Vehicle Gallery - Discussion Thread

flazio

I don't think this vehicle is new.
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=78053028&postcount=1193
As far as I'm aware the outgoing Civil Defence Officer used it for his personal transport for a couple of years after the Nissan Pathfinder went to the Ballinasloe unit.
Now that he has retired, it would appear that the City unit have spruced it up with some lights.

miju

curious as to why it's not in the usual CD livery and it's function / point of the lights

flazio

Reason it's not Civil Livery is because it was purchased 2nd hand from a private source (look at the reg) one of two I believe, the other is based in Oranmore to the best of my knowledge, also a maroon colour.
Under these tough economic times I think you're going to find Civil vehicles around the country have a bit of a magpie livery set up, buy whatever vehicle we can afford, what ever the colour and retrofit Civil Defence markings. Not even Dublin CD are completely uniform, I believe a recent ambulance acquisition from DFB is to retain it's Red/Yellow batenburgs.

The Lights are because we are a recognized emergency service in Galway and have drivers with Defensive Driving Training who can utilize the vehicle in attending a major emergency.

searescue

flazio wrote: »

The Lights are because we are a recognized emergency service in Galway and have drivers with Defensive Driving Training who can utilize the vehicle in attending a major emergency.

miju

searescue wrote: »

+1 really see no purpose for that vehicle to have lights fitted to it if it's not marked out properly or serves no function other than as a run around.

actually galls me a bit as a tax payer to see that kinda thing going on as well

An Udaras

Personally I see no Problem with blue lights on any Civil Defence vehicle including on this jeep. Especially if there used during aid to community roles or in the past snow & ice when civil defence volunteers where out assisting their full time counterparts.

If they require the blue lights for them to attend an incident or simply when stationary at a location where personal are deployed to alert passers by & to direct traffic etc..

It's all about Safety..

goldie fish

Amber lights would do just as good a job.

flazio

I could try to assure people that Civil Defence members are not allowed to cut up traffic on blues whenever they feel like it but you'd never believe me.

miju

flazio wrote: »

I could try to assure people that Civil Defence members are not allowed to cut up traffic on blues whenever they feel like it but you'd never believe me.

In fairness though a jeep like that with blues with no actual function is a bit difficult to convince otherwise though I do believe you

TylerIE

miju wrote: »

+1 really see no purpose for that vehicle to have lights fitted to it if it's not marked out properly or serves no function other than as a run around.

actually galls me a bit as a tax payer to see that kinda thing going on as well

While flazio is somewhat misinformed over the actual Statutory position on Blue lights on CD vehicles, and current National Policy re same, the vehicles can sometimes warrant the lights. Galway Civil Defence certainly is one of the most active in the country, with an extremely high training standard and dedicated instructors and volunteers, but they aint any different under the law re lights etc.

Civil Defence is a second line Emergency Service, and as such you could say everything they do or spend money on (other than direct service provision) serves no purpose.

In the very servere bad weather CD were often doing transports to main roads to RV with the statutory services for patients in rural areas, and bringing doctors etc to incidents. In some areas they also assisted with road closures etc. In other areas they respond to Water Rescue incidents as tasked by the Fire Service.

Also an isolated lightbar or roof light is probably cheaper than battenburg markings.

ivabiggon

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2006/en/si/0342.html

i asked this before, where does it state the civil defence can use blue light, not been smart, just interested in knowning, would it maybe covered under the local authority act, or covered somewhere within the local authority covers it as running a fire service....not sure??

TylerIE

ivabiggon wrote: »

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2006/en/si/0342.html

i asked this before, where does it state the civil defence can use blue light, not been smart, just interested in knowning, would it maybe covered under the local authority act, or covered somewhere within the local authority covers it as running a fire service....not sure??

CD arent given blanket cover. Ambulances are covered as ambulances, and fire appliances are semi covered as in Fire Appliances semi under the auspices of the Local Authority.

Jeeps etc are not automatically covered and as I stated in another thread recently this was publicly spoken about at a CD Officers Conference a few years ago, and CD National policy is for jeeps / buses/ etc not to have blues.

Im well aware that CD minibuses have been used at a number of notable Major Incidents for transporting minor injuries etc, but the legislation is what it is!

and here is me thinking that this is a thread for discussing pictures. Sure blue lights now and there should be a cyclist along any minute.

d3exile

flazio wrote: »

I believe a recent ambulance acquisition from DFB is to retain it's Red/Yellow batenburgs.

The Lights are because we are a recognized emergency service in Galway and have drivers with Defensive Driving Training who can utilize the vehicle in attending a major emergency.

That ambulance is no longer a DCD vehicle, but it's true maybe a fifth of Dublin CD vehicles are "magpied" into other colour schemes, with reasons being either budgetary or given that national CD took so long deciding on a colour scheme and have now gone with stripes that don't fit in with european directives for battenburg on ES vehicles working on highways and motorways.. anyhow you will find CD vehicles all over ireland using different colour schemes mainly due to the cost of respraying

ivabiggon wrote: »

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2006/en/si/0342.html

i asked this before, where does it state the civil defence can use blue light, not been smart, just interested in knowning, would it maybe covered under the local authority act, or covered somewhere within the local authority covers it as running a fire service....not sure??

TylerIE wrote: »

CD arent given blanket cover. Ambulances are covered as ambulances, and fire appliances are semi covered as in Fire Appliances semi under the auspices of the Local Authority.

