UK Emergency Vehicles   ukemergency.co.uk

B759 GCN This vehicle used to be ‘foxtrot zero…



B759 GCN This vehicle used to be ‘foxtrot zero eight’ with Tyne & Wear MFB. It is a Dennis SS133 and is used solely for transporting ‘foxtrot zero nine’, fire boat Tinea.



The rear view. Tinea is a twin-engined Marshall Branson boat that was new in 1990. This boat and trailer combination saw many years service from Walker fire station in Newcastle.

DDX 295Y is a Bedford fire engine that is housed…



DDX 295Y is a Bedford fire engine that is housed in the Fire and Police Museum at Sheffield. It has been reliveried with the museum’s name and logo appearing on all sides. It is unusually fitted with three blue rotating beacons on top of the cab.

JEN 507G is a 1968 Haflinger ‘First Aider’ fire…



JEN 507G is a 1968 Haflinger ‘First Aider’ fire engine. This very small fire engine is by Ryders / Schofield & Sons and was originally painted yellow. The role of the vehicle was to be a first response to fires in difficult terrain, such as off-road. This was helped by its selectable four wheel drive but hindered by its 28 bhp engine.



The side view of this diminutive engine. Two firemen would fill the cramped cabin and it is easy for an adult to look over the top of it. It has a 50 gallon water tank, equipment lockers and a small set of ladders on the roof. This was the only vehicle ever built and served in Sedburgh (Cumbria) until 1981.

WRM 554S is a 1978 109″ Land Rover HCB/Angus …



WRM 554S is a 1978 109″ Land Rover HCB/Angus light fire appliance. When new, it was destined for Tanzania, but the order was cancelled and it actually started off its life with British Steel, then went on to a paper mill in Cumbria. It was used as a control unit and this can be seen by the red light fitted (it is also fitted with a blue and an amber light). When it retired after 23 years to be placed in a museum it had covered only 3,700 miles!

CYY 299C This is an Austin Gipsy AFS (Auxilary…



CYY 299C This is an Austin Gipsy AFS (Auxilary Fire Service) vehicle. It did not see very much action in its life: most of the time it was stored as a reserve and amazingly covered only 3,000 miles from 1965 to 1997! Note the amber lights above the headlights – a forerunner of blue flashing lights.



The rear view of the same Gipsy. This is a 1965 (series 4) example with the 2.2 lire petrol engine producing a frugal 72 bhp. The canvas back and all of the tyres are original and unrestored. The Austin Gipsy was built from 1958 to 1968 and is commonly mistaken for a Land Rover.

GYM 275N This is a Dennis F109 pump escape…



GYM 275N This is a Dennis F109 pump escape. It was run by London Fire Brigade from 1975 until 1987 and then sold. It is now restored and privately owned.



The frontal view of the appliance. It was used in the first series of ‘London’s Burning’ before wheeled escapes were superseded.

ACH 746H A Carmichael FT5 Landrover light four-wheel…



ACH 746H A Carmichael FT5 Landrover light four-wheel drive pump that was used by Rolls-Royce at their Sinfin test site (in Derby). This 1974 photograph illustrates the type of fire appliance used by Rolls-Royce in the 1960s, 70s and 80s. It was one of 5 FT5 airfield rapid intervention vehicles used during the period.

GXH 864 A blast from the past here with a…



GXH 864 A blast from the past here with a preserved National Fire Service vehicle. It has a ‘George Rex’ insignia on the doors and the wartime headlight blinkers.



The rear view, showing that it is actually an almost-empty van with wooden roof ladders.

Watch a video of this vehicle in action!



THN 948S An ex-Cleveland County Fire Brigade…



THN 948S An ex-Cleveland County Fire Brigade engine is easy to spot with its white front. This Dennis is equipped with horns, a bell, blue lights and rather surprisingly around that back …



… a wheeled escape! This is the very last engine to have such an arrangement (1977), which had been used for hundreds of years to help fight fires.

EJV 955 This old Dennis turntable ladder used to…



EJV 955 This old Dennis turntable ladder used to belong to Grimsby Fire Brigade. It was new in 1955 and decomissioned in 1982. It is now in preservation (2005). Notice the blue flashing beacon on top of the cab, next to the bell. Grimsby Borough Fire Brigade was merged into Humberside Fire Brigade in 1974.

