Coventry fire service appliances

[rebbonk]

Did one of these overturn on the ring-road? (Just a very distant memory, I might have mixed different events)

[20A-Manor House]

Yes, "PHP 31M" did,

[rebbonk]

Thanks.

[dutchman]

Coventry's 'Rainbow Brigade' of fire engines in the 1970s



You could never accuse the 1970s of being understated – with lurid wallpapers, silly hairstyles, belted sweaters and bell bottoms.

The City of Coventry Fire Brigade even had its own bright yellow and hot pink appliances.

But the move from the more traditional red was no flippant fashion whim, it was all done in the interests of safety.

Pioneered by the city’s fire chief Albert Leese from the late 1960s, yellow was much more reflective under street lights.

Apparently the exact colour was invented by Lanchester College in conjunction with fire appliance maker Dennis.

Then in 1974 the brigade took delivery of the Pink Panther, a Bedford truck which was, not surprisingly, even easier to see than yellow in dim conditions.

As a result the city’s fleet of ten yellow machines, five red ones, a Green Goddess and the pink one became known affectionately as the Rainbow Brigade.

Yellow was eventually phased out when Coventry merged with the West Midlands and while the pink Bedfords remained throughout the region a little longer, there were issues with the actual truck itself.

It was too top heavy and was prone to toppling over, including PHP 31M which overturned on the city’s ring-road.



Speaking of the colours, John Knight, who joined City of Coventry Fire Brigade in 1968, said: “We thought it was brilliant. It was an experiment and it worked.

“At night you could not see red under the street lights, but yellow stood out like a sore thumb.”

Yellow is still used by the fire service at Birmingham Airport and by the RAF on its Sea King search and rescue helicopters.

Albert himself died in December 2007 aged 93.

He was a former president of the British Fire Services Association, and president of the Coventry Association of Retired Firefighters.

[rebbonk]

Yellow worked, but we were forced back to red by idiots in government!

[dutchman]

Jan 07, 2008

Death of officer who painted fire engines yellow

A FORMER Coventry fire chief, who famously painted the city's fleet of fire engines yellow in the 1970s, has died aged 93.

Albert Leese was the last boss of the old City of Coventry Fire Brigade, holding the post of chief fire officer between 1960 and 1974.

He passed away quietly on Friday, December 28.

A nationally respected authority on fire prevention, Albert was a former president of the British Fire Services Association, and president of the Coventry branch of of the Association of Retired Firefighters.

As well as pioneering the push to have fire engines painted yellow for safety reasons, he also predicted that a major tragedy would happen at a football ground following a fire at Highfield Road in 1962.

He was unhappily proved right by the Bradford fire tragedy in 1985.

The decorated fire officer was a firm believer that bright yellow should be the preferred colour for fire appliances, being more reflective in the dark than red.

And from the late 1960s Coventry became the first city in the UK to paint its fleet yellow.

The move was frowned upon by the Home Office and the vehicles reverted to red when the West Midlands Fire Service took over in 1974.

In 1968 he was awarded the Queen's Fire Service Medal and he also received medals from fire federations in France, Luxembourg, Holland and Belgium for his work in promoting links between the nations' fire services.

A regular contributor to the Coventry Telegraph's letters page, Albert lived in a bungalow he built himself in Cannon Hill Road with his first wife Evelyn, who died in 1972, and then second wife Joan.

Friend and former colleague Alan Adcock said: "Under Albert's command Coventry Fire Brigade became more effective and efficient and was, in the end, second to none in the country.

"His dedication to the fire service never waned."

As well as wife Joan he leaves children Valerie and Robert, grandchildren Daniel and Benjamin and great-grandchildren Max and Ben.

His funeral will take place at 12.45pm this Thursday, at Canley Crematorium.