KU07 YDY is a Mercedes Benz Sprinter that is used by ESS Safeforce as a Confined Space Safety and Rescue vehicle. It is decked out in fire brigade-style yellow and red battenburg markings and has amber lights all round.
The rear view of the same vehicle.
WP06 AVK is a Civil Protection Unit operated by Swindon Borough Council. This can be used at major incidents to help coordinate the council’s contribution. It has amber flashing lights and is a converted Ford Transit.
This Land Rover Discovery 3 has the same colour scheme as a police vehicle but is used as an ‘incident unit’ by the amber-light service D&G Cars Ltd. The blue portion of the livery has to be non-reflective to keep within the law.
R999 WAG is a multi-purpose Land Rover Freelander. It is used to transport medics to remote locations or in snowy weather and also used for traffic monitoring work. It is fitted with a range of amber flashing lights.
Q107 JCP This is the Backdraft Wheelie Truck, a custom-built vehicle that looks like a fire engine. It has blue flashing lights all round and water pumps fitted. Here you can see it starting to lift its front wheels as flames ironically shoot from the twin vertical exhausts.
The rear view of Backdraft showing its party piece of driving on its rear wheels. It can turn corners by having individual brakes on each wheel. The water tank has been emptied and steel to the same weight has been added for stability.
YKL 374J is a kit car based on an Austin Mini. Although full liveried, it features no blue lights. It is used for publicity purposes.
The rear view showing that this vehicle is intended for beach patrols. It is odd to see such a modern liver on such an old car.
OE02 UJJ is a Subaru Impreza Turbo featuring police signs, police crests and even roof markings. It is however used not as an operational vehicle but by the Dorset Police rally team.
The rear view, showing the internal roll cage and driver and co-driver’s names.
This Mitsibishi 4×4 with private registration plate is owned by ‘First Safety’ and is used by them as a tactical support unit. It is fitted with amber flashing lights and red and blue squares up the sides.
The rear view of the Mitsibushi.
This Volkswagen Beetle look-a-like car is designed for children. It is seen here in a police livery with a comical number plate. It is designed to attract people to the sales stand for Crown Conversions (Airdrie).
A lot of effort has gone into building this electric car. It is compete with high visibility markings and even has its own retractable roof.
R108 YAS This Ford Collin County (United States) police car was also spotted in the UK.
JVO 902V A Naval Patrol Land Rover.
H45 AAB An ex-RAF Land Rover. It is in excellent condition and still has a blue revolving light on the roof as well as repeaters on the bull-bars. Above the windscreen is a space where an illuminated ‘ambulance’ sign used to be.
The rear view. This type of Land Rover was used as crash ambulances. They were used when an aircraft came down away from its base.
E788 LAJ is a 1987 fire-engine-style recovery appliance owned and run by Commercial Services (Tadcaster) CST Ltd. It is an Air Cushion Recovery Unit and shares it’s blue colour scheme with a number of similar vehicles in the fleet. However this is the only one to have blue lights fitted. It is an ex-North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue vehicle. After being involved in a crash when on a blue light run, the vehicle was written off and bought by CST. They refurbished it and kept the blue light bar in place. It may be that the vehicle was a declared resource of NYFRS to assist with lifting HGVs as RTCs and that CST have a good relationship with watches at Tadcaster fire station which is almost next door.
E789 LAJ is the sister vehicle of the above appliance. It is an Dennis DS153 / HCB-Angus emergency tender with NYFRS
R446 TBC This is a Vauxhall Astra which is used as a warden’s patrol vehicle. Wardens work very closely with the police to provide extra manpower in specific housing estates.
The rear view. This Astra is decked out in a police-style livery and has a camera and monitor mounted inside to collect evidence of criminal or unruly behavior.
Y336 FAR An Orange County Sheriff’s Ford Crown Victoria police car. The vehicle is used for crime prevention in the UK and was a gift from the US force.
The rear view. Notice the middle livery on the boot lid is Northumbria Police (the owners) and the additional flashing lights on the parcel shelf.
This is probably the smallest police car in Durham Constabulary’s Fleet!
