What is the best color to paint your ambulance?

[ED]

I'm looking for the answer to a question that I'm
sure we can all agree on: What is the best color
to paint your ambulance?

Should it be gloss white, with an orange stripe and
blue lettering, like KKK-A-1822 says?

Should it be all red, so it is color-coordinated with
your fire apparatus?

Should it be red and white, which is easier to see at
night than all red?

Should it be lime green, a color that is supposed to be
more visible than red, both day and night, and is not
unpleasant once you get used to it, but makes your rig
look more like a piece of Terex construction equipment
than an ambulance.

Should it be camouflage painted, for doing tactical EMS?

Should it be some other color (how about all chrome?)
so it stands out from all the other companies'
ambulances?
What do you think?

P.S. Here's a question for any military medics out there:
Do military ambulances come with something to cover up the
big white and red crosses on the sides, for when you're
traveling in hostile territory and don't want to stand out
too much?

[Mike Painter]

Post by ED
I'm looking for the answer to a question that I'm
sure we can all agree on: What is the best color
to paint your ambulance?

Red or red and white is what most people paint their fire engines. In the US
that is *THE* color of a fire engine. Even in cities with lime green rigs
for 20 years the kids in school paint the fire engine red.
Red is a horrible color at night but reflective stripes and lights have
eliminated this problem and the ability to identify the vehicle as a fire
engine (if they see it) possibly out weighs any color advantage.
White or red with blue trim on ambulances has been big around here for years
and orange never caught on.

Have a contest and let the public decide.

But make sure there are a lot of reflective stripes on it.

[Paul Keenleyside]

Post by Mike Painter

Post by ED
I'm looking for the answer to a question that I'm
sure we can all agree on: What is the best color
to paint your ambulance?

Red or red and white is what most people paint their fire engines. In the US
that is *THE* color of a fire engine. Even in cities with lime green rigs
for 20 years the kids in school paint the fire engine red.
Red is a horrible color at night but reflective stripes and lights have
eliminated this problem and the ability to identify the vehicle as a fire
engine (if they see it) possibly out weighs any color advantage.
White or red with blue trim on ambulances has been big around here for years
and orange never caught on.

Then there's "Chicago Black" colours (red below the bottom window lines,
black above the bottom window line).

White is highly visible, but except for the southern parts of the States,
it's not very good especially in the Northwest
where it rains alot and you always have to clean white vehicles to make them
look good. There's only one department
here that has white fire engines. The rest are either red, red/white or lime
yellow. One however uses "Chicago Black".

The "Chicago Black" scheme actually looks pretty good on a fire engine.
Not too shabby.

Fire engine Flame red stands out during the day though.

Post by Mike Painter
Have a contest and let the public decide.
But make sure there are a lot of reflective stripes on it.

Our ambulances (Ministry of Health - Emergency Health Services paramedics)
are white with a large red diagonal reflective stripe on the sides and on
the top that come together on the roof to make a cross. The Lifesaver symbol
(blue) plus the lettering, car number and EHS logo are all reflective.

PK

[R. J. Baker]

Post by Paul Keenleyside

Post by Mike Painter

Post by ED
I'm looking for the answer to a question that I'm
sure we can all agree on: What is the best color
to paint your ambulance?

Red or red and white is what most people paint their fire engines. In

the

Post by Paul Keenleyside
US

Post by Mike Painter
that is *THE* color of a fire engine. Even in cities with lime green rigs
for 20 years the kids in school paint the fire engine red.
Red is a horrible color at night but reflective stripes and lights have
eliminated this problem and the ability to identify the vehicle as a fire
engine (if they see it) possibly out weighs any color advantage.
White or red with blue trim on ambulances has been big around here for

years

Post by Mike Painter
and orange never caught on.

Then there's "Chicago Black" colours (red below the bottom window lines,
black above the bottom window line).
White is highly visible, but except for the southern parts of the States,
it's not very good especially in the Northwest
where it rains alot and you always have to clean white vehicles to make them
look good. There's only one department
here that has white fire engines. The rest are either red, red/white or lime
yellow. One however uses "Chicago Black".
The "Chicago Black" scheme actually looks pretty good on a fire engine.
Not too shabby.
Fire engine Flame red stands out during the day though.

Post by Mike Painter
Have a contest and let the public decide.
But make sure there are a lot of reflective stripes on it.

Our ambulances (Ministry of Health - Emergency Health Services paramedics)
are white with a large red diagonal reflective stripe on the sides and on
the top that come together on the roof to make a cross. The Lifesaver symbol
(blue) plus the lettering, car number and EHS logo are all reflective.

Ummm... Paul? Did you happen to take a glance at the header of the original
post by "ED"? Posted from AOL via Google. (Hint: Think outside the BOX,
man!) <g>

Jim
(Burying head in hands)

[Paul Keenleyside]

Post by R. J. Baker
Ummm... Paul? Did you happen to take a glance at the header of the original
post by "ED"? Posted from AOL via Google. (Hint: Think outside the BOX,
man!) <g>
Jim
(Burying head in hands)

Don't sweat the small stuff, kiddo. There's too much out there to worry
about a troll who obviously is busy at his PC
under a bridge.

Actually today I did think outside the box. I did the setup of a 48" wide
screen HD TV for friends of mine and figured that another audio cable was
needed to complete the setup, so got one and ta da. Stereo Surround Sound
for tonight's hockey game. 8-)

During the hockey game, a few key players made some errors and were sent to
The Box.

Canucks lost 5 to 3 after a run in with the Leafs.

[Ryan, KC8PMX]

Post by Mike Painter

Post by ED
I'm looking for the answer to a question that I'm
sure we can all agree on: What is the best color
to paint your ambulance?

