The Wall Street Journal has a story which touches on the time honored fire service debate about the color of fire apparatus. The article is a piece about a small district in Florida which maintains a fleet that is painted a non-traditional color.
Throughout the rest of the country, red is the typical color for emergency vehicles—fire-engine red as the shade is often and aptly called. But for nearly four decades, firefighters in Palm Beach Gardens have opted for a garish yellow-green that they argue is easier to spot from a distance, even in the pea soup of a South Florida summer thunderstorm. The proof that Fire Chief Pete Bergel often cites: In his 30 years with the city, no fire-department vehicle has been rear-ended. The color “is in your face,” he says.
Throughout the rest of the country, red is the typical color for emergency vehicles—fire-engine red as the shade is often and aptly called. But for nearly four decades, firefighters in Palm Beach Gardens have opted for a garish yellow-green that they argue is easier to spot from a distance, even in the pea soup of a South Florida summer thunderstorm. The proof that Fire Chief Pete Bergel often cites: In his 30 years with the city, no fire-department vehicle has been rear-ended. The color “is in your face,” he says.
Local departments that are not red include Elk Grove Township in Division 1, Pingree-Grove and Rutland-Dundee in Division 2, Glencoe in Division 3, Fox Lake and Winthrop Harbor in Division 4, Clarendon Hills in Division 10, Fox River & Countryside in Division 13, Coal City in Division 15, Lisle-Woodridge in Division 16, Elwood in Division 19, and Crete in Division 27.
Over the years, many departments in the area have switched to red or a red two-tone color scheme from white, yellow, and lime green.
The complete Wall Street Journal article can be found HERE.
