Built & serviced in Lemoyne, PA — by firefighters, since 2009
Roto-Ray history
The Roto-Ray spinning warning light traces from a 1927 patent and 1930 production start at Buckeye Iron and Brass Works in Dayton, Ohio, through Richard Slepetz's 1970s revival in Herndon, Virginia, to the lights EFES builds today in Lemoyne, PA. This page traces that history for firefighters, collectors, and restorers.
That's a Roto-Ray.
01Origins — Dayton, Ohio
The Roto-Ray predates the light bar, the strobe, and the LED by generations. Edward C. Rumsey's signal design mounted independent lights on a motor-driven spider so their beams swept across the road. U.S. Patent 1,772,499, assigned to Buckeye Iron and Brass Works, was filed in 1927 and granted in 1930.
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Buckeye Iron and Brass Works of Dayton, Ohio, was the assignee of Edward C. Rumsey's signal patent. The patent describes independently wired lights mounted on a motor-driven spider, designed for fire engines, ambulances, and other emergency vehicles. Buckeye began producing the Roto-Ray in 1930. Read the original patent and drawings.
02
According to a 2012 interview with Richard Slepetz, Buckeye built the light until 1962 or 1963, then sold the rights to Machine Products Corporation. The rights later passed to William G. Grether, who did not return the light to production. Read the Richard Slepetz interview.
0102The revival — Herndon, Virginia
The name most tied to the light's comeback is Richard Slepetz. A retired Fairfax County Fire and Rescue firefighter, Richard pursued the Roto-Ray rights because he understood from the apparatus cab why the spinning light worked. His account of the acquisition, prototype, and Fairfax County installation is preserved in a 2012 interview.
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Richard contacted William Grether in 1971 about buying the rights. After Grether died, Richard acquired the patent rights and spare parts at the estate auction for $500. He established Roto Rays, Inc. in Herndon, Virginia, and began the light's second life. Source: Richard Slepetz interview.
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Slepetz updated the Roto-Ray's internal workings and developed a cab-face front mount, where Buckeye had used pipe mounts. Fairfax County approved the installation, specified Roto-Rays on future deliveries, and neighboring departments began ordering them too, according to his 2012 interview.
0203The design
Plenty of warning lights came and went. The Roto-Ray stuck around because it does one thing no other light can copy: it spins. Three spinning lights read as a single, urgent point of motion from far down the road.
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The electrical story tracks the trucks themselves.
The original Buckeye lights were 6-volt, matching the systems of early apparatus. As fire trucks moved to 12-volt charging systems, the Roto-Ray moved with them, and heavier rigs running 24-volt systems got lights to match.
That adaptability is part of why a design from the 1920s kept showing up on rigs decade after decade. Its steel housing, geared drive, bearings, and light spider were made to be repaired and rebuilt.
02
One question comes up again and again: what is the color of the light on old fire trucks? For fire apparatus, the answer was almost always red.
A Roto-Ray with all-red sealed beams was the standard look, though red-and-clear combinations were common too, throwing a mix of colored and white light as the spider turned.
People still call these old-fashioned red lights or spinning beacons, and the warm glow of an incandescent sealed beam is a big part of why restorers want the real thing rather than a reproduction.
0304Collecting
The Roto-Ray built a collector following that outlasted every trend. Restorers, apparatus museums, and firefighters still bring Buckeye and Slepetz-era lights back to working condition.
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Markings, voltage, mounting style, motor, and light configuration help distinguish an original Buckeye light from a later Machine Products or Slepetz-era Roto-Ray. Photograph those details before ordering parts or beginning a restoration.
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Collectors documenting a vintage Roto-Ray should record its markings, rated voltage, mounting hardware, and overall condition. These details help establish an accurate history of the unit and are useful for research and recordkeeping.
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Restoring a vintage Roto-Ray typically involves sourcing period-correct parts, testing wiring and motor function safely, and preserving original markings where possible. Work with an experienced restorer familiar with vintage emergency lighting hardware.
04Roto-Ray restoration
05Lemoyne, PA — today
On October 7, 2025, Eastern Fire Equipment Services announced an exclusive licensing and transition agreement with the Slepetz family to manufacture, distribute, and service the Roto-Rays spinning emergency warning light. Production and service operations moved to EFES's Lemoyne facility. Read the EFES announcement.
The current lineup centers on the Model 4000 and Model 4000W, updated with PAR-46 LED lights while keeping the same spinning profile that made the light famous. For current configurations and specs, see the Roto-Ray model lineup and ordering guide.
2025
EFES takes exclusive rights to manufacture the Roto-Ray
Current Roto-Ray lineup
About Roto-Ray history
The Roto-Ray originated with Buckeye Iron and Brass Works of Dayton, Ohio, which was issued the patent in 1929 and began production in 1930. Decades later, retired Fairfax County firefighter Richard Slepetz revived the brand as Roto Rays, Inc. in Herndon, VA, and it's that early-1970s revival that most firefighters think of as the start of the current-era Roto-Ray.
The design dates to a 1929 patent, so the Roto-Ray concept is nearly a century old. The Herndon-based revival under Richard Slepetz began in the early 1970s, and the light has been in near-continuous use on fire apparatus since then. EFES builds it today in Lemoyne, PA.
A Buckeye Roto-Ray is an original unit built by Buckeye Iron and Brass Works in Dayton, Ohio, between 1930 and the early 1960s. These early 6-volt heads carry the "Buckeye Iron & Brass Works" markings and are the most collectible version of the light. A Buckeye Roto-Ray for sale draws serious interest from restorers and museums.
Richard Slepetz was a retired Fairfax County Fire and Rescue firefighter who bought the Roto-Ray patent rights at an estate auction for $500 and rebuilt the brand as Roto Rays, Inc. at 722 Park Ave., Herndon, VA. His first prototype, a 6-inch sealed-beam light around 1978, led Fairfax County to spec Roto-Rays on new apparatus and brought the light back into production.
Roto Rays, Inc. operated out of 722 Park Ave., Herndon, VA 20170, under Richard Slepetz. That Herndon location is where the current era of the light was built for decades before EFES took over production and moved manufacturing to Lemoyne, PA.
Old Roto-Rays were almost always red for fire apparatus, either all-red or a red-and-clear combination that mixed colored and white light as the lights spun. Red was the standard color of the light on old fire trucks, and it's still the classic look departments choose.
Eastern Fire Equipment Services makes Roto-Rays. Since October 7, 2025, EFES has held the exclusive rights to manufacture, distribute, and service the light, and every light is built in Lemoyne, PA. The history that started with Buckeye and continued with Richard Slepetz in Herndon now runs through our shop.
Roto-Ray inquiries
Today's Roto-Ray models are built in Lemoyne, Pennsylvania.
To order or ask about current specifications, availability, and lead times, reach out through our contact page.