/commandlight
• Instagraminstagram.com/commandlight

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Command Light