# New ambulances hard to miss



## MariaCatEMT (Aug 13, 2006)

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Speaking of unit colors.....

New ambulances hard to miss

Two brand new ambulances are now on the streets of the South Metro area, and they're hard to miss. That's because the new units have a new decal design for the sides and the back to make them easier to see both when they are moving and when they are stopped. 

"We did a great deal of research into this before we purchased these new units," says South Metro Fire Rescue emergency medical services Chief Marilyn Bourn. "National standards for ambulance markings are moving in the direction we have chosen and so we're actually out in front of an emerging new model," she says.

Read more here...
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## SwissEMT (Aug 13, 2006)

:lol:  I dig that! Is that weird? It's right out of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or something


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## Jon (Aug 13, 2006)

I like it... anything to keep the drunks AWAY from my rig.


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## ffemt8978 (Aug 13, 2006)

Jon said:
			
		

> I like it... anything to keep the drunks AWAY from my rig.



Prohibition....

Seriously, though, I'm not sure that pattern is such a good idea.  It almost looks like an arrow pointing the drunk directly at the rig.  I know that overseas in England and Europe, they use something similar on their rigs but I don't know how well it's worked.


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## fm_emt (Aug 15, 2006)

Woah. That looks kind of cool!


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## Anomalous (Aug 15, 2006)

If I remember correctly, I read an article that said there is no scientific basis for using stripes to enhance visibility.  Isn't that why animals have stripes?  So they can hide?


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## Raf (Aug 15, 2006)

I don't know about that new ambulance but..

Animals use stripes so that they can hide amongst themselves. A herd of zebras running at full speed look like a huge blur of black and white to a stationay lion. It confuses the hell out of them.

I guess we'll just have to see how well these ambulances perform. In my opinion, just the color yellow is noticeable enough and it wouldn't look as silly. People would probably mistaken this ambulance for a clown ambulance.


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## FFEMT1764 (Aug 16, 2006)

My idea for ambulance colors involes orange road barrels, no one found it amusing though...but hey, after all its just another attempt to do the impossible...making dumb people think!


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## NYCWatchdog (Aug 16, 2006)

That's an interesting look... especially having the back completely covered like that.  I wonder how many accidents they had onscene prior to the new design, and how many they'll be getting now.


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## Resqswimmer (Aug 16, 2006)

we just got our new ambulance. its huge!! too bad its not painted as cool as that tho. its big and ugly.


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## gradygirl (Aug 16, 2006)

WHOA! :blink:  Not gonna lie, I think I just had a mini-seizure looking at that picture.


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## tydek07 (Nov 7, 2008)

All of our new ambulances have a Yellow/Blue checker pattern on the back and along the sides. At first I didn't like it at all, but now I dont mind it.


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## imurphy (Nov 7, 2008)

NOTHING new there at all! We've used battenberg on the sides and cheveron on the back of the units in Ireland for years!

We use Yellow and Green for ambulance, Red and Yellow for Fire and Blue and Yellow (Battenberg, the squares of Hi-Vis on the side) for Garda (Police)

Not the most flattering picture but:






We've been using it since the early 90's!

Also, our high vis vests follow the same as our battenberg.


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## traumateam1 (Nov 7, 2008)

Not to hijack the thread but this is one of Crestline's ambulances






Seizure time.:blink:


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## karaya (Nov 7, 2008)

Look's like something from "Cash Cab"


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## Epi-do (Nov 7, 2008)

karaya said:


> Look's like something from "Cash Cab"



We are 24 blocks from your hospital of choice.  I will ask you questions, and for each correct answer you will receive a dollar amount.  As the questions increase in difficulty the dollar amount goes up.  If you miss three questions before arriving at the hospital, your ride is over.  You will be removed from the ambulance and left on the sidewalk, where you can call for another ambulance.  Are you ready to play?


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## Scout (Nov 8, 2008)

http://flickr.com/photos/paramedic_alan/2099830991/in/set-72157601853255036/


http://flickr.com/photos/paramedic_alan/1310277299/in/set-72157601853255036/

Not my pics(or ambulance) but it gives you an idea,

Murph, the guy in DPM standing up to the left of that pic looks very fermilure,,, small world


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## Sasha (Nov 8, 2008)

Scout said:


> http://flickr.com/photos/paramedic_alan/2099830991/in/set-72157601853255036/
> 
> 
> http://flickr.com/photos/paramedic_alan/1310277299/in/set-72157601853255036/
> ...



Whoa. The peoples in the first one blend into their ambulance.. Kinda like camoflauge!


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## mycrofft (Nov 8, 2008)

*Fancy schmancy sales pkging.*

When you break up an object's profile with changing patterns, or patterns of any sort, you lose long distance visability to a degree, i.e., a big lime yellow (as they used to call the safety color in use now) square squad is going to be better seen than a bunch of little checkerboards, some stripes, some paisley, and some contrasting letters. Besides, who's going to pay to upkeep that paint scheme? 
Poorly visible vehicles are part myth, part neurobiology, and part physics.
1. People claim they couldn't see you when you and they collide. Generally it is that _*they failed*_ to see you, you were visible. On cross exam, they were distracted, unsafely changing lanes, or trying to race you.
2. The "big yellow square" effect has to do with recognition circuits in the brain. Keep it simple, and try to contrast with your surroundings, which can be hard, due to physics.
3. Different light spectra pick out or dull down different colors. High UV, such as at early dusk/late predawn, thin overcast, and using LED or other actinic lights, makes fluorescent colors and "lime yellow" stand out but dulls down  red. Regular daylight brightens red but the yellow can lose contrast to match surroundings, ditto standard headlights and flashlights. Reflective materials work better as light decreases, and electroluminescent need darkness.

Try this: lime yellow body, reflective red  line corner markers and large (two foot tall) numbers on roof, sides, front and back, and company name in blue reflective a foot high.


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## imurphy (Nov 8, 2008)

Hey scout! I have no idea who's in the picture! Just something I yoinked off google. From the times I think!

And Sash, that's the point of our jackets being the same as the bus! If we get attacked we stand by the bus and the guys all "where'd they go!"


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## lightsandsirens5 (Dec 8, 2008)

We're getting a new ambulance and they are thinking of doing it in green and white stripes like the south metro one. We are run by the county sheriff so we have green rigs.


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## emt_angel25 (Dec 8, 2008)

there are a couple of agencies near where i work that have that rear design. it is a great thing to have especially when your sitting on the side of  the interstate. i love them and being on the truck committe i will be pulling for that on our new rigs.


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