Fire Engines Photos

why the white walls, I respect their tradition with them, but its a little out dated.

Added by ZJannenga on 26 April 2011.

295 feet now thats a serious ladder truck.

Added by Les Davis on 29 April 2011.

Maybe the whitewalls are for visibility?

Added by Michael Feldman on 30 April 2011.

Many countries have tried different tire and wheel tratments to help identify their fire trucks as emergency vehicles. In Finnland and Germany, we have seen black and white and red and white painted wheels, and full chrome wheel covers in both south America and some UK fire brigades.

Soviet fire services often included whitewalls to increase the visibility and identify their trucks as fire service vehicles, for the same reasons they painted the front doors white.

Interestingly, many French fire services also had whitewall tires in the 1950s and 1960s for the same reason, and many Spanish fire departments still also have red trucks with shite painted front doors. It seems no good ideas are truly unique!

Added by Rob Johnson on 03 August 2013.

Apologies for the typo. Of course, some of our Spanish friends use white paint on their front doors, rather than any organic material. Oops!

Added by Rob Johnson on 04 August 2013.

The Soviets, and now Russia and many former Soviet countries, painted two wide white stripes down the front or hood of the vehicle. See picture 4428 for an old Kiev truck with these stripes, and picture 33102 for a newer Omsk one. I guess Ukraine isn't using the stripes anymore.

Added by Mike Feldman on 05 August 2013.

@ Mike, this one isn't painted (or wasn't painted when the picture was taken)

The two-white-stripes scheme still stands.

Added by Alex on 31 October 2014.

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