RE51 FRZ is a Land Rover Defender 90 TD5…



RE51 FRZ is a Land Rover Defender 90 TD5 used by the National Park Ranger Service. It carries a single rotating blue beacon on its roof. The vehicle carries essential fire fighting equipment such as fire beaters and collapsible water storage tanks. It also carries the ATV shown below.

This unregistered Agro Centaur is used by the…



This unregistered Agro Centaur is used by the National Park Ranger Service to carry fire fighting equipment to remote areas. It is almost identical to the ATV used by Derbyshire Fire and rescue service. Equipment that the ATV can carry includes portable pumps, hoses and river damming equipment.

The following three photographs are of American…



The following three photographs are of American military fire appliances used in the UK. They don’t carry registration marks because they are not used on the public roads. Appliance 15 is a P-24 Water Ladder. Notice the red light bar and dark body colour.



This appliance (also numbered 15) is a RIV (Rapid Intervention Vehicle). It can also double-up as a communication vehicle.



Number 14 is a massive P-18 water carrier.

K204 VVU This fire limo is operated by fully licensed…



K204 VVU This fire limo is operated by fully licensed Essex-based Blazing Squad. The engine is a Leyland DAF with bodywork by Reliance-Mercury. All of the blue lights have been blacked out. It was previously on the run at Eccles fire station in Manchester.

H871 XYF This ex-fire engine has been modified…



H871 XYF This ex-fire engine has been modified for ‘All Fired Up’ in two unusual ways to make it in to a limousine for public hire. It has been resprayed pink and has had its interior extended into where the water tank was. The tinted windows can be seen down the sides where the tops of the lockers were. This is one of four fire engine on this page with registration ‘H8__ XYF’, all ex-LFB.

D177 KPT This Carmichael engine is owned by…



D177 KPT This Carmichael engine is owned by ‘Party On Fire Limo’. It has been resprayed to its original fire engine red colour, and the hoses still work. The ‘fire & rescue’ wording and blue lights are still in place too.

J86 ORU This is Hot-Hire’s Volvo FL6, an ex-Dorset …



J86 ORU This is Hot-Hire’s Volvo FL6, an ex-Dorset fire engine. Notice the wording on the side has been changed to ‘Fire and Rescue Limousine’ and the blue lights have been blacked out.



The water pumps tank have been removed and replaced with a larger interior, containing more seats, mirrored walls, fibre-optic lighting, and entertainment system.

H869 XYF Casey Cars run this ex-LFB engine called…



H869 XYF Casey Cars run this ex-LFB engine called ‘All Fired Up’. The London-wording has been removed, but the ‘fire’ wording and blue lights have been left in place.



Inside: It has a 32″ wide screen TV, laser, fibre-optic and strobe lights as well as a smoke machine! For comfort it has custom-made limo seating and even a real fire!

F766 BYD is now part of ‘The Fun Brigade’, who are…



F766 BYD is now part of ‘The Fun Brigade’, who are based in Guildford and covers the Surrey and Hampshire area. The Fun Brigade has turned this engine into a limousine for all special occasions.



Inside the Fun Brigade Engine. Notice the bespoke glass ceiling.

D803 FYM This Renault Dodge limo is owned by…



D803 FYM This Renault Dodge limo is owned by Hot Stuff Limousines, based in Plymouth, Devon. It is an ex-London appliance, and has been owned by London’s Burning for television work.



The side view of this nine-litre V8 appliance. It is still in working order, with the hoses being used at children’s parties. It is also kitted out with usual limousine luxuries, including a TV, DVD player, stereo, disco and rope lights and privacy glass.

E368 RRH This ‘Big Red Hire Engine’ is a Dennis…



E368 RRH This ‘Big Red Hire Engine’ is a Dennis fire engine previously owned by Humberside. It has had over £8000 spent on the transformation and boasts a DVD, PS2, 15″ lcd monitor and 1000 watt sound system. It can seat 6 passengers comfortably and is available for hire in East Anglia.

G167 UPO This Volvo engine is a former Hampshire…



G167 UPO This Volvo engine is a former Hampshire appliance and is available for hire from a company called Chariots of Fire, Bristol.



This photo shows the inside of the Chariots of Fire limo. This luxury interior took three months to complete and quite a few thousand pounds! It is a far cry from the original front-line appliance specification.

F951 PWK This engine is The Blazing Squad’s ‘Winchester…



F951 PWK This engine is The Blazing Squad’s ‘Winchester 2’. It is used in Doncaster and the South Yorkshire area for nights out, children’s parties, weddings, promotions and fayres.



