Fire Engines Photos

Rather neat, seeing an "all-American" rig, under blue European Blue Emergency lights.

Note the manufacturing economy of both front and rear cab doors being identical.

Who is the maker? all I can venture, looks like might be "Pierce" in blue oval, on radiator grille.

Regards, from Canada,
Pat_R-B

Added by Pat Rivers-Bowerman on 26 October 2009.

To Pat R.B,

Blue lights are more correctly associated with the UK, being introduced here from 1961.
In Europe (and elsewhere) they usually use either all red, or Blue and Red, although as always there are the exceptions.

Added by Chris Hall Teesside. UK. on 27 October 2009.

I'd actually say that blue lights are almost exclusively used throughout Europe now. Off the top of my head - France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Belgium and the Netherlands are all blue. Spain seems to be something of an oddity with its orange warning lights - but I've personally never seen red in western Europe.

Added by Peter Ellis on 28 October 2009.

Hi Pat, This is a (4x4)P30 Medium Rescue truck.
It was built by Pierce by utilising the Freightliner cab.

Added by Simon Gunnning on 29 October 2009.

Boys if the European Parliament get their way the emergency services lights will be Fire engines will be Red / Ambulances green And Police Blue.

Added by Bob on 29 October 2009.

Yep, chassis is Freightliner 4x4, Pierce fire equipment. Freightliner is a Daimler-Benz subsidiary and uses a lot of M-B truck components. That's why the doors look like M-B doors.

From all the photos in this section on the RAF bases, it looks like they're all using U.S. apparatus.

Added by Michael Feldman on 30 October 2009.

Hi Pat,
The three conventional or normal control trucks from the RAF base, shared with US Airforce are Freightliner FL70 or FL80 built a few years ago. Freightliner builds a full range of trucks, but these are built for "business class" work; the cab and chassis are Freightliner with Cummins diesel engines, while the bodywork is by Pierce using various type pumps. Many north American fire departments use them as fire trucks and ambulances. Freightliner is part of the Daimler Benz group, and it's interesting to see Mercedes Benz trucks bearing a close relationship to these Freightliners.

Added by Bob Graham on 30 October 2009.

I understand that Spain has started to adopt blue for fire engines and ambulances

Added by Barrie Green on 30 October 2009.

It amazes me why anyone would think swapping blue lights for red was a good idea. In a night-time cityscape, only blue lights truly stand out among the glare of red, orange and yellow. You can see blue for miles.

Added by YelpBullhorn on 30 October 2009.

And the researcher are telling that red is better visible in the sun.... So a combination is the best solution. I saw this combination in San Francisco when I was on vacation there. And I can tell you, you can see and hear the emergency vehicles perfect !!

Added by Marcel on 30 October 2009.

Marcel, there was a Federal beacon around a few years ago, we ran a trial on a West Yorks machine, it featured red, amber, clear and blue. It was the best I have ever seen. Blue still suffers in bright sunlight, even the new led models.

Added by John Stott on 30 October 2009.

Yes John a few brigades tried the 'multiflash' the first time I saw one was on the Glasgow FB 'Scoocher' I believe it didn't comply with UK laws in that it could show a red light to the front.

Added by Barrie Green on 30 October 2009.

Most US emergency vehicles have lights in two more more colours, typically red/blue or red/clear/blue. For some reason, in the last few years many fire departments seem to have gone back to all-red.

Added by Michael Feldman on 30 October 2009.

Aye Barry, I remember the CFO Mr Horan had correspondence with the traffic police over the red, nothing changes eh?

Added by John Stott on 31 October 2009.

This type of walk-around rescue is increasingly popular in the US, although there are still a lot of the older center aisle types being bought.

The advantage is that you can accommodate more gear within the same size vehicle, and modern hinged or slide-out trays and shelves make access easier if you have to unload stuff that is carried towards the center of the body.

As for warning lights, here in the US you get everything - red, clear, blue, orange, green - sometimes all five on the same rig! Personally, I think it is overdone much of the time...

Blue is indeed the current European norm. It originated in the 1930s in Germany. Possibly the only positive legacy of Adolf's regime!

Australia seems to have cracked it. Blue on one side of the roof, red on the other, with switched-around cowl lights too.

In Japan, they still have all red for all emergency services and everybody seems quite happy too...

Added by Rob Johnson on 17 August 2017.

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