394 BXA This ex-front line London Ambulance is …
394 BXA This ex-front line London Ambulance is one of the most filmed emergency vehicle in the UK. It has appeared in numerous TV shows and films
Documenting UK emergency vehicles past and present
437 BXA is a sister vehicle of the above. It is a…
437 BXA is a sister vehicle of the above. It is a preserved 1959 London Ambulance that was used in Wandsworth borough. Notice the bell mounted on the bonnet.
AEF 732C Moving even further back in time, this…
AEF 732C Moving even further back in time, this is a 1965 Commer ambulance maintained by Tees, East and North Yorkshire ambulance service. It has a top speed of 45 mph and throughout its life has only clocked up 8,000 miles.
Inside the back, showing the archaic equipment. This vehicle has been owned by the Civil Defence Corps, Hartlepool Ambulance Service and Cleveland Ambulance Service (all now defunct). The photos here shown it in 2005.
TRB 742R Here is a rusting Ford Transit ambulance…
TRB 742R Here is a rusting Ford Transit ambulance at Barrow Hill near Chesterfield.
74 GJ 17 is a 1977 Landrover V8 ambulance. This …
74 GJ 17 is a 1977 Landrover V8 ambulance. This left-hand drive vehicle was built for the British army and used during the Gulf War in 1991. It left active service in 1992 for civilian use.
VN 851K An army Landrover ambulance…
SVN 851K An army Landrover ambulance.
The rear view showing the bodywork added to the Landrover chassis.
CSU 597 A rare sight on UK roads is this USA…
CSU 597 A rare sight on UK roads is this USA army ambulance. It is registered, owned and kept in the UK by an enthusiast.
The opposing view, showing the back doors create a huge red cross sign and the fuel can and tools strapped to the side of the vehicle.
Road Accident
Road Accident (2007): Here we look at medics working alongside the other emergency services at a major road accident. This is an exercise that was carried out in Durham in May 2007. Casualties were provided by St. John Ambulance and local colleges and universities.
NK03 GWP is a North East Ambulance Service Ford Focus rapid response car. It has been abandoned by the roadside with its blue lights flashing as the crew has left to deal with multiple casualties.
NEAS incident support vehicles soon arrive, one towing a trailer. These secondary response vehicles carry large amounts of equipment, and in this instance their inflatable tent is required.
Quickly inflated, the tent is used as a triage shelter to assess casualties and prioritise them.
Due to the seriousness of the collision, one of the Great North Air Ambulances (G-HEMS) is called. Here it is landing with among the emergency vehicles and triage shelter.
Air ambulance doctors are shown here with Durham and Darlington Fire & Rescue extricating a driver impaled in the drivers seat of the van.
Careful coordination is needed to gently remove the windscreen and roof and then extricate the seriously injured casulaty.
HW09 BPZ This is a Renault Kangoo that is operated…
HW09 BPZ This is a Renault Kangoo that is operated as an animal ambulance by Animals At Home. It carries green and yellow checker markings down the sides and across the bonnet. It also has the Defra logo on each front wing. It is part of a national franchised company.
HK08 ANX is a Renault Koleos horse ambulance. It…
HK08 ANX is a Renault Koleos horse ambulance. It is operated by Racehorse Ambulance Ltd. Notice how the blue light bar has been covered with a black cover for when the car is driven on the public roads. This is because an ambulance must be for the purpose of transporting sick or injured people.
The rear view of the silver Renault Koleos.
YX02 OTP This Fiat Ducco has been decked out …
YX02 OTP This Fiat Ducco has been decked out with green and yellow battenburg markings and fitted with an amber flashing light bar.
YE06 BYW This silver BMW X3 is a racehorse…
YE06 BYW This silver BMW X3 is a racehorse ambulance vehicle. It is fitted with a full blue light bar on the roof (covered in this photo) and dashboard-mounted repeaters. The car is has permanent 4-wheel drive and a powerful 3-litre engine. These features allows it to travel across rough ground easily as well as pull the heavy trailer.
The rear view of the car and trailer combination. The sponsor’s logo (BMW) can be seen on the trailer, as well as two additional blue flashing lights that are covered up.
M1 CVN This Citroen van is used as an emergency…
M1 CVN This Citroen van is used as an emergency veterinary ambulance in Merseyside. In the back is equipment that allows the treatment and transportation of animals that are in a critical condition. It has a double blue light on the roof and a repeater on the dashboard. These are used at events or when on emergency calls. When the vehicle is not on active emergency duty the lights are covered.
YS53 RYV This silver Nissan Terrano and horse…
YS53 RYV This silver Nissan Terrano and horse trailer carry the same livery and are both fitted with blue flashing lights.
WA05 UAS This Renault Kangoo is run by an…
WA05 UAS This Renault Kangoo is run by an animal ambulance company called ‘Animals at Home Ltd’. It is registered as an ambulance and is kitted out to transfer injured animals to veterinary surgeries.
