This lifeboat in the RNLB The Whiteheads which is a Mersey Class vessel based at St. Mary’s on the Isles of Scilly. It has a range of 250 nautical miles.
The stern view of the life-saving craft, showing the lightweight crane to launch and recover a small Y-boat.
The small boat used to access the moored lifeboat.
OU04 HHV This is a Nissan Patrol operated by the South Western Ambulance Service. Notice the additional height to the roof which allows medics to move around easier in the back.
The rear view, showing the unusual rear shape due to the heightened roof and removal of spare wheel.
ECV 854V This is a Landrover Series III 109 which has been converted into a fire vehicle by Charmichael. It is part of the Isles of Scilly Fire Service’s fleet based on the island of St. Martins. It is a front line appliance, the only one on the island, despite it’s age of 31 years when photographed in 2011.
The rear view. It has no battenburg markings or even a stripe down the side. Two small blue strobe lights are fitted on the roof along with two tone horns and ladders.
A closer look at the passenger door. An old livery for Cornwall County Fire Brigade is shown, despite the vehicle belonging to the Isles of Scilly Fire Service. This is because the Islands broke away from Cornwall for fire provision and the vehicle has not been re-liveried. This made it the smallest statutory fire service in the UK and is operated on a 100% retained basis.
P156 SCY is a Charmichael / Mercedes Benz 1124AF. It is seen here emerging from its home fire station in Hugh Town, Isles of Scilly.
A look at the full length of the engine.
A look at the side of the engine.
A close-up of the door showing the fire service’s name and crest.
WK56 AOY is a Toyota Hilux rapid response fire car used on the Isles of Scilly.
The rear view showing the equipment trailer it tows.
This is the Star of Life, an ambulance boat used around the Isles of Scilly off the Cornish coast. It was new in 2003 when it cost £260,000. The boat is vital to transport casualties from the many islands to the only hospital on St. Mary’s.
The Star of Life works alongside Cornwall’s air ambulance. When the air ambulance is not available, due to maintenance or fog for example, the sea-going catamaran boat can transport serious cases to the mainland at Penzance. It can travel the 28 miles at up to 25 knots.
Inside the 36-foot boat is all the normal ambulance equipment including defibrillator, oxygen and pain relieving drugs. It is manned by an emergency medical technician and a coxswain from the South Western Ambulance Service.
The boat has five pairs of folding doors around the vessel that allow the smooth transition of a walking or stretcher casualty from land to sea. The Star of Life replaced the Santa Warna that previously served the Scillonian archipelago.
The vessel at speed in the sea. It is fitted with a blue flashing light to help identify its purpose.
A sea ambulance boat used on the Isles of Scilly. The boat is towed on the trailer shown by a Nissan Patrol ambulance car.
The stern view, showing the outboard motor and two oars. A smart colour scheme has been applied to this small vessel, including ambulance wording on the seat.
WX59 JCD This Iveco is an ambulance command vehicle with Great Western.
WX10 AUP This Iveco is used by the Great Western Ambulance Service as an Incident Response Unit. It is assigned fleet number GW01.
MK08 FYY Oldham Council operates this Mitsubishi Shogun as part of thier First Response Team. It carries a dark brown and yellow battenburg pattern, very similar to Highways Agency Traffic Officers. This is one of six 4×4 response vehicles they operate.
The Mitsubishi being used to reach snow-bound residents around Oldham. Photo courtesy of Oldham Council.
HF57 HRR This is a Coastguard Search and Rescue Nissan Navara. It is fitted with four flashing blue LEDs on the grille.
The rear view. Notice the absence of additional blue lights on the rear.
HX10 CKJ This is a Citroen Relay that is used as a Community Contact Point by Hampshire Fire.
The rear view, showing the large photographs used on the bodywork.
WA58 BEJ This Land Rover Defender is used by Devon and Cornwall Police. It holds the claim of being the most South-Westerly police vehicle in the country being based on the island of St. Mary’s in the Isles of Scilly.
