Fire Engines Photos

I was also wondering, if this ambulance is run by the fire service, as you say, then how come it isn't painted in red, but in yellow?
Thanks
Tiger

Added by Tiger on 25 March 2013.

Belgian fire services all operate emergency ambulances, just as they do in many other European countries, including France and Germany. The standard color in Belgium is yellow, as it is in Germany, although there are still a handful of older white painted fire service ambulances in service in Belgium.

Added by Rob Johnson on 26 March 2013.

Thankyou, Rob, for clearing that up for me. I think that fire service based EMS is the best way to go and it should be more widespread.

Added by Tiger on 27 March 2013.

Well Rob I believe that in some parts of Belgium the ambulance service isn't done by the Fire service. Ambulances and Emergency doctors respond from hospitals. In the surroundings of Brasschaat it was the case.
However it doesn't matter who will respond, the main thing is a well equipped ambulance with capable people at a incident.

Added by Marcel Sloover on 27 March 2013.

Marcel - as you say, in Belgium ambulances are operated by various agencies, in addition to those staffed by fire services. It may indeed be the case that where these resources are deemed to be adequate, the local fire service may not have an ambulance in every station, but they usually do.

The same pattern exists in both Germany and France, as well as here in the US; in practice, the mix is mainly based on historic practice.

I don't know of any European country where fire services are the exclusive providers of ambulance coverage, and in some countries - such as the UK and Italy - they don't provide any.

Some Ital;ian fire services did provide ambulance service before the national VdF organization was created in 1939, and of course a few British fire brigades did the same even long after WWII - including my hometown, Darlington, which had both firefighters, ambulance attendants and members who were trained to do both.

Typically, all of the fire services which operate ambulances have a much higher call load on their medical units, A few years ago Berlin significantly reduced their full-time fire coverage levels to provide additional EMS personnel and ambulances to handle the call volume, and Paris' sapeurs-pompiers are in the process of doing the same by reducing pump crews from eight to five members.

Unfortunately - in both cases - firefighting resouces are being reduced to provide staffing for more effective EMS response, often to calls which all too frequently turn out to be minor incidents which do not require any treatment or transportation.

Added by Rob Johnson on 28 March 2013.

Maybe so, Rob. But, still, pump crews and EMS crews have to be balanced, and sometimes that is difficult to do. Even so, in old cities such as Paris and Berlin, the fire stations are very close together, reducing call times and making smaller crews less of a problem. Personally, I think 8 men on a pump is far too many. Six men (Driver, Officer and four firemen) is plenty. Any less and effectiveness is reduced. This crazy idea of pumps turning out with three men, two men and even, God forbid, one man, is dangerous and detrimental both to firemen and to the public.

Added by Tiger on 30 March 2013.

Although, having said that, two to three men is a good staffing number for an ambulance, generally.

Added by Tiger on 02 April 2013.

Hi Tiger!There is a rule in the EU, Europian union, that ambulances in the membercountries, shall be yellow, with
yellow and green reflective tape!

Anders F. Sweden

Added by Anders Fallström on 11 July 2014.

Hi Anders:

This does not seem to stop many German and all French fire services operating red ambulances, including Paris.

Added by Rob Johnson on 15 November 2017.

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