What it said. I remember the first time I went to Germany and realised that police cars could be green and white instead of the ultramarine and white that I was used to. Red is the easiest colour to notice and react to, but on the other hand, who wouldn’t react to a huge fire engine with ladders on the roof, regardless if its colour?
So if anyone lives in a country where fire engines aren’t red, please raise your hand.
Most fire engines I’ve seen are red, but another popular colour is a very bright yellow-green. (‘Neon green’?) I’ve also seen at least one white one.
EDIT: Here’s a green one from Miami.
And a white one.
.
I am not sure where you are but yellow or lime-yellow fire trucks are fairly common in the U.S. Red is still most popular because of tradition but studies show that a yellow color is safer and more visible for night emergencies.
Does Antarctica count as a country? (not that I live there)
Green or yellowin the UK - I’m guessing there’s a rainbow of non reds in that last link.
eta - I was right :eek:
Our are mostly yellow. They are more visible, apparently.
We do still have some red ones though.
There’s an old joke
Why are fire engines red?
Because there are 12" in a foot
A foot is also a ruler
Queen Elizabeth is a ruler
Queen Elizabeth is also a ship
Ships sail the seas
There’s fish in the seas
Fish have finns
The Finns fought the Russians
And that’s why fire engines are red
Because they are always rushin’
San Francisco is looking to switch to a fleet of pink fire trucks as well because of cost savings. They won’t need flashing lights and a siren. Gay firemen will simply sit on top and wave their arms around like a rodeo cowboy and yell “Whoo, Whoo!”.
The school color for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is light blue – commonly known as “Carolina Blue”. Both the town and the university fire engines are this color. Light blue UNC firetruck.
It was a big deal when our town bought a new fire engine. It was yellow, so it was nicknamed “Yellow Bird”, since that Caribbean-themed song was popular at the time.
But most of the fire engines I’ve seen have, in fact, been red.
Here in my little town in New Hampshire the three or so fire engines are all white.
I’ve seen them at conventions in New England in numerous shades of red, white, blue, yellow, orange and “slime green”. At one time in the 60’s there was a study that said the “slime green” was safer and more visible. In the early to mid 90’s that study was found to be incorrect, red was more universally recognized and accepted. Don’t have a cite handy but many cities that had adopted “slime” are changing back to red as they replace apparatus.
Recently some authority came up with the massive reflective diagonal striping that is beginning to appear on the rear of ambulances and fire trucks in the US.
I just threw up in my mouth a little.
UncleBill
Duke, 1988
sigh
When will we get it together? Fire engines should be mauve.
Silly backwater planet.
Right after we rename Belgium to something less rude. </derail>
Around here we got red ones, we got white ones, we got yellow-green ones. It all depends on which town you’re in. We got dark blue ambulances, too.
On the base I’m stationed at, the Fire trucks are either bright red or bright yellow. The red ones respond to fires on the camo-clad part of the base, and the yellow ones respond to fires on the airfield (the “Crash Trucks” are have special equipment for dealing with burning airplanes)
Once again, ignorance was well and truly fought. Thanks all!
