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.
WX08 LLM is another Land Rover Defender that is used by SARA for lifeboat transportation. Notice the engine snorkel to enable the Land Rover to drive into deep water in when launching the boat.
The rear view of the Land Rover.
Here is a dark blue Land Rover Defender that is used by SARA (Severn Area Rescue Association) for lifeboat haulage. The Association provides a search and rescue service. Inset: the front view.
This is RNLB Margaret Foster, a Severn Class lifeboat operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. It is based at Kirkwall, Orkney, and is the largest type of vessel that the Institution operate.
KT04 JVC This is Duddon Inshore Rescue’s Vauxhall Vectra 2.0 DTI. This car replaces the red Citroen Xantia that can be seen elsewhere in this section.
The rear view of the same Vectra. Notice the red flashing light that can be seen inside the rear screen.
R334 WECand P801 TCK On the left is a Citroen Xantia which is used by Duddon Inshore Rescue. To its right is a Land Rover ambulance that is also with the independent rescue service. It carries a spinal board, first aid kit and other life saving equipment.
Here is the stern view of Trent-class RNLB George and Mary Webb, based at Whitby, North Yorkshire.
Looking through a buoy at RNLB Ray and Audrey Lusty. This is one of two lifeboats that are based at Chiswick, London. Along with two other stations they cover the length of the River Thames.
The view of the stern of the same RNLI lifeboat. It is an E-class with three crew in this photograph.
This vessel is this E-class called Chelsea Pensioner. It is stationed at Chiswick, one of the busiest lifeboat stations in the UK.
A look at the stern of the Chelsea Pensioner. Notice the ‘RNLI’ wording on the deck so helicopters can identify the boat. It is fitted with two blue flashing lights, a loudspeaker and siren as well as police radios.
This is a blue Land Rover lifeboat-launching vehicle belonging to the RNLI. It has a blue rotating beacon on the roof.
R334 WECis a Citroen Xantia 1.9 turbo diesel estate car used by Duddon Inshore Rescue, Cumbria. The vehicle is owned by a crew member and has been liveried up at the owner’s expense. It has the call sign of ‘Duddon 16 mobile’.
The rear view of the same car. It carries an interesting light arrangement. The crew are unable to use blue flashing lights. Instead, to increase awareness of the vehicle’s presence, two white strobe lights are mounted on the front grill. These are complimented by flashing lights on the dashboard and on the parcel shelf (red to the rear and white to the front). The car has been admired by the Chief Constable of Cumbria Police.
The striking livery of the car can clearly be seen on this picture. The car is able to carry five crew members and a substantial amount of equipment to an incident. The rescue organisation is a registered charity and is entirely voluntary funded. It welcomes any donations.
The rear three quarters view of the turbo-diesel estate car. The livery is complete with the organisation’s motto of ‘We Exist to Save Lives’.
This is RNLB Betty Huntbatch, a Trent class lifeboat pictured on its moorings at Hartlepool lifeboat station, Cleveland. It is a 24-hour all weather offshore lifeboat, which is accompanied at Hartlepool station by an inshore Atlantic.
An example of a Tyne Class lifeboat.
A close up of the mast of RNLB Ruby And Arthur Reed II (Cromer, Norfolk). Notice that it is reclined to allowed it to exit the station via the slipway. It is then erected once the vessel is at sea. You can see the blue flashing light.
This is the Royal National Lifeboat Institution’s Hovercraft H-001, named Molly Rayner. It is a six-seater Griffon 470 SAR and is powered by twin Volkswagen / Audi 84 hp diesel engines (driving twin propellers). It can reach speeds of over 30 knots and is fitted with a blue flashing light above the propellers.
A close up look at the front. The craft is named Molly Rayner in honour of the late co-founder of the Bourne End RNLI Branch.
The side and rear view. The hovercraft is suitable for estuaries where there is a large amount of shallow water, making it unsuitable for traditional large RNLI boats.
HV52 VPC This blue RNLI Iveco flat-bed truck is being used to deliver the Molly Rayner hovercraft to the beach. It is fitted with blue flashing lights, which the law allows for lifeboat launching vehicles.
This is Humber Rescue’s rescue boat, Olive Hunt. It looks similar to an RNLI vessel, but this is a separate small organisation, based directly beneath the Humber Bridge in Kingston upon Hull
A look inside, showing the seating and marine communication and navigation systems.
The rescue boat is fitted with two Honda motors, as well as a blue flashing beacon.
To get the rescue boat the very short journey from the station to the river, a yellow Ford tractor is used. It is fitted with a yellow flashing light bar.
