Battenburg markings

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A Volvo pump truck from South Australian Fire with red-and-yellow Battenburg markings Burnside Pumper.jpg
A Volvo pump truck from South Australian Fire with red-and-yellow Battenburg markings

Battenburg markings or Battenberg markings [lower-alpha 1] are a pattern of high-visibility markings developed in the United Kingdom in the 1990s and currently seen on many types of emergency service vehicles in the UK, Crown dependencies, British Overseas Territories and several other European countries including the Czech Republic, Iceland, Sweden, Germany, Romania, Spain, Ireland, and Belgium as well as in Commonwealth nations including Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Pakistan, Trinidad and Tobago, and more recently, Canada. The name comes from its similarity in appearance to the cross-section of a Battenberg cake.

Contents

History

Northern Constabulary vehicles that were changed to Battenburg markings Northern Constabulary - Before & After.jpg
Northern Constabulary vehicles that were changed to Battenburg markings

Battenburg markings were developed in the mid-1990s in the United Kingdom by the Police Scientific Development Branch (now the Home Office Centre for Applied Science and Technology) at the request of the national motorway policing sub-committee of the Association of Chief Police Officers. They were first developed for traffic patrol cars for United Kingdom police forces; private organisations and civil emergency services have also used them since then.

The brief was to design a livery for motorway and trunk road police vehicles that would maximise the vehicles' visibility, from a distance of up to 500 metres (1,600 ft), when stopped either in daylight or under headlights, and which distinctively marked them as police vehicles. [1]

The primary objectives were to design markings that: [2]

Conspicuity

A Czech ambulance with green-and-yellow Battenburg markings Ambulance in the Czech Republic 01.JPG
A Czech ambulance with green-and-yellow Battenburg markings

Battenburg design uses a regular pattern and the contrast between a light and a dark colour to increase conspicuity for the human eye. The lighter colour is daylight-fluorescent (such as fluorescent-yellow) for better visibility in daytime, dusk and dawn. For night-time visibility, the complete pattern is retroreflective.

The Battenburg design typically has two rows of alternating rectangles, usually starting with yellow at the top corner, then the alternating colour, along the sides of a vehicle. Most cars use two block rows in the design (so-called full-Battenburg scheme). Some car designs use a single row (so-called half-Battenburg scheme) or one and a half rows.

Unless precautions are taken, pattern markings can have a camouflage effect, concealing a vehicle's outline, particularly in front of a cluttered background. [3] [4] With Battenburg markings, this can be avoided by:

The Battenburg livery is not used on the rear of vehicles; upward-facing chevrons of yellow and red are most commonly used there.

Sillitoe tartan

A Victoria Police vehicle with blue-and-white Sillitoe tartan 2014 Holden Commodore (VF MY14) Evoke sedan, Victoria Police (2015-01-02).jpg
A Victoria Police vehicle with blue-and-white Sillitoe tartan

In the development of Battenburg markings, one of the key goals was to clearly identify vehicles associated with police. In this regard, the pattern was reminiscent of the Sillitoe tartan black-and-white or blue-and-white chequered markings first introduced by the City of Glasgow Police in the 1930s, which were subsequently adopted as a symbol of police services throughout the United Kingdom; they are also used by the Chicago Police Department, Australia, [5] and New Zealand. (Although Sillitoe patterns identified vehicles associated with police and other emergency services, they were not highly visible.)

After the launch of Battenburg markings, police added retro-reflective Sillitoe tartan markings to their uniforms, usually in blue and white.

Safety

Belgian Red Cross ambulances with yellow-and-green Battenburg markings on the side and chevrons on the rear FIT Rode Kruis (2) Nationaal Defile 2018.jpg
Belgian Red Cross ambulances with yellow-and-green Battenburg markings on the side and chevrons on the rear

Battenburg side markings and chevron front-and-rear markings provide conspicuity for emergency vehicles, helping to reduce accidents, especially when they are in unusual traffic situations—e.g. stopped in fast-moving traffic, or moving at different speeds or in different directions.

