Category: Ambulance

W706 PFT an ambulance service vehicle. It looks like any other metallic green Ford Focus, but place the rotating beacon on the roof, put the flashing light on the dashboard and turn the siren on and you have an emergency vehicle! The NEAS run many of these vehicles, all lease cars, which are replaced every three years. The dashboard-mounted and magnetic roof lights are used to avoid cutting holes in the car which the next owner may not appreciate. Hand-held radios are used to avoid aerial holes too.



An alternative view

Here are 3 views of one of a fleet of a Mercedes ambulance X286 BVN introduced in 2001. The rear view clearly shows the much increased space from previous models.



The front view



An alternative front view

M775 KCU is a Renault 19, used by NEAS with its range of blue lights flashing. These vehicles were used prior to the arrival of the Focus above.

N638 GFA is Ford Escort dedicated to quick response calls.

We start with a West Yorkshire Metropolitan Ambulance Service (WYMAS) VW Collet R231 DFC. West Yorks used to have the distinctive livery of a ‘heartbeat’ down the side of all their emergency vehicles. Notice the orange rotating beacon on the roof which means that it must be based near an airport. This will be used to comply with the Civil Aviation Authority rule that all vehicles on airport taxiways must show an orange flashing light.



The front view

Here is a picture donated by a viewer of vehicles from the British Red Cross County Durham and Teesside branch.

A photograph of two Northumbria Ambulance Service (now part of NEAS) Honda Pan-European emergency paramedic motorbikes and a Landrover Discovery J466 HVK.

Here is a photo of an ambulance built by Crestline Coach Ltd. of Saskatoon, Canada.

H945 UHH is a picture of a Ford Transit ‘RA6’ which belongs to the Red Cross.

This model shows the colour scheme of London Ambulance Service vehicles

M455 NVP is a LDV ambulance photographed at York race course



The side view



The rear view

Here we have a look through the rear window of a St. John Land Rover Discovery ambulance J536 VAJ. Note the stretcher on the left, equipment stored on the right and radio in the front.

H640 OPY is another St. John ambulance with a brighter livery! Inset: the front view.

K23 MRH is a Land Rover Discovery ambulance. One of its uses is towing trailers of equipment or exhibitions.

S877 BUA is a Ford Escort ambulance car run by TENYAS.

An ambulance is quickly on the scene at a horse racing accident at York. The horse decided to go straight on at a corner, damaging the fencing and throwing the jockey to the ground. This photo was taken less than one minute after the fall, which was watched live on Channel 4 Racing and satellite’s The Racing Channel on 16 June 2001.



Later, the jockey is transferred to another emergency ambulance which takes him to hospital. The first ambulance can then resume its role of following the horses as they race. Here, the Mercedes Sprinter ambulance S772 VAT leaves the racecourse

W695 MRA Here are a number of photographs of a Mercedes-Benz A Class quick response ambulance car. The North East Ambulance Service started to use these cars in the late 1990s to complement motorcycles already in use. Notice the large data terminal for dispatch information next to the driver and the conspicuous colour scheme! They are good for around town driving, but not so good on high-speed runs. Fingers crossed it stays upright!



The front view from a different angle



The rear view



The side view



A look at the top of the vehicle



The inside of the car

Here is a Quick Response Unit ambulance. Based at Kitty Brewster Industrial Estate, Blyth, with the North East Air Ambulance. There is no hospital there, just the helipad and hanger.

Above is a 1993 K-reg Mercedes ambulance. It used to belong to Durham Ambulance Service, but had the wording changed in 1999 when the Durham was merged with other counties to form the North East Ambulance ‘supertrust’.

N409 ORG is a vehicle based on the Ford Transit.

L659 AVK This is a Renault Clio used for vehicle maintenance purposes.

This is the rear view of a NEAS Control Unit.



A close-up of the front of the control unit, showing the unusual green rotating light.

Below is a 1994 Ford Fiesta Van, M279 XWF, which is used by the North Yorkshire Ambulance Service for Training.

J344 UDU is a Land Rover ambulance, spotted at St. John’s Chapel, Weardale station in April 2000. The area it covers is hilly and rugged

Next is a Staffordhire Ambulance Mk 3 Fiat Ducato, callsign Trojan 380,

J718 DAB is an “Ambuline” Renault Espace people carrier.

K675 AAJ is a Mercedes ambulance from the Cleveland fleet. The ‘K’ registration indicates it was introduced in 1992-3.

S878 BUA is a Humberside Ford Escort paramedic unit. This will not be used for transporting patients, but for moving personnel and assisting at serious accidents.

This is a Peugeot which at first sight looks like a regular vehicle, but on closer inspection it has blue strobe lights mounted on the grille. It is used by the ambulance service and probably also has a detachable magnetic blue rotating light for the roof.

Here are two views of a Ford Mondeo (Mk.II) T334 NEF, used for emergency responses by paramedics

Below is the inside of a Chevrolet Ambulance, used by the North East Ambulance Service Trust. They are roomier than previously used vehicles. Inset: the external view of the vehicle.

Here are two images of a Ford Escort ambulance car N638 GFA

N657 LTN is a small Vauxhall ambulance used by St. John.

J462 HVK a rapid response Land Rover paramedic unit. The spare wheel has been removed so it can tow the incident support unit (pictured).



The side view, with trailer attached

A Land Rover 110 British army medical asset support vehicle.

A Kent Prioity Care Land Rover Discovery ambulance.

Here we have the interior view of a cab of a Chevrolet ambulance, used by North-East Ambulance Service. It appears to be a similar size to that of a car, but the exterior view (inset) shows that the ‘box’ on the back makes it in to quite a roomy vehicle for the patient.



Compare that with the interior of a regular road ambulance

Observe where many ambulance have their siren mounted. It is almost invisible at a distance, being the same colour as the front bumper, and does not protrude from the vehicle. In this case we are looking at P512 PRH, a Mercedes 312D ambulance from North Yorkshire.



A close up shot of the siren’s location

A self-explanatory vehicle.

3 views of a Mercedes Benz 300T Quick Response Unit ambulance. This type of vehicle is rarely used to transport patients but is used to get paramedics to injured people faster than a road ambulance. They carry as much equipment as possible but still far less than a regular ambulance [model].

T657 KAG is a Mercedes ambulance from the Tees, East and North Yorkshire supertrust.

Below we have the incident command unit for the North East Ambulance Service NHS supertrust. It is a J-reg Leyland which is kept at headquarters (pictured, in snow storm!). Note the blue lights AND the sole green rotating beacon on the top, which may be used to denote its medical status and presence of a doctor at the scene of a major incident.

S468 LJB is a Fiat Patient Transportation ambulance. Note the liveries but no lights or sirens.

This is a Landrover British Red Cross ambulance. It is situated on a river bank, overseeing a boat race where treatment may be required promptly in an emergency.

T581 KAG A Volkswagen Collet Emergency Ambulance.

H547 YAT is a Ford Transit Training Ambulance.

G758 BAC The pictures of a St. John Range Rover were taken in York.



The rear view.