This photo shows a Relief Arun Class lifeboat on duty at Dover. It is seen exercising with an RAF Helicopter, Callsign RESCUE 125, from RAF Wattisham, Suffolk. The Arun Class lifeboat has a crew of 5 or 6 and can take a doctor out to an incident if the need arises. The top speed of the lifeboat is 18 knots and is 52 ft in length. If it is capsized it can right itself within 5 seconds. This is an All Weather Lifeboat or ALB.
This photo shows a lifeboat, from Bembridge, Isle of Wight. The boat has has a crew of 2 or 3 and the crew are on their knees all the time they are on the boat, hence the retirement age of 45. The “D-Class” has a top speed of 20 knots and is 16ft in length. The “D-Class” is the most numerous class of lifeboat in the RNLI fleet. These type of lifeboat are sometimes used during floods.
Two pictures of a unit used at New Brighton to launch a Rigid Inflatable Boat onto the River Mersey. The unit is fully submersible. It’s all wheel drive. The tyres are filled with water and the cabin floods to a certain height to maintain balast and traction when in deep water.
You can see water trails on the slip. These are from the twin out-boards on the RIB. The engines are fed from a tank on the trailer with cooling water so that they can be started on the way to the slip so when they hit the water they can go at full throttle as soon as possible.
The Lifeboat and Coastguard services of the UK are often forgotten when thinking of emergency service vehicles. Above is the off-shore lifeboat based at Amble marina, Northumberland. Note the blue light near the top of the mast.It is 44-005 Margaret Graham, a Waveney class lifeboats which was introduced in 1964. This boat was the last Waveney class lifeboat in service with the RNLI. This type was withdrawn in 1999, and replaced by Severn and Trent class lifeboats but in Ambles case they received a Mersey class lifeboat.
Here is an strange tractor unit spotted at Seahouses. Fitted with blue lights, it is used to launch and recover the carriage launched 12m Mersey class lifeboat that is operated at 24 stations nationwide. These tractors are specifically designed for the task of launching and recovering lifeboats. They weight over 19 tons and can pull over 16 tons but in reality it could pull a lot more than this. They are powered by a Caterpillar diesel engine at over 200hp but only have a top speed of about 10mph!
Next, a picture of a 17m Severn class all weather lifeboat, number 17-20 which is stationed at Tynemouth lifeboat station. This type came into service in 1996 and this particular boat went on station at Tynemouth in October 1999.
Here is a lifeboat called Bon Accord, also known as “Aberdeen Lifeboat”.
Here are two pictures of a Sea King helicopter with a RNLI offshore and an inshore lifeboat on exercise.
R803 NCU This Ford Transit is a IRC rescue vehicle. It is fitted with amber flashing lights and a simple livery. It is parked up next to a IRC pop-up tent.
SN05 AHK This IRC rescue ambulance is based at Grangemouth, Scotland. It is an Iveco Daily with red and blue checker markings. It can accommodate up to eight people and carries medical equipment.
The rear view. Notice the blue light repeaters at the tops of the doors as the main light bar is at the front of the roof. As a sideline, this vehicle provides medical cover at Land Rover’s test course at Perth.
This is an example of a 2007 Mitsubishi Shogun decked out in HATO colours.
WU53 JCJ is a Mitsibushi Shogun HATO patrol car. It carries the usual black and yellow battenburg markings and amber flashing lights all-round, plus red to the rear only. Shown next to the car is the type of equipment carried to divert traffic. You can also see the HATO’s high-visibility jacket which is yellow on the lower half, orange on the upper half with blue epaulettes.
Another shot of the same car with out the signage around it.
EU04 BYA This is an example of the Range Rovers used by the Highways Agency.
BU05 FMF is a Toyota Land Cruiser used by the traffic officers of the Highways Agency. The vehicle has a striking luminous yellow and black battenburg scheme on top of silver paint work. It carries a slim-line clear light bar on the roof, making it appear very much like a police vehicle from the front.
The rear windows of the vehicle carry the wording ‘TRAFFIC OFFICER’ to alert other motorists to its use.
In the rear of the 4×4, we can see some of the equipment it carries. This includes: cones, tape, fire blankets, emergency signage and water amongst other items.
With the rear door shut, we can see the dot matrix display in the rear window to give messages to other motorists. However, the spare wheel has had to be removed in order for it to be read clearly.
This Nissan Pathfinder is also used by the Highways Agency. Like the Toyota above, it carries reverse wording on its bonnet to denote its use.
This example does not carry the Traffic Officer wording in the rear side windows, but does have a drop-down dot matrix display (operated from the dashboard). It is equipped with the same light bar and additional rear bumper lights as well as a tow hook.
RF03 LFU This Honda ST1100 motorbike can be used by the HA for patrolling and escorting duties. It is in orange and white checker markings, and has amber flashing lights on the front and on a pole at the rear.
The rear and nearside view. Additional red flashing lights have been fitted, along with amber LED lights and a matrix sign. It has dual panniers and a top box to carry some equipment.