Several criticisms of the Battenburg scheme were stated at the 3rd Annual US Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Safety Summit in October 2010 about their use on ambulances, including:

The pattern's use by services other than UK police, and in other countries, was also criticised.

The high-visibility chevrons often used on the rear and front of Battenburg-marked vehicles, "through popular opinion rather than by a scientific process of testing and research", were found ineffective at reducing rear-end collisions. Stationary vehicles on high-speed roads were likely to be noticed, but not the fact that they were stopped. Parking at an angle was found a far more effective way of indicating the vehicles were stopped. [2]

Usage by country

Australia

A New South Wales Ambulance response vehicle, with red-and-white Battenburg markings and additional reflective stripes intended to increase overall visibility NSW Ambulance INSP91.jpg
A New South Wales Ambulance response vehicle, with red-and-white Battenburg markings and additional reflective stripes intended to increase overall visibility

In Western Australia, St John Ambulance Western Australia uses green-and-yellow markings, while New South Wales Ambulance uses red-and-white Battenburg markings on ambulances and patient transport vehicles. [6] Australian police utilise the similar Sillitoe tartan markings.

Battenburg markings used in Australia
BattenburgServiceColoursExample
Battenburg-ambulance.svg St John Ambulance Western Australia Yellow and green 2017 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter (W 906) 313 CDI MWB van, St John Ambulance (2017-12-09).jpg
Battenburg-white-red.svg New South Wales Ambulance Red and white Ambulance of New South Wales, 01.jpg
Battenburg-fire.svg South Australian Country Fire Service Yellow and red Burnside Pumper.jpg

Barbados

The Barbados Police Service uses yellow-and-blue half-Battenburg markings on most of their fleet. However, some police vehicles in Barbados use white-and-blue half-Battenburg markings.

Battenburg-police.svg Barbados Police Service Yellow and blue
Battenburg-white-blue.svg Barbados Police ServiceWhite and blue

Belgium

Ambulances in Belgium, 2018 Ambulances DGH (1) Nationaal Defile 2018.jpg
Ambulances in Belgium, 2018
Fire services vehicle, 2018 AGS brandweer Nationaal Defile 2018.jpg
Fire services vehicle, 2018

In response to the terrorist attacks on 13 November 2015 in Paris and 22 March 2016 in Brussels, the Belgian federal government conducted an analysis on the functioning of the emergency services during terrorist attacks. The main issue identified regarding the emergency medical services was that their recognizability (of both vehicles and personnel) had to improve, so that emergency workers would be able to identify qualified medical providers more quickly during an intervention.

An agreement was made between the federal government and the communities and regions to implement the same new vehicle markings and uniforms. Specifically, emergency ambulances and response vehicles would keep the yellow base colour, whilst non-emergency ambulances would get a white base colour. Both types of vehicles would be marked with retroreflective yellow-and-green Battenburg markings, similar to British ambulances.

A new uniform for medical personnel was also introduced, with different colours for the Star of Life for the different types of workers. [7]

Aside from medical vehicles, some new fire brigade, Civil Protection and highway services vehicles also use respectively yellow-and-red, blue-and-orange and yellow-and-black Battenburg markings.

Battenburg markings used in Belgium
BattenburgServiceColoursExample
Battenburg-ambulance.svg Emergency medical servicesYellow and green Ambulance SIAMU.jpg
Battenburg-police-belgium.svg Police [8] Yellow and blue Volkswagen T6 - Politie Antwerpen (2023) (cropped).jpg
Battenburg-fire.svg Fire services

Lifeguard

Yellow and red AGS brandweer Nationaal Defile 2018.jpg
Battenburg-highways.svg Roadside assistance

Taxicabs in Brussels

Yellow and black Toyota Verso taxi BRU.jpg
Battenburg-rail.svg Belgian Civil Protection Orange and blue Volkswagen Amarok de la protection civile a Thuin - Divers Research Team.jpg

Canada

A Mercedes Sprinter ambulance in the Niagara Region of Ontario, with small half-Battenburg markings in Oxford blue and green. Niagara EMS Ambulance 3-35.JPG
A Mercedes Sprinter ambulance in the Niagara Region of Ontario, with small half-Battenburg markings in Oxford blue and green.

