Author: UK Emergency Vehicles

HX07 FFD This BMW 3-series is used by Hampshire Fire Service’s senior officers. It is decked out with a simple yellow and black stripe that runs around the waist of the car. Bold ‘fire’ wording is added alongside the county crest and website address. A full-width light bar is also fitted. Text

L516 XBB This is a County Durham & Darlington Fire and Rescue Service Special Incident Unit. It is used for major incidents as it is also a mobile control unit and it is based at HQ in Durham City.

M415 FRG This is a County Durham & Darlington Heavy Rescue Vehicle. It is based at Bishop Auckland and is used for the rescue of heavy vehicles.

L517 XBB A Durham & Darlington foam tender based at Bishop Auckland.

N432 RCN This photograph shows a Durham & Darlington FRS Volvo Bronto Skylift. This vehicle is used for high building rescues and for  watering down on factory fires from above. It is one of a pair and is based at Darlington

KT55 AWO is a black Seat Ibiza that is used by Humberside’s arson task force. It is not used for emergency response work, but this sponsored car carries an impressive eye-catching livery.

M304 LBB is an Iveco Ford Euro Fire 150E27 with GB Fire bodywork used by the Tyne and Wear Metropolitan Fire Brigade. The turntable ladder has a reach of 30m and incorporates a rescue cage.



The rear view of the appliance, call sign Foxtrot Zero Three. The hand controls to operate the ladder can be seen on the rear of the vehicle duplicated on both sides.

V897 ETY is a Volvo FL6.14 appliance with Emergency One body work  used by Tyne and Wear.

L202 LCN is a Volvo FL6.14 emergency tender, with the call sign Charlie Zero Four. The appliance features a large winch and a lack of fire markings on its front.



The rear view showing the high visibility striped doors which access the small office at the back of the vehicle.

NK53 TYV is Yankee Zero Two, a Dennis Sabre pump with Excalibur bodywork based at Swalwell Station in Tyne and Wear.

P138 CNL is Tyne and Wear’s Operational Support Unit, built upon a 6X2 Volvo FL6.18 chassis.



The rear view of the OSU Victor Zero Five. The appliance carries its own Moffett fork lift truck to enable the cargo to be unloaded. The fork lift truck has its own blue rotating beacon.

NK51 BWX is another Volvo pump with Emergency One body work used by Tyne and Wear.

WU54 EJY Another Dennis appliance used by Wiltshire Fire Brigade leaving the fire station on a job.

VO03 KNJ is another MAN appliance. This time we have a pump unit based at Painswick in Gloucestershire.



The rear view of the pumping appliance showing its eye-catching livery.

VO02 HCL is a Dennis pump based at Stroud. It has red and yellow battenburg markings down the sides.



The rear view of the above appliance. The poster on the rear shutter advertises the need to have a smoke alarm to protect your family.

W196 PKT is a MAN special rescue unit based at Gloucester and operated by Gloucester Fire and Rescue Service.

M429 XAS, a Volvo FL6 with Carmichael bodywork. On the right is R119 RST, another Volvo FL6 but with Emergency One bodywork. They are seen here emerging from the Highlands and Islands’ Stromness Fire Station.

NX53 LVZ is a Renault van used as a service support unit by Cleveland.

M405 VFM is a Mercedes recovery truck operated by Cleveland Fire brigade. It is equipped with amber flashing lights rather than blue to signify that it is used  as a support vehicle.

APT 968W is another preserved Dennis appliance, operating on blues and twos here.

J36439 is a preserved Dennis appliance, formerly used by the fire service on the channel island of Jersey. Notice the lack of striping down the sides.



Another view of the appliance off-road.

XAS 523 is a Bedford RLHZ Self-Propelled Pump, more commonly known as a Green Goddess.



The rear view of the 1950’s appliance which is now in preservation. For more photos of this type of fire engine in use, see the ‘fire strike’ section.

H881 MKV is a Land Rover Defender 130 double cab used by Strathclyde Fire and Rescue Service.

EBB 846W is a former incident command unit from the Tyne and Wear fire brigade. The vehicle took close to two years to design and build and was registered for road used in 1980.



The units call sign was Alpha 07, and it still displays this plate next to its left hand indicator. The appliance is now in preservation, some 25 years after it was first put into service.



The vehicle contains everything required for a major incident including briefing rooms and a kitchen. To accommodate all of these features, it was based on a Dennis bus chassis, with the body work built about that.

This Dennis appliance was photographed even before the body work was finished! This is how the vehicle would come from the manufacturer before it goes to the body builder for further fitting and finishing.

NX53 AYW is a Volvo appliance from York fire station. It is seen here under routine maintenance. To enable access to the engine and other mechanical components, the front part of the cab is designed to tip forwards.

Here is a 52-registration Mercedes fire engine which is a Decontamination Unit and a Breathing Aparatus Control Unit with South Yorkshire.

This black and red Range Rover is used for non-emergency work by South Yorkshire F&RS’s Community Safety Team.

This Honda Civic is shown a very minimal fire livery. The light bar can be unclipped from the roof of the car and the fire signs are magnetic and can also be removed when not in use.

This Mitsubishi L200 double cab pick up is used by Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service and carries the county council’s name on the side. The single blue light set on the top of the pick up hard back is complemented by two LED’s in the front grill.

SN05 MJF is a Volvo based appliance used by the Central Scotland Fire and Rescue Service. It features battenburg stripes down each side of the appliance as well as red and white striping on the front to increase its presence on the road.

This Volvo XC70 is also used as a fire car. This particular model features four wheel drive transmission and raised suspension to enable the vehicle to be used for limited off road use. Its base colour of brown is unusual for a fire vehicle.



The rear view showing the cars smart livery.

This Volvo S40 is a fire car in a generic livery. It has a low profile clear LED roof light bar as well as additional clear LED’s on the grill and bumper.



The rear view of the car.

K69 YBO is a Mercedes-based truck with Saxon bodywork. It is used by South Wales Fire Service as a control Unit.

This is an Iveco-based appliance used by Cheshire Fire Service. It is much smaller than a conventional fire appliance and could be used in congested city streets or in rural areas when it may have to travel some distance to incidents. It would be quicker than a conventional-sized appliance in these situations.

E576 GJX This Land Rover Defender has been specially extended to accommodate fire-fighting equipment on the rear. This tri-axle vehicle provides fire cover at events and is run by East Lindsey Fire Protection Services.



The rear shot shows the modifications. A water tank is in the centre, and is surrounded by hoses, extinguishers and other such paraphernalia.

OU05 OUD This is an Oxfordshire Fire Service Honda Civic. It is in sliver with a yellow stripe up the sides. It has no emergency warning equipment, but may be fitted with a removable blue light.

EN53 HJO This is a Ford Ranger fire car that may be in service with the Jersey Fire Brigade. It was spotted in Portsmouth, Hampshire. It has a band of stretched red and yellow battenburg marks up the sides, as well as a full-width light bar.

FJ03 LWTThis Dennis Sabre appliance is with Derbyshire F&RS. It carries red and yellow battenburg markings that extend over the lockers. This twin-cabbed vehicle is based at Ascot Drive.

D999 URC This is a Derbyshire Fire Control Unit. It is based on a Dodge G13C chassis with a Customline conversion. New in 1986, this vehicle is based at Ripley. The plate on the side reads “Derbyshire County Council Fire Service”.



The rear view of the same Dodge. The red and white checker markings indicate its control status at a large incident. Firefighters arriving at an incident would report to the rear door to be briefed.

FJ04 BZF is a Vauxhall Combo that is also with Derbyshire.