Red or red and white is what most people paint their fire engines. In the US
that is *THE* color of a fire engine. Even in cities with lime green rigs
for 20 years the kids in school paint the fire engine red.
Red is a horrible color at night but reflective stripes and lights have
eliminated this problem and the ability to identify the vehicle as a fire
engine (if they see it) possibly out weighs any color advantage.
White or red with blue trim on ambulances has been big around here for years
and orange never caught on.

As far as ambulances I have seen around here in Michigan, the BASE color is
almost always white with some other color that is the other color for
lettering/designs/logos. A really cool look is on
http://www.mobilemedical.org/ Check out their page for a pic of their rigs
and/or design.

Actually I read a study somewhere (and will have to find it again) that
actually the "dayglow flourescent greenish" color and then yellow is
supposed to be the most recognizable. Around here we call those type of
firetrucks unripened!! :) :) :)

Post by Mike Painter
Have a contest and let the public decide.

Beautiful idea, especially if it is a taxpayer based service, but still a
good idea.

Post by Mike Painter
But make sure there are a lot of reflective stripes on it.

I have even found in my POV that using some of that reflective tape or paint
is actually a godsend! For some reason I guess, people just don't see me as
my S-15 pickup is that "medium gray" color, which from a distance must match
well used or driven on asphalt!! I can't tell you how many times people have
pulled out in front of me from a side road or parking lot and claimed they
didn't see me!


--
Ryan, KC8PMX
FF1-FF2-MFR-(pending NREMT-B!)
--. --- -.. ... .- -. --. . .-.. ... .- .-. . ..-. .. .-. . ..-.
.. --. .... - . .-. ...

["P. Hardewig" <[e-mail]>]

From my 23+ years of Fire/EMS, my humble opinion is:

IT DOESN'T !#$%&* MATTER! THEY WON'T YIELD FOR YOU, ANYWAY!!!

PAINT-SHMAINT!! WHO CARES?! I WANT SOME OF THOSE 007 ROCKET LAUNCHERS IN
THE FRONT BUMPER!!


Lightheartedly yours,
Lt Pat
City of Hamilton, OH FD, est 1827, who just went "Chicago" colors!!!!
(Pics on Yahoo Firepics group)
IAFF Local 20, Ohio's Oldest

Post by ED
I'm looking for the answer to a question that I'm
sure we can all agree on: What is the best color
to paint your ambulance?
Should it be gloss white, with an orange stripe and
blue lettering, like KKK-A-1822 says?
Should it be all red, so it is color-coordinated with
your fire apparatus?
Should it be red and white, which is easier to see at
night than all red?
Should it be lime green, a color that is supposed to be
more visible than red, both day and night, and is not
unpleasant once you get used to it, but makes your rig
look more like a piece of Terex construction equipment
than an ambulance.
Should it be camouflage painted, for doing tactical EMS?
Should it be some other color (how about all chrome?)
so it stands out from all the other companies'
ambulances?
What do you think?
Do military ambulances come with something to cover up the
big white and red crosses on the sides, for when you're
traveling in hostile territory and don't want to stand out
too much?

[Mike Painter]

Post by "P. Hardewig" <***@fuse.net>
IT DOESN'T !#$%&* MATTER! THEY WON'T YIELD FOR YOU, ANYWAY!!!
PAINT-SHMAINT!! WHO CARES?! I WANT SOME OF THOSE 007 ROCKET LAUNCHERS IN
THE FRONT BUMPER!!

Lately around here it's been pretty amazing how people are yielding.

Post by "P. Hardewig" <***@fuse.net>
Lightheartedly yours,
Lt Pat
City of Hamilton, OH FD, est 1827, who just went "Chicago" colors!!!!

Mike Painter
Hamilton City, CA

[Birken Vogt]

Post by ED
I'm looking for the answer to a question that I'm
sure we can all agree on: What is the best color
to paint your ambulance?
Should it be gloss white, with an orange stripe and
blue lettering, like KKK-A-1822 says?
Should it be all red, so it is color-coordinated with
your fire apparatus?
Should it be red and white, which is easier to see at
night than all red?

Ours are white over dark red so the brush scratches do not show so bad
on the top half, while the bottom half gets our traditional color which
is a very dark "old-American-LaFrance" red.

Birken

[Captain KD]

Post by ED
Should it be some other color (how about all chrome?)
so it stands out from all the other companies'
ambulances?
What do you think?

A fire based Ambulance should represent the color scheme of the rest
of the apparatus. If you are a private ambulance and you want to
blend in to the scheme consider the same color as fire. However if
the privates want to be noticed differently add pizzaz.

It doesnt matter the color it will be recognized in your community as
an ambulance by the shape, the lights, the reflective striping, and
the freaking whail the siren makes.

As for visability all the studies in the world will not make up for
one driver with their head firmly placed in their anal orifice. Color
it the same as the fleet.

Monte
This message was written on recycled electrons, any imperfections
should be considered part of the beauty and not a mistake.

[RLDean]

Our first aid squad's rigs are white with blue striping and blue lettering
because that's the squad colors. A neighboring squad is white with red
because that's their borough colors. Several others are white with orange.

Rich Dean
Butler NJ

[Brian Trotta]

I like the one in one of the magazines this month -- purple and white
checkerboard with yellow lettering.


Bleeech!

Post by ED
I'm looking for the answer to a question that I'm
sure we can all agree on: What is the best color
to paint your ambulance?

Founder, comp.dcom.modems.cable

Reply Hint: "nowayspambot" is not part of my address.

[Jerrymediccs2]

I think you should cordinate it to the colors of your fire trucks so people
will associate it with the department and not with the local ambulance company.
I asumed you were talking about a truck that runs EMS calls from the fire dept.