Emergency Vehicles: The Rides of Your Life

Most people worry when they hear the sound of a siren. It means that there is trouble. It means that there is an emergency. Sirens have always been used to inform people that an emergency occurred so that they don't block the roads and get in the way. Of course, sirens are attached to emergency vehicles.

Emergencies happen all the time. When disasters or accidents happen, people have to go to places where they are given appropriate and immediate response. This is why emergency vehicles are important. These vehicles are authorized and designated to respond to an emergency. They can be operated by the government, non-government institutions or commercial companies. They can be categorized according to the type of emergencies they respond to.

The most common fire and rescue vehicles are firetrucks. Also known as a fire apparatus or a fire engine, a firetruck is designed to assist firefighters in extinguishing fires by transporting them to the scene and giving them access, equipment and most importantly, water.

Other fire and rescue vehicles include mine rescue vehicles, mountain rescue vehicles, lifeguard vehicles, hazardous materials team vehicles and search and rescue team vehicles.

The ambulance is the most common example of a medical vehicle. An ambulance is used to transport injured and sick people to and from the place of treatment, which is usually the hospital. An emergency ambulance can be a road-going van, a fixed-wing aircraft, a helicopter or any converted vehicle like a golf cart. Usually, an ambulance comes with a team of people trained in emergency medicine and nursing so they can apply first-aid and other treatments to the patient while on the way to the hospital.

Aside from ambulances, blood supply and organ transplant vehicles are also considered emergency medical vehicles.

The police use various vehicles in responding to emergencies and in other duties. The most commonly seen police vehicles are police cars, which are generally used to reach the scene fast. Also known as squad car, police cruiser, panda car, patrol car and prowler, a police car can also be used to patrol an area and to transport criminal suspects.

Other police and security vehicles include police motorcycles, police bicycles, bomb disposal vehicles and SWAT vehicles.