Author: UK Emergency Vehicles

Fire

Tyne and Wear FRS Volvo FLL / Bence

Tyne and Wear FRS
Volvo FLL / Bence
Incident Command Unit. The only such vehicle in service in Tyne and Wear. The office in the rear includes a communications suite with a variety of communication methods, from satellite comms to fireground radio. The vehicle is based at West Denton Community Fire Station and was new in 2017.

Ambulance > Classic

G577 MWD West Midlands Ambulance Service Norton Co..

G577 MWD
West Midlands Ambulance Service
Norton Commander
Paramedic motorbike now in preservation. This 1989 vehicle was when paramedics were new and there weren’t many in each ambulance service. Their specialist skills would see them travel in cars or on motorbikes across the county to the most serious ambulance calls.

Others > Lifeguard

Seabob Rescue

Seabob Rescue
This small rescue craft enables a lifeguard to move through water at 20 km/h to rescue casualties. The TFT display on the dashboard tells the rider all of the important figures like speed, depth and battery power. It is fitted with two water jets for propulsions that are battery powered (the battery lasts approximately 60 minutes). It can be used on water and under water with a maximum operating depth of an incredible 40 metres. It can tow up to 10 people in the water for mass rescues.

Ambulance > In Action / Fire > In Action

River Rescue Exercise (2017)

River Rescue Exercise (2017)

A large tree has fallen onto a river cruise boat in this exercise. There are multiple casualties and the only way to access the scene is by river.

First on the scene, around 20 minutes after the 999 call, was a fire service rib. One firefighter boards the cruise boat to triage casualties while his two colleagues search the river for casualties that have fallen overboard.

More emergency services respond to the major incident. Ambulance HART (Hazardous Area Response Team) personnel are joined by more fire and rescue teams as well as dedicated water rescue teams.

Seriously injured members of the public are tended to while uninjured and walking wounded are evacuated using the fleet of small ribs.

A makeshift reception centre is set up a few hundred metres downstream from the incident scene. Casualties are transferred from the boats onto land. It is the nearest road, so all road going emergency vehicles are parked up there.

Fire service vehicles in attendance include rescue pumps, Land Rovers and an incident command unit.

The major exercise attracted media attention, including a film crew who were embedded with the ambulance HART team for a year. Footage was used on the 2018 series ‘999 Rescue Squad’ shown on the W Channel.

Police > Parks Police

EX61 MXK Havering Parks Constabulary Ford Ranger

EX61 MXK
Havering Parks Constabulary
Ford Ranger
This is the only four-wheeled vehicle operated by the small constabulary based in the North East London borough. The unit has been in operation in its current form since 2016 when its powers were extended. They also operate two off road motorbikes.

This image depicts the livery on the same Ford Ranger prior to the 2016 changes. The Parks Protection Team vehicle did not mention ‘police’ or ‘constabulary’ on the vehicle. The light bar displays the wording ‘parks’ and the council crest was used on the bonnet.