The rear view, showing the contents of the lockers. The engine is still fully working, and the hoses and equipments can be used by children at parties. It was bought from Liverpool in June 2003.

This ambulance used to be available for hire from…



This ambulance used to be available for hire from The Blazing Squad. It was an ex-Nottinghamshire NHS Iveco that was converted into a ‘party ambulance’. It had on-board ‘party medics’ and was also equipped with a karaoke machine and DVD player. The vehicle had been kept as authentic as possible. It is now no longer available.

G691 KAW This Dennis SS237 is ‘in service’ with…



G691 KAW This Dennis SS237 is ‘in service’ with Fireman’s Lift (Lincoln) as a limo. Until 2004 it was a reserve and training appliance with Shropshire Fire and Rescue. It then went straight into its ‘new’ public service role.



The rear view of the same appliance.

H220 UCX This Volvo ex-fire engine is owned by…



H220 UCX This Volvo ex-fire engine is owned by Firemans Lifts York. The owner is a firefighter in Bridlington, North Yorkshire and drives this vehicle in his spare time as a limousine. Notice how the blue rotating beacons on the roof have been covered in yellow, but the two repeater lights on the front have been left blue.



The rear view of the same appliance, showing an advertising board and further blue lights facing rearwards. Also notice that the yellow stripe up the side contains the company’s website address in place of the name of the fire service.



Inside, looking to the back of the vehicle from the passenger seat. It is unusually spacious inside because the cab has been extended back into where the water tank was. The front-most side lockers have been welded closed and new interior walls added.

C922 CKJ This is another example of a ‘Blazing Squad’…



C922 CKJ This is another example of a ‘Blazing Squad’ ex-service fire engine. Notice that the ‘Fire & Rescue’ signage on the side of the appliance has been cleverly changed to ‘Hire & Rescue’. The vehicle has sinced changed owners and is now with Blue Watch Limos in Worksop, Nottinghamshire.

Q809 HNR is a quirky home-made miniature fire…



Q809 HNR is a quirky home-made miniature fire engine. Road-legal, it was built and is run by Leistershire F&R as a fund raising vehicle. At events it takes children on journeys from its (inflatable) fire station!



The rear view, showing the passengers. It has fully functioning blue flashing lights, but in place of a siren it has a very loud speaker system which plays cheesy pop records to warn people of its presence!

Above we have a kid-size fire engine made from…



Above we have a kid-size fire engine made from a milk float! Called ‘Little Dennis’, it takes a small number of children on a ride (off the roads) and returns to it’s inflatable ‘fire station’. The vehicle has working blue lights and siren, as well as a miniature water jet to surprise passers-by! It carries the fake registration ‘999 FIRE’. Little Dennis raises funds for the Fire Service Benevolent Fund and is based in Cleveland Brigade, run by Hartlepool Green Watch.

HX06 OFL This green Land Rover Defender is…



HX06 OFL This green Land Rover Defender is used by the Forestry Commission as a fire and rescue vehicle by rural safety officers. It is used in the Hampshire area and is run in conjunction with the local fire service. It is fitted with a double blue light bar on the roof and you can also see smaller blue flashing lights on the front of the vehicle.



A second view of the Defender, seen here towing a Hampshire FRS trailer. This vehicle is often used by Jim Green who is an animal rescue specialist.

This Firefly hovercraft is used by Avon Fire and…



This Firefly hovercraft is used by Avon Fire and Rescue Service. based at Weston-super-Mare fire station. It is designed for use along the shoreline between Brean Down and Sand Bay.



The craft is piloted from the front whilst at the rear there are three dedicated seats fro additional crew members.



The rear view of the hovercraft showing the rudders which provide the directional control.



As well as being fitted with blue lights there are a number of search lights which can be used during night time rescues.



WX57 TKA This Nissan Navara is used to tow the hovercraft by trailer should it be required at an inland incident such as a flood.



The rear view showing the over sized trailer.

DK56 JXM is a Mercedes Benz Sprinter van that…



DK56 JXM is a Mercedes Benz Sprinter van that is used by Merseyside FRS as a water rescue unit. Some of the equipment it carries is shown, including a rigid inflatable boat. A trailer can be attached to tow two jet skis.



The Merseyside FRS Marine Rescue team in action on the River Mersey.

This is one of two hovercraft that Gloucestershire…



This is one of two hovercraft that Gloucestershire FRS operate. New in 2008, they are transported on trailers behind marked 4×4 fire cars. They were fully paid for by Severn Trent Water.