This is a Nissan pick-up truck which is being…
This is a Nissan pick-up truck which is being used as a veterinary equine response unit. Its 4×4 capabilities and carrying capacity make it highly suited to its role.
The view into the rear of an almost identical ‘large animal response unit’, with some of the patients in the background.
This Renault Kangoo is another veterinary ambulance…
This Renault Kangoo is another veterinary ambulance for a private practice.
This is a Renault Traffic veterinary ambulance…
This is a Renault Traffic veterinary ambulance. Along with the three photos above, this was donated by Animedic. They have put around 200 veterinary ambulances on the road in the UK (2000-4). They have a range of seven vehicles and also produce specialist vehicles for the human market.
P831 NUK This is a Nissan Terrano II horse…
P831 NUK This is a Nissan Terrano II horse ambulance. It is four-wheel-drive and is equipped with a 2.7 litre turbo diesel engine with enough power and torque to smoothly pull a heavy trailer over grass.
The rear view of the same car. It is operated by Racecourse Ambulance Services Ltd.
The view of the Terrano and its similarly liveried trailer.
A three-legged mare gets out the back of the horse ambulance after a short journey from the racecourse to the stables.
A first for UK Emergency Vehicles, a quad bike…
A first for UK Emergency Vehicles, a quad bike. Clearly this vehicle is used as a rapid response horse ambulance. It is unclear whether the horse sits in front or behind the rider. Quad bikes are an unusual mode of transport for the emergency services, but there are ay least two examples of marked police quads in the UK.
Y36 TRP A Mercedes-Benz horse ambulance unit, on…
Y36 TRP A Mercedes-Benz horse ambulance unit, on duty at York racecourse (background). The Merc is fitted with blue lights and the trailer with two sets. The blue lights are used on the road, normally with a police escort, but covered up when not on active duty.
The rear view of the car and trailer. The quad bike (above) is transported in the trailer when moving between events.
Y915 TDH A Daihatsu 4×4 horse ambulance car…
Y915 TDH A Daihatsu 4×4 horse ambulance car.
Towed by the donated Daihatsu 4×4 is this horse ambulance trailer. Both car and trailer are fitted with blue lights and are used at equestrian events around the country. The trailer opens at both ends to allow the casualty to walk on and off easily. This is probably the only type of ambulance you won’t see at a hospital!
This marine ambulance is called Flying Christine…
This marine ambulance is called Flying Christine III. It is based on Guernsey, Channel Islands, and is run by Ambulance and Rescue Guernsey. It is also used to answer emergency calls on neighbouring islands.
The stern view.
EU04 MAA is a Ford Galaxy from the first batch …
EU04 MAA is a Ford Galaxy from the first batch batch of marked cars used by VOSA. It has yellow and black battenburg side markings, yellow and orange chevrons at the rear and a roof bar with amber lights & variable matrix signing.
The front view, as you may see in your rear-view mirror when the inspectors wish to stop you. There are amber repeaters on the grille and a clear ‘VOSA’ sign on the high-visibility yellow bonnet. It has a white tax disc that grants the vehicle exemption from vehicle excise duty.
The rear and roof aspect. The long variable message matrix sign can be seen on the amber lightbar. Also the wording ‘enforcement control’ is written on the roof.
Inside the back of the Galaxy is a small amount of equipment, including temporary road and information signs. There is a very small rear-facing camera at the top left. An identical camera faces forwards on the dashboard. These cameras record whenever the vehicle is in use and have been used for prosecutions.
EU04 MBM The rear three-quarter view of a…
EU04 MBM The rear three-quarter view of a sister Galaxy. The first batch of vehicles all have matching registration marks: they all start ‘EU03 M’. Later vehicles will have different registrations due to the year number changing every six months.
K518 UJT Dorset Search and Rescue operate this …
K518 UJT Dorset Search and Rescue operate this search control unit based on an Optare Metrorider minibus. It has a green and white checkered band down the side and no blue lights fitted.
EX03 UUD is a Land Rover Defender 90 TD5 …
EX03 UUD is a Land Rover Defender 90 TD5 used by Dorset Search and Rescue, based at Dorchester. It carries no blue lights.
This Land Rover is part of SARA’s (Severn …
This Land Rover is part of SARA’s (Severn Area Rescue Association) fleet. It is shown here with some of the equipment carried on show.
BX58 RYU This Iveco Daily van is used by …
BX58 RYU This Iveco Daily van is used by the the UK International Search and Rescue Team in conjunction with the West Midlands Fire Service. The UK-ISAR is registered with the United Nations and is on call 365 days a year to respond to humanitarian disasters or accidents anywhere in the world.
BU08 HUV This is a British Red Cross Search and …
BU08 HUV This is a British Red Cross Search and Rescue ambulance. It has been adapted from a standard Land Rover and has been fitted with blue lights and a battenburg livery.
The rear view showing the equipment stowed in the …
The rear view showing the equipment stowed in the rear and the roof rack holding a lightweight stretcher.
