# Are fire engines universally red? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 31, 2009, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-fire-engines-universally-red/515866 "2009-10-31T18:35:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![vifslan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f4b2a3/32.png) [@vifslan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vifslan)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2009, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-fire-engines-universally-red/515866/1 "2009-10-31T18:35:37Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2009, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-fire-engines-universally-red/515866/2 "2009-10-31T18:39:52Z")
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](http://macsystems.com/Nov19-2008.jpg) from Miami. And a [white one](http://fire-engine-photos.com.s3.amazonaws.com/16079.jpg). . ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2009, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-fire-engines-universally-red/515866/3 "2009-10-31T18:41:49Z")
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. > **[Google](https://www.google.com/#hl=en&source=hp&q=yellow+fire+truck&aq=0&aqi=g10&oq=yellow+fire&fp=8ec9ea851cee2c5b)** > > Search the world's information, including webpages, images, videos and more. Google has many special features to help you find exactly what you're looking for. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2009, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-fire-engines-universally-red/515866/4 "2009-10-31T18:44:49Z")
[Does Antarctica count as a country](http://www.sethwhite.org/images/mcmurdo/mcmurdo%20station/fire%20engine%20number%201.jpg)? (not that I live there) [Green](http://www.formbytimes.co.uk/news/formby-news/2009/04/01/trail-blazing-fire-engines-66401-23286089/) or [yellow](http://www.fire-engine-photos.com/picture/number6307.asp)in the UK - I’m guessing there’s a rainbow of non reds in that last link. eta - [I was right](http://www.fire-engine-photos.com/picture/number18754.asp) :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2009, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-fire-engines-universally-red/515866/5 "2009-10-31T18:45:35Z")
[Here’s a yellow one](http://www.flickr.com/photos/rickm15/3609180586/). ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2009, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-fire-engines-universally-red/515866/6 "2009-10-31T18:53:25Z")
Our are mostly yellow. They are more visible, apparently. We do still have some red ones though. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2009, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-fire-engines-universally-red/515866/7 "2009-10-31T18:58:24Z")
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’ 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2009, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-fire-engines-universally-red/515866/8 "2009-10-31T19:07:46Z")
> [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](#): > > eta - [I was right](http://www.fire-engine-photos.com/picture/number18754.asp) :eek: 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!”. ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2009, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-fire-engines-universally-red/515866/9 "2009-10-31T19:19:07Z")
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](http://www.dps.unc.edu/Parking/employee/permitpricing/permitpricing.cfm). ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2009, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-fire-engines-universally-red/515866/10 "2009-10-31T19:58:04Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![tetranz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a587f6/32.png) [@tetranz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tetranz)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2009, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-fire-engines-universally-red/515866/11 "2009-10-31T20:05:19Z")
Here in my little town in New Hampshire the three or so fire engines are all white. ---
**Author:** ![Fir\_na\_tine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fir\_na\_tine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fir_na_tine)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2009, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-fire-engines-universally-red/515866/12 "2009-10-31T20:29:12Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d26b3c/32.png) [@UncleBill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBill)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2009, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-fire-engines-universally-red/515866/13 "2009-10-31T20:42:00Z")
> [@whitetho](#): > > 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](http://www.dps.unc.edu/Parking/employee/permitpricing/permitpricing.cfm). I just threw up in my mouth a little. UncleBill Duke, 1988 ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2009, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-fire-engines-universally-red/515866/14 "2009-10-31T20:49:10Z")
_sigh_ When will we get it together? Fire engines should be _mauve_. Silly backwater planet. ---
**Author:** ![St.Urho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8e7dd6/32.png) [@St.Urho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/St.Urho)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2009, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-fire-engines-universally-red/515866/15 "2009-10-31T21:20:16Z")
[Denver has white fire trucks.](http://www.denvergov.org/FireDepartment/PhotoAlbum/PhotoAlbum2/Photo8/tabid/387344/Default.aspx) ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2009, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-fire-engines-universally-red/515866/16 "2009-10-31T22:29:25Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > When will we get it together? Fire engines should be _mauve_. > > Silly backwater planet. Right after we rename Belgium to something less rude. \ ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2009, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-fire-engines-universally-red/515866/17 "2009-10-31T22:44:23Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-fire-engines-universally-red/515866/18 "2009-11-01T00:27:35Z")
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) ---
**Author:** ![IAmNotSpartacus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@IAmNotSpartacus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IAmNotSpartacus)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-fire-engines-universally-red/515866/19 "2009-11-01T04:09:08Z")
US Forest Service fire trucks are [green](http://www.flickr.com/photos/mr38/219695948/) that remind me of the little mermaid ---
**Author:** ![vifslan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f4b2a3/32.png) [@vifslan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vifslan)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-fire-engines-universally-red/515866/20 "2009-11-01T09:15:21Z")
Once again, ignorance was well and truly fought. Thanks all! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-fire-engines-universally-red/515866.md?page=2)