HF51 USB Here is coastguard rescue helicopter Victor Alpha alongside a coastguard Land Rover.
Here is the helicopter and Land Rover again among the scenic landscape where they spend most of their time.
W899 PCG This is a HM Coastguard Nissan Terrano II based at Lee-on-Solent. It is decked out in the usual blue and yellow paint scheme, with blue lights on the roof. Unusually the rear window has also been covered with yellow. The reason for this becomes clear when you see the side view.
The side view of the same Terrano. The two crests on the rearmost windows are HM Coastguard and Hampshire Ambulance Service. This car carries medical equipment in the rear as a Co-response Unit. If it closer to a medical emergency than an ambulance, it will respond.
X282 WCG A CG Ford Focus is parked up with blue lights showing at a night-time cliff-top exercise.
NL52 HNW This blue Land Rover Discovery is carrying a liveried roof-box with ‘Medical Team’ wording. On the sun visor is a fold down ‘Coastguard Rescue’ sign. The vehicle itself does not carry any livery on the bodywork. The rear of the roof-box shows that it is run by ‘Lifeline Medical Transport Service’.
V918 DAA is a CG Toyota Hi-Lux, assisting with the landing of a rescue helicopter callsign ‘Rescue 177’ from HMS Gannet, Prestwick.
G-GDIJ This is a coastguard rescue helicopter, which is similar in appearance to a Royal Navy resuce helicopter, however this one is launched by the coastguard to help rescue (by winching) or transport injured people on or near seas and rivers. Its callsign is ‘Rescue India Juliet’. This is denoted by ‘IJ’ being written on the nose of the aircraft, and is formed from the last two letters of its air registration.
This is a Bournemouth 03-registered Nissan Navara Coastguard vehicle. After extensive on and off-road trials, this Nissan was put into operation in 2004. It is pictured on the seafront at Margate, Kent.
A Toyota 4×4 Coastguard vehicle.
V502 DHO and HJ52 SYZ On the right is a Toyota Landcruiser and on the left is a Ford Focus coastguard vehicle.
HF03 GWZ is a 2003 Toyota which is being used by Her Majesty’s Coastguard. The vehicle is suited to the terrain coastguards need to cover, as demonstrated in this picture.
This Toyota Land Cruiser Colorado is used by Her Majesty’s Coastguard. The advantage of having four wheel drive is immense when on a wet beach or a rocky coastal area.
The sector manager uses this type of Ford Escort estate.
P466 WCG is a Vauxhall 4×4.
W506 DHO is a Toyota Land Cruiser four wheel drive.
The rear view.
A rather steep incline is no problem for the coastguard in their 4WD Toyota!
M925 KJT is a Land Rover Defender 90.
K589 VEL is a Vauxhall Astravan. Note the distinctive dark blue and yellow livery which is unique to this emergency service.
J163 PRU This is a Vauxhall Frontera conversion from the coastguard’s fleet, with an inset of their emblem from the driver’s door.
G925 MTV This image shows a vehicle belonging to Sunderland Volunteer Life Brigade. They are a coastguard declared facility providing coastal search and cliff rescue capabilities between Sunderland and South Shields and are not, as is commonly misunderstood, lifeguards.
A second view of the Land Rover.
This is a custom built Land Rover (constructed by Land Rover Special Vehicles in 1996) adapted for coast rescue operations. It is owned by South Shields Volunteer Life Brigade and is the only example of such a vehicle in the UK.
FJ05 EPP This Iveco Daily is operated by the Derbyshire Cave Rescue Organisation. The organisation provides underground rescue support to police forces in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Cheshire, Derbyshire, Greater Manchester, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, South Yorkshire, Staffordshire and Warwickshire.
The rear view of the vehicle showing the equipment storage area. The vehicle is based at DCRO’s main base to the rear of Buxton Fire Station.
PF05 ZNZ This Land Rover Defender is a 2006 addition to the Cave Rescue Organisation’s fleet. It replaces the identically-liveried L registration model.
W807 FEC This Land Rover Defender 110 TD5 is run by the Cave Rescue Organisation, based in North Yorkshire. In this photograph it is splashing through a rural stream with ease.
The same vehicle with headlights and blue lights flashing as it makes its way through a narrow tunnel.
S263 LUB, W807 FEC and L402 LNW Left to right are CRO3, CRO2 and CRO1. These three Land Rovers show the line-up of blue-light response vehicles at the CRO’s Clapham base in January 2006. The organisation assists with cave rescues, mountain rescues, search and rescues and other similar tasks. They are called out by the police or ambulance service.
A closer look at the front of the Land Rover CRO2. Large bold wording is used on the front grille, roofrack and sides to show the use of the vehicle. A full blue light bar and alternately flashing headlights indicate when the vehicle is being used to respond to an emergency. These are complemented by a blue rotating beacon on the rear.
The rear view. The red ramps on the roofrack are for placing under the wheels on difficult terrain. However, the Land Rover can already cope very well with almost any obstacle to get equipment and people to a remote location.
This is a Mitchell 28 Sea Warrior called Ebor Light II and is based at Naburn marina, near York, North Yorkshire. British Waterways have fitted a blue light bar to the roof of the cabin to warn other mariners when they are assisting in an emergency call.
The stern view. British Waterways used patrol boats to uphold laws and by-laws on inland waterways. In 2012 they became the Canal and Rivers Trust.
AB 36 AB This DAF truck is used by the Royal Air Force as a Bomb Disposal vehicle. In the same way as Royal Logistics’ vehicles, the bomb disposal signs can be hidden to disguise the identity and use of the vehicle. It is fitted with blue flashing lights on the front, sides and front and rear of the roof.
The rear view of the RAF bomb disposal vehicle. These vehicles often have to travel long distances on blue lights and they are dispersed thinly across the country and used relatively infrequently.
HY08 BYB This photograph shows the rear of a Royal Navy Bomb Disposal Mercedes Sprinter van. It carries police-style battenburg markings and two full-width light bars on the roof. Fold-out plates can be seen which display warning markers when the vehicle is carrying dangerous items.
LV02 HTF is a Mercedes Benz Sprinter conversion that is used by the Met Police in London. It is part of SO15, the Counter Terrorism Command, and is used for ordnance disposal work. The Met police are the only force in the UK to have their own bomb disposal teams.
Y447 HGU The rear view of an identical but older Sprinter. You can see the roof-mounted antennae and rear-facing blue light bar. The right-hand door actually folds down and is a ramp (see inset). This allows the remote-controlled robot to be readily deployed.
40 RN 50 is a Pinzgauer 6-wheeled truck that the Royal Navy use for bomb disposal work. It is decked out with blue flashing lights and has a side-stripe of blue and yellow checkers.
The rear view of the same vehicle. Notice the lockers on the sides and the very small rear access door. Fold-down orange signs indicate when the vehicle is carrying anything dangerous.
OU02 FYK and OU02 KWA are a pair of bomb disposal Honda ST1100 Pan Europeans. They carry a simple colour scheme and do not have any writing or crests on them. This is to help stop the public panicking and to help avoid them becoming a target themselves. Notice that one bike has LED lights on the front whereas the other has halogens.
The rear view of the pair of Honda motorbikes showing the high visibility stripes and red flashing lights.