In this action shot RAF SAR helicopter “Rescue 137” is …
In this action shot RAF SAR helicopter “Rescue 137” is seen airlifting a casualty from a road accident. It takes off from the A87 in Scotland and travels to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness. Many other road-going emergency vehicles can be seen assisting.
Q164 JBV is one of two Hagglund BV 206s that are …
Q164 JBV is one of two Hagglund BV 206s that are operated by Bay Search and Rescue at Morecambe Bay, Cumbria. These tracked articulated vehicles can cope with extremely boggy conditions, and replaced a hovercraft that was used in the large tidal bay. The Haggs can travel up to 52 km/h on the road and 3 km/h on water.
K469 AHG This is the second Hagglund operated …
K469 AHG This is the second Hagglund operated by Bay SAR. It is fitted with a different trailer to the one above, this time having equipment storage and a crane. It is fitted with a Mercedes-Benz 3-litre diesel engine, which when combined with the tracked wheels can climb slopes up to 45 degrees.
D742 YFG Bay SAR also operate this Land Rover …
D742 YFG Bay SAR also operate this Land Rover which can tow a trailer with a rib.
Wiltshire Search and Rescue (WILSAR) operate two of …
Wiltshire Search and Rescue (WILSAR) operate two of these folding cycles. They are Swiss Bike LXs by Montague and due to the hinge below the seat can easily be transported in the back of a car or van. The bikes will be used in urban and rural locations for spotting missing people.
HX07 BBK is an Iveco Daily that is used by Hampshire …
HX07 BBK is an Iveco Daily that is used by Hampshire SAR as an incident control vehicle. It isn’t fitted with any emergency warning equipment.
Here are two of SARA’s emergency rescue …
Here are two of SARA’s emergency rescue boats in action.
This is a Land Rover Defender that is used by …
This is a Land Rover Defender that is used by Severn Area Rescue Association and a SAR ambulance. It is fitted with blue flashing lights, amber beacons and an ambulance-style colour-scheme.
This is a LDV 200 Pilot van that is also used by …
This is a LDV 200 Pilot van that is also used by SARA for emergency rescue work.
This is an example of the colour-scheme used by Royal …
This is an example of the colour-scheme used by Royal Navy rescue helicopters. They are part of the fleet air arm and are based at RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall and Prestwick in Scotland.
This vessel, Knight Errant Venturer, is used by Venturers …
This vessel, Knight Errant Venturer, is used by Venturers Serach & Rescue. This organisation is run for teenagers and operates in the Solent to help people and animals in danger or distress.
P737 WGG is a Mercedes Benz Sprinter van …
P737 WGG is a Mercedes Benz Sprinter van that is used by Trossachs SAR team in Scotland. It was donated by Strathclyde Fire & Rescue after being removed from front line services with them. It can carry up to eight search and rescue dogs and is used at incidents across Strathcylde and at major incidents anywhere in Scotland.
M547 UFS Based at MOD Forthside in Stirling, this …
M547 UFS Based at MOD Forthside in Stirling, this ex-Scottish Ambulance Service Renault Master ambulance belongs to Trossachs SAR. It is kitted out with ambulance equipment and is used for on-site first aid, as well as transporting personnel to incidents.
TCZ 5218 This Northern Ireland-registered Land …
TCZ 5218 This Northern Ireland-registered Land Rover Defender is used for SAR work. Notice the bespoke enclosed roof rack for equipment.
The rear view of the same Land Rover.
In this action shot a Royal Navy SAR Sea King …
In this action shot a Royal Navy SAR Sea King helicopter has landed to transfer a patient to a waiting Scottish Ambulance Service emergency ambulance.
M644 LBU This Land Rover is used by Cornwall …
M644 LBU This Land Rover is used by Cornwall Search and Rescue Team.
The rear view of the same Land Rover.
NK03 AXJ is an Iveco van used as a mobile control …
NK03 AXJis an Iveco van used as a mobile control unit by the Teesdale and Weardale Search and Rescue Team. The side door provides access to the control area where there is room for two controllers and five personnel. Additionally, the awning can be extend to provide a weatherproof tem briefing room or to provide multi casualty care.
The rear of the van is used for storage of equipment an is separate to the control area. It hold a variety of medical, climbing ,search and rescue equipment as well as a generator for power and a compressor to extend the vehicles communication mast which is fitted to the right hand side of the van.
VN52 XPB This is a double-exposure photograph …
VN52 XPB This is a double-exposure photograph of a Vauxhall Combo diesel van used by the SAR company Sebev. It is used as an Incident Support Unit and carries pop-up shelters for major incidents, as well as a generator, floodlights and fire extinguishers among other things.
R496 MKO This Iveco Daily is also used by Sebev…
R496 MKO This Iveco Daily is also used by Sebev. It is an Incident Control Unit which is fitted with a hydraulic mast, internal control area with radios and computer mapping system. The rear compartment holds rescue equipment including fire extinguishers, medical equipment, life jackets, generator, cones and more. It is liveried in red and yellow battenburg markings.