The rear view of the Land Rover. This is the only motorised police vehicle in the Isles of Scilly. This stems from the islands being a low crime area: just 44 crimes were reported in 2010.
XLJ 997S In this dramatic shot, a Volvo C303 belonging to The League of Venturers Search and Rescue reaches the top of a steep hill of loose dirt on a training exercise.
A clearer look at the vehicle which carries blue lights.
K249 ROR This is a Lifeguard Toyota Hilux Surf. It carries a winch on the front and a clear light bar on the roof with “rescue” wording.
The rear view showing the “ambulance” markings and the high visibility spare tyre cover.
A look at the wording and logo on the side of the Hilux.
DX03 LML This Ford Mondeo estate is marked as an emergency vehicle. It also has Parks Patrol and Dog Section wording. It is operated by Emergency Services Support, a private security company.
Here is the same Mondeo in its previous life as a Staffordshire police car.
Venturers Search and Rescue operate this beach rescue rib which is towed by a all-terrain vehicle. It has a small blue strobing beacon mounted on the roll bar.
K119 NAS is a Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team Land Rover which is primarily a communications vehicle. It is sponsored by Glenfiddich Scotch whisky.
AB 53 AB This DAF LF is a bomb disposal truck with the Royal Logistics Corps. It is seen here with additional signage taped to the sides and rear to advertise a sponsored cycle race.
Here is the rear view of the truck.
WN06 JJF This is a St. John Ambulance Nissan Navara with G-BATC air ambulance in flight in the background. The car has its blue lights flashing which is normal protocol to help the pilot spot the vehicle from a distance away and land near by.
UCE 380K Here is a classic Triumph Toledo police car replica. This type of car was used to patrol rural Nottinghamshire in the early 1970s. Notice the black roof.
The rear view. The blue light has been covered up with black material to help avoid people thinking it is an active police car and to comply with the road vehicle lighting regulations. The police signs are magnetically attached.
SY08 AZC This is a Citroen Dispatch that is operated by Northern Constabulary. It has two half-width blue light bars on the roof and four blue flashing LEDs neatly mounted in the front grille.
The side view. Notice the prominent advert for Crimestoppers and that the van is parked in a loading bay, probably because the officers are answering an emergency call.
Here is a brand new Met Police BMW 5-series. It is yet to be assigned a registration plate or display a tax disc.
The rear view of the BMW. You can see an ANPR camera mounted on the roof and appropriate wording on the window below it.
An RAF Police Land Rover in desert camouflage colours. The photograph is taken at Basrah International Airport in Iraq during operations there.
Here a Hampshire Police launch is made to look like a toy by the dominating Queen Elizabeth cruise liner.
LX56 EVF This is a BTP Nissan Pathfinder that is shown with a train and railway station in the background.
The rear view, showing the repeater blue and red flashing LEDs on the bumper.
N999 MED This Renault S100 truck is used as a mobile intensive care unit in support of the British Touring Car Championship. It is fitted with blue lights all round but is stationery during the race weekend.
The rear view of the truck with it’s personalised registration. You can see a list of tracks and sponsors.
RK10 YHU Doctors and other medics at Silverstone race circuit use this temporarily marked-up Honda Accord as a medical car. The magnetic signs and blue lights can easily be removed.
The rear view of the Accord.
This Mercedes Benz C63 AMG estate is used in Formula One races around the world as the medical car. It is driven by driven by Dr Jacques Tropenat and also carries FIA’s chief medical delegate, Dr Gary Hartstein and medical equipment. The 6.3-litre V8 car has been described as the fastest ambulance on the planet and Mercedes have improved it over the road-going version. It is seen here on a demonstration run with two photographers hanging out of it.
E802 FTM This Land Rover Defender is a preserved Royal Air Force fire service vehicle. It is fitted with amber and blue flashing beacons on the roof.
The rear view of the camouflaged left-hand drive Land Rover.