YB02 JUV This VW Passat was bought by North Yorkshire Emergency Doctors in June 2002. It replaces the previous “M01” vehicle which was a 1999 version of the Passat. It is not fitted with a siren but the green flashing light can aid a doctor’s progress to a casualty. The green lights are used about five times per week to attend emergencies.
YF02 FWX The sister vehicle “M06”. This identical Passat carries a defibrillator, nebuliser, oxygen, drugs (some that can only be administered by a doctor) and other first aid equipment.
Y368 OLF and Y436 OFL are two Mercedes A-Class doctor’s cars. These vehicles are liveried up and may be operated with a green flashing beacon on the roof.
A Y-registration Subaru Impreza from the Hampshire Technical Rescue Unit Doctors. The Impreza underwent a facelift in 2001, with the most noticeable changes being the headlight clusters and the grille reshaping. It is still one of the most affordable agile and fast accelerating production cars available.
This is HM Customs Cutter Seeker, spotted in waters off the coast of Greenock.
This 56-registration Mercedes Sprinter van is used as a Mobile Radiation Detection Unit. It is operated jointly by HM Revenue and Customs, the Home Office and the Police. The livery can be adapted to show who is using the vehicle. It has two clear light bars on the roof as well as two amber flashing beacons. It is part of Programme Cyclamen which monitors ports, airports and major thoroughfares for radioactive material being carried illegally (potentially to make a dirty bomb).
This is a mock-up of a similar radiation detection vehicle with slightly different livery. It is one of a number of marked and unmarked vehicles which cost around £350,000 each. They contain specialist detection equipment which means that they can drive down the side of a truck and are able to detect if any radioactive substances are inside.
VE54 ELV is a Renault Master an that is used in the special role of vehicle fuel testing. The vehicle wears an orange, yellow and blue side stripe as well as the operators logo and name on the side.
Vehicles using the road in the UK have to pay an excise duty on the fuel they use. This mobile laboratory has been specially created to enable vehicle fuels to be tested at the roadside rather than being sent away for analysis. The most common breaches of law are using red diesel and ‘home-made’ fuel from cooking oil.
The rear view of the van showing its high visibility markings, chemical warning signs and a single orange light bar.
G-SARD is a Agusta Westland AW139 coastguard rescue helicopter.
HF54 JPO This is a Coastguard Nissan Navara on patrol.
HF07 ESN is a Ford Focus Estate and HF08 TCY is a Nissan Navara, both belonging to the Coastguard. They are seen here displaying some of the rescue equipment that they carry.
W928 KJT is a Land Rover Defender 90 and HF53 LGV is a Ford Focus, both belonging to the Coastguard at Fort William.
The rear shot of the two vehicles.
Y521 FEL is a Toyota Hilux and HF53 NWD is a Nissan Navara. Both of these coastguard cars are four wheel drive and have double cabs.
W906 PCG This is a Coastguard Nissan Terrano II caught in a snow storm.
HF53 NWB is a Nissan Navara 2.5 DI coastguard rescue vehicle.
G-CGIJ This is “India Juliet”, an August-Westland AW139 rescue helicopter based at Lee-on-Solent on England’s south coast.
A coastguard rib (rigid inflatable boat) called Peregrine being used around the North-West England coast.
G-SARB, a HM Coastguard rescue helicopter. It is a CHC Scotia Sikorsky S-92A and is based at the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis, Scotland.
G-BPWB This is one of the four Coastguard helicopters based around the UK in 2007. It has callsign “Rescue Whiskey Bravo” and was made famous by its numerous appearance on the BBC TV series Seaside Rescue.
A first for this website: a tram! Yes, this electric tram is marked-up in coastguard colours and is used in Blackpool to help advertise the coastguard’s search and rescue service.
This boat, fitted with blue flashing light, is used by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency on inland waterways.
HF03 LRL is a Coastguard Land Rover Defender based at St. Andrews, Scotland.
R387 AEC Here a Coast Rescue Land Rover belonging to Sunderland Volunteer Life Brigade is flanked by two of the team’s bikes. The mountain bikes are decked out in Coastguard colours and allow the team to monitor the coastline at places that are difficult to get to by car. It also make it easier for the team of this declared coastguard facility to talk to locals and makes them faster to respond to local incidents.
TYO 286S This is a HM Coastguard Land Rover that was new in 1977.
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.