The rear view of the go-anywhere craft. The top speed of 45 mph will help to rescue people, particularly in the flood-prone areas.

Massey Shaw is a very special fire boat moored at…



Massey Shaw is a very special fire boat moored at London Fire Brigade’s Lambeth headquarters. It is the oldest original operating fire boat in Europe (notice the single blue rotating beacon on top of the cabin). It was built in 1935 and retired in 1971, but is still used for pumping displays today. It was more recently made famous by appearing on Channel 4’s ‘Salvage Squad’ programme in January 2004.

The NYF&R team prepare the fire boat for…



The NYF&R team prepare the fire boat for launch into the River Ouse at York.



A look here at the dashboard of the fire boat. It is fitted with a sophisticated moving mapping system and global positioning system, as well as radios and a mobile telephone. The boats position can be found to a few meters, so you’ll never be lost!



One of the NYF&R Landrovers has winched the boat and trailer into the river. If the situation allows, the Landrover can reverse the boat down the slipway as an alternative means of launching (shown below).



The fire crew can just about be seen here through the undergrowth. They are on a training exercise a couple of miles from York.



The smaller red fire boat practices towing the larger yellow boat. This could easily be a member of the public who’s engine has failed for some reason. Notice the yellow boat’s engines are out of the water.



Both boats can be seen here as the crew of the yellow boat unties the ropes after the successful tow.



The crew take a breather for a debrief. There is no chance of you missing this bright yellow boat easily!



A picture of the new fire boat on it’s trailer. It is towed by a red fire Landrover.



This is the new NYF&R fire boat. It was bought in November 01 and is based at the York station. The older orange RIB (below) is still being kept. Selected fire-fighters are trained on the boat, but still answer calls in the engines most of the time. This picture shows a ‘fly-past’ for me with the blue flashing lights on (top rear of boat).

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue’s Fire Boat….



North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue’s Fire Boat.



The Landrover slowly lowers the boat into the River Ouse for a training session.



Continuing to lower the boat.



The 4×4 Landrover easily copes with the 45 degree slope on wet cobbles.

HX58 AOE This is a Vectrix electric bike which…



HX58 AOE This is a Vectrix electric bike which is decked out in West Midlands Fire Service colours. It carries full fire brigade battenburg markings but is not fitted with blue flashing lights.



The rear view of the Vectrix, prior to it having the West Midlands banner added to the sides.

NK53 HYP This blue Yamaha is used by firefighters in…



NK53 HYP This blue Yamaha is used by firefighters in Durham and Darlington to help educate youths on avoiding road accidents. The writing on the side reads “Firewatch – safer people, safer places”.



The rear shot, showing the second bike in the iron lung (NK53 JHV). The pair of bikes were previously operated by the police, but it was thought that the message about road safety would be more effective coming from fire fighters as they generally receive more respect from that age group.

This Triumph Motorbike is used by West Sussex…



This Triumph Motorbike is used by West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service. As Part of the national Bike Safe scheme, the service aims to use the bike to educate other motorcyclists about dangers of unsafe riding.



This side view of the Triumph showing its distinctive livery.

RO04 EWC This is a Honda ST1300 fire motorbike…



RO04 EWC This is a Honda ST1300 fire motorbike. It was the first successful operational response motorcycle in the UK. It was set up and ridden by Crew Manager Terry Clarry in Liverpool city centre from June 2004 to May 2009. It responded to automated fire alarms, the majority of which had been found to be false alarms in the past. The bike was also used as an engagement tool for youth programmes and was requested by the city council during large public events.

Northumberland Fire and Rescue operate this BMW…



Northumberland Fire and Rescue operate this BMW motorbike in the North of England. It was introduced in 2007 and is used for promoting road safety, but also carried a defib and trauma kit for road accidents. It is riden by fire fighter David Stone.

This is a fire cycle! The red Specialized mountain bike…



This red Specialized mountain bike has four blue lights fitted to the front as well as a small siren. It has been decked out in bright yellow striping and even the saddle has a picture of flames on it. The bike is not operational – it was specially built for a police, fire and ambulance cycle race up the Brooklands hill-climb course in Surrey.

North Wales Fire Service operate this Yamaha FJR…



North Wales Fire Service operate this Yamaha FJR 1300 motorbike. The fire-bike was paid for by the Welsh Assembly and will primarily be used to attract bikers to the brigade’s stand at events. This will then give staff the chance to educate bikers on road safety.