BU07 FFN This is Iveco truck used by the National Grid as a Mobile Command Unit. The vehicle is used to provide communication an co-ordination during a major power cut.
A second view of the truck. It is deployed to major power outages and is fitted with floodlights and a satellite dish. It has amber flashing lights all round.
This is an ambulance gondola. It is used on the Nevis Mountain Range amongst regular 6-person cable cars that transport people from 300ft to 2150ft in 12 minutes. If a person was injured on the mountainside, this specialist gondola is added to the system and moved to directly above the casualty. From there they can be winched up into it and then transported back down the mountain to safety.
26 BK 38 This unusual vehicle is a military Humber one-tonne armoured vehicle.
EX54 EHP is a Ford Ranger that is used as an Emergency Response vehicle by Epping Forest District Council’s Emergency Planning Team. The vehicle is based at North Weald Airfield and is equipped with amber beacons, a PA, siren and light mast. It also has a trailer that can be towed to an incident and used to set up a forward control point, with shelter, tables, chairs, a generator, additional lighting etc.
This Trading Standards car in Oxford is fitted out with fire-style red and yellow battenburg markings. It also carries ‘video equipped’ wording and the Crime Stoppers telephone number.
LC54 BHU This is a red Ford Mondeo that is used by Onus Technologies as a demonstration car. It is seen here is police-style, with blue and red flashing lights and a police sign. The red and yellow colour scheme of the car is the same as fire cars. Inset: a close up of the crest on the front doors.
KU07 YDY is a Mercedes Benz Sprinter that is used by ESS Safeforce as a Confined Space Safety and Rescue vehicle. It is decked out in fire brigade-style yellow and red battenburg markings and has amber lights all round.
The rear view of the same vehicle.
WP06 AVK is a Civil Protection Unit operated by Swindon Borough Council. This can be used at major incidents to help coordinate the council’s contribution. It has amber flashing lights and is a converted Ford Transit.
This Land Rover Discovery 3 has the same colour scheme as a police vehicle but is used as an ‘incident unit’ by the amber-light service D&G Cars Ltd. The blue portion of the livery has to be non-reflective to keep within the law.
R999 WAG is a multi-purpose Land Rover Freelander. It is used to transport medics to remote locations or in snowy weather and also used for traffic monitoring work. It is fitted with a range of amber flashing lights.
Q107 JCP This is the Backdraft Wheelie Truck, a custom-built vehicle that looks like a fire engine. It has blue flashing lights all round and water pumps fitted. Here you can see it starting to lift its front wheels as flames ironically shoot from the twin vertical exhausts.
The rear view of Backdraft showing its party piece of driving on its rear wheels. It can turn corners by having individual brakes on each wheel. The water tank has been emptied and steel to the same weight has been added for stability.
YKL 374J is a kit car based on an Austin Mini. Although full liveried, it features no blue lights. It is used for publicity purposes.
The rear view showing that this vehicle is intended for beach patrols. It is odd to see such a modern liver on such an old car.
OE02 UJJ is a Subaru Impreza Turbo featuring police signs, police crests and even roof markings. It is however used not as an operational vehicle but by the Dorset Police rally team.
The rear view, showing the internal roll cage and driver and co-driver’s names.
This Mitsibishi 4×4 with private registration plate is owned by ‘First Safety’ and is used by them as a tactical support unit. It is fitted with amber flashing lights and red and blue squares up the sides.
The rear view of the Mitsibushi.
This Volkswagen Beetle look-a-like car is designed for children. It is seen here in a police livery with a comical number plate. It is designed to attract people to the sales stand for Crown Conversions (Airdrie).
A lot of effort has gone into building this electric car. It is compete with high visibility markings and even has its own retractable roof.
R108 YAS This Ford Collin County (United States) police car was also spotted in the UK.
JVO 902V A Naval Patrol Land Rover.
H45 AAB An ex-RAF Land Rover. It is in excellent condition and still has a blue revolving light on the roof as well as repeaters on the bull-bars. Above the windscreen is a space where an illuminated ‘ambulance’ sign used to be.
The rear view. This type of Land Rover was used as crash ambulances. They were used when an aircraft came down away from its base.
E788 LAJ is a 1987 fire-engine-style recovery appliance owned and run by Commercial Services (Tadcaster) CST Ltd. It is an Air Cushion Recovery Unit and shares it’s blue colour scheme with a number of similar vehicles in the fleet. However this is the only one to have blue lights fitted. It is an ex-North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue vehicle. After being involved in a crash when on a blue light run, the vehicle was written off and bought by CST. They refurbished it and kept the blue light bar in place. It may be that the vehicle was a declared resource of NYFRS to assist with lifting HGVs as RTCs and that CST have a good relationship with watches at Tadcaster fire station which is almost next door.
E789 LAJ is the sister vehicle of the above appliance. It is an Dennis DS153 / HCB-Angus emergency tender with NYFRS
R446 TBC This is a Vauxhall Astra which is used as a warden’s patrol vehicle. Wardens work very closely with the police to provide extra manpower in specific housing estates.
The rear view. This Astra is decked out in a police-style livery and has a camera and monitor mounted inside to collect evidence of criminal or unruly behavior.
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 WEC and 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 WEC is 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.