Jeeps etc are not automatically covered and as I stated in another thread recently this was publicly spoken about at a CD Officers Conference a few years ago, and CD National policy is for jeeps / buses/ etc not to have blues.

Im well aware that CD minibuses have been used at a number of notable Major Incidents for transporting minor injuries etc, but the legislation is what it is!

CD vehicles don't have any legal footing to use blue lights for response, and as such they should only be used by the drivers as warning lights, ie speeding, crossing solid white lines, breaking red lights etc is not an option...

loosely as they are part funded by local authorities, some may argue that gives them the right, but it would take a hell of a lot for a volunteer to explain why they used emergency lights if they have or cause an accident enroute...

The only basis of my opinions are from my experiences as a member of both DCD and AGS... I know DCD have blues on most vehicles and where possible trained (DFB or AGS) or experienced drivers would be used, and the likes of minibuses or heavier response equipment, when needed urgently would only really use blues under escort of AGS...

sorry for giving my two cents cos I do agree with foreign's post, the issue is done to death every time it raises it's head, time to move on

have_a_go_hero

My other post in the Veichle gallery I must apologise for posting without a pic!! Rule slipped my mind again!!

Capri

A slight bit off the mark but Hawaii cops get to use their own private cars, slap a blue light on the roof and off they go

http://www.pbase.com/pryan/image/77949378

'Book em Danno !'

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=78664406&postcount=1205



Question was asked in the gallery what happened. Answer by following the link below.

https://emergencyservicesforum.com/showthread.php?tid=4031

d3exile

Like the pic of the "Garda" buggys, presume they will handle better than the avensis too!

Anyone know anything of the new tender? Supposedly the Toyota tender was only to cover the immediate need for 2011/12 and to replace all the cars that were shagged from the fleet cuts, but from what I hear there's a new tender out for 2013/14, could be anyone, frankly wouldn't be a fan of Toyota coming back in, Fords would be good but would love to see the rumoured BMW tender from last year that was apparently kicked back by the top man!

flazio

Just to throw it out, are the Octavias that the PSNI use any good? Would they be worth a look at for the South?

kub

d3exile wrote: »

Like the pic of the "Garda" buggys, presume they will handle better than the avensis too!

Anyone know anything of the new tender? Supposedly the Toyota tender was only to cover the immediate need for 2011/12 and to replace all the cars that were shagged from the fleet cuts, but from what I hear there's a new tender out for 2013/14, could be anyone, frankly wouldn't be a fan of Toyota coming back in, Fords would be good but would love to see the rumoured BMW tender from last year that was apparently kicked back by the top man!

.

A rumoured BMW tender, please expand. I cannot see it though, just imagine the ongoing maintenance costs of these vehicles. I would bet on Fords again though

d3exile

flazio wrote: »

Just to throw it out, are the Octavias that the PSNI use any good? Would they be worth a look at for the South?

I'd be happy out with it, skoda have a very good rep and would be as cost efficient if not more then ford or Toyota...

My only issue would be they should be powered right, this rubbish of strapping a bar light on to a 1.6 or 1.8 saloon is daft, the uk and a lot of other forces afaik use 'police spec' cars properly adapted for police work

All that said no other saloon I've driven handles like a mondeo, power it right with a 2.0 or 2.2 and it's pretty much unmatched

Edit-
@kub
Sorry only saw your post now,
From what I'd heard BMW had won the tender for what Toyota did in 2011, and were to supply cars and servicing at a better price than the other companies, using the same factories and supply system they have in place in the uk for the same cars, just minor changes like irish registration and km/h instruments, effectively piggy backing on the UK order so, say 100 Irish cars ordered at the same time as 2/300 for the UK worked out cheaper or similar to 100 toyotas ordered direct?

Mr Simpson

A BMW tender would be awesome, I doubt it'll happen though. A few octavia vrs's would be nice

kub

We all know what will happen, ordinary saloon cars will be purchased with as mentioned 1.6 engines in them and a blue strip will be on the roofs. Its going to be a pure numbers game. I suppose though a few 2.0-2.2 engined cars will be purchased for traffic, actually considering the amount of 06/07 TC Mondeos out there, they will be badly needed.

d3exile

kub wrote: »

We all know what will happen, ordinary saloon cars will be purchased with as mentioned 1.6 engines in them and a blue strip will be on the roofs. Its going to be a pure numbers game. I suppose though a few 2.0-2.2 engined cars will be purchased for traffic, actually considering the amount of 06/07 TC Mondeos out there, they will be badly needed.

Sorry kub edited my post above to answer your q bout the BMWs... Could be subject to Chinese whispers or pure BS of course but source is pretty reliable

Mr Simpson

I could be wrong,but afaik, don't UK police forces lease vehicles rather than buy them?

BMW were rumoured for every one of the last few tenders. Yet there was no car supplied for assessment the year toyota won it. Only opel/ford/toyota had cars on trial.

Goonerdee

flazio wrote: »

Just to throw it out, are the Octavias that the PSNI use any good? Would they be worth a look at for the South?

From what I can see the PSNI has updated their fleet. New Astra and Mondeo Estates all round. Im sure they haven't got rid of all their old vehicles but I haven't seen any in my area for a while.

POGAN

Skoda was being tested for new tender in driving school recently

Mr Simpson

Yeah, I'd heard there were problems deciding whether or not the DSG gearbox was manual or automatic when they were testing it!

BluesAndThrees

Isn't the new rescue copter beautiful? Looks really well and capable