This is a Boston Fire Chief fire car. It has red flashing lights and was kept at Allendale, Northumberland by a collector of American vehicles. [non-operational]
Now here’s a rare sight for UKev… The Royal ‘B’Air Force Sea King helicopter has landed in the Lake District to pick up a wounded bear!
An emergency planning unit run by the local authorities to control all the services in the event of a major disaster.
This is an emergency planning unit trailer. This one carries an inflatable tent for shelter wherever it is needed. It is towed by the vehicle below.
We have here a white Ford Maverick. It is equipped with a Dorman magnetic beacon for when it is used for emergency responses. It has Wig wag flashers front and rear and comes with siren and public address system (used for off-road and public information). In addition it is equipped with VHF, UHF and PMR radio. A 30-foot telescopic mast is mountable to the rear of the vehicle for use as a forward command post and it also comes complete with a electric generator. It also carries a mountable winch, comprehensive first aid kit and foam fire extinguisher and various hi-viz jackets.
Here is a Red Vauxhall Astra, used for emergency responses. It is equipped with a premier hazard orange lightbar, front grill strobes and rear ‘wig wag’ flashers. Communication is via a Motorsport Safety & Medical Frequency radio, CB and mobile phone. It also has a siren and public address system (this is used off-road for responses and to pass on information to spectators). In addition to this it also carries fire extinguishers, a comprehensive first aid kit, traffic cones, tool kits, scene tape (like police line tape but red/white or red/yellow) and Hi-Vis clothing.
YP03 BZW This white Ford Transit is used for non-emergency work by the mines rescue service. It has a yellow stripe up the side and no warning beacons.
The rear and nearside view, showing advertising for the services offered.
R490 OCH This yellow Ford Transit is the primary turnout vehicle for the Mine Rescue Service in Selby. It is fitted with a roof mounted blue light bar and yellow stripes up the sides and across the front.
This is the view inside the back of the Transit. Ropes, breathing apparatus and first aid equipment are carried amongst other tools.
T926 JHE This Ford Galaxy is used for emergency personnel transportation. It is used when an incident demands additional trained personnel, but not additional rescue equipment. It is not unusual for this vehicle to travel hundreds of miles to assist other mine rescuers. The comfort level and speed far exceeds that of the Ford Transit.
The rear view of the Ford Galaxy. This £24,000 MPV is the V6 ghia model with the 2.8 litre petrol engine producing 174 break horsepower. The light bar is mounted on the roof rails to aid removal when selling the vehicle later. A 51-plate darker blue 2.3 litre Galaxy has also been purchased. It is undecided if this vehicle will be liveried-up or not (not pictured).
M326 XWF Another Ford Transit based at the Selby station. This is the Hi-Cube version (high roof line) because it is a personnel carrier. It has two sets of blue lights on the roof. It is quite unusual for an emergency vehicle of this height not to have additional blue repeater lights mounted next to the headlamps. The blue roof lights may not be seen when motorists look in their mirrors.
HD04 XZT On some busy beaches the RNLI operate lifeguards in the summer months. This white pick-up is used at Falmouth for beach patrols. It is fitted with amber flashing lights and a loudspeaker system to make announcements to the public. A rescue surf board can also be seen on the roof.
FH03 ERY is a Lifeguard Toyota Hi-Lux D4D, used at Filey near Scarborough. It is fitted with orange flashing beacons and a Tannoy. The Hi-Lux’s of-road capabilities mean that this vehicle is highly suited to driving on wet or dry sand, and well as on slippery inclines. [inset: rear view]
HJ58 PKM is a Land Rover Defender 110 used by the flood rescue unit. It is seen here with the rigid inflatable boat that it carries to flood incidents. Blue lights are fitted in the grill as well as clear LED’s on the roof rack.
Here a RNLI E-class inshore lifeboat liaises with a Metropolitan Police launch on the Thames.
This unusual vehicle is a lifeboat launching tractor used by SARA. Notice the blue light bar fitted to the rear. Such a vehicle can only be used on private land with the blue light bar fitted. To be used on the roads, it requires an official dispensation to do so by the Secretary of State. Only the RNLI have a blanket exemption for lifeboat launching vehicles with blue flashing lights.