In Canada, Battenburg markings on law enforcement vehicles are uncommon. However, in recent decades, Canada has slowly integrated some Battenburg markings on EMS vehicles, particularly in Ontario and Quebec.

A yellow and black Battenburg snowplow used in Saskatchewan Behind the plow (3271594851) (cropped).jpg
A yellow and black Battenburg snowplow used in Saskatchewan

Battenburg markings are used on plow trucks for transportation and infrastructure in some parts of Canada, primarily on the back to increase visibility and alert people driving on a highway during poor road conditions that there is a plow truck in use and they must slow down. The general colour scheme for a snowplow's rear reflective panel is yellow-green and black. [9]

Ontario

The parts of Ontario that utilize Battenburg markings, which are generally used by EMS vehicles, include the Region of Niagara, [10] Greater Sudbury, [11] Peterborough, [12] Lanark County, [13] [14] and Frontenac County. [15]

A Ford Explorer police cruiser with yellow-and-blue Battenburg markings in St. Thomas, Ontario St. Thomas Police Cruiser.jpg
A Ford Explorer police cruiser with yellow-and-blue Battenburg markings in St. Thomas, Ontario

Battenburg markings on police vehicles are not a common sight. The first regional police service to ever officially use Battenburg markings on its vehicles was the St. Thomas Police Service when it tested its new police interceptors with Battenburg markings, which were inspired by the UK's Battenburg design with the familiar blue and yellow reflective markings, in order to help enhance visibility within the city. [16] [17]

The Barrie Police Service later took a similar approach to redesigning its vehicle wraps, which was announced on 26 July 2022, when it unveiled a half-Battenburg marked police cruiser as part of a pilot project to evaluate its visibility within the community. [18] This design featured the same blue and yellow reflective markings as those seen in the UK and Europe. [19] [20] As of 12 May 2023, the Barrie Police Service has officially adopted half-Battenburg markings on all of their fleets, eliminating stealthy dark navy body-colored vehicles and replacing them with white instead. [21]

During the autumn of 2023, the Cobourg Police Service (CPS) was the third police service in Canada to adopt Battenburg markings. [22] But it is said to have implemented a high-visibility cruiser as part of their pilot project for 24 months. [23]

Quebec

In Quebec, Battenburg-style markings are used on various EMS vehicles, though some of the markings are reminiscent of Sillitoe tartan.

Common Battenburg markings used in Canada (by region)
BattenburgServiceColoursExample
Battenburg-police.svg Barrie Police Service

Cobourg Police Service (pilot project)

St. Thomas Police Service (pilot project)

Lanark County Paramedic Service (Ambulance/EMS) [24]

Frontenac Paramedic Services (Ambulance/EMS) [25] [26]

Yellow and blue St. Thomas Police Cruiser.jpg
Peterborough EMS-battenburg.png Peterborough County-City Paramedics (Ambulance) [27] Orange and blue
Niagara EMS battenburg-single.png Niagara Region EMS (Ambulance/EMS)Oxford blue and green Niagara EMS Ambulance 3-35.JPG
Battenburg-highways.svg Provincial Transportation and Infrastructure (Snowplow) [28] [29] Yellow and black Battenburg Snow Plower.jpg
Battenburg-white-blue.svg Greater Sudbury Paramedic Services (Ambulance/EMS) [30]

Québec Urgences-santé/Health Emergencies (EMS vehicles, optional) [31]

White and blue Urgences-sante 0787 - 01.JPG
Quebec EMS battenburg-single.png Québec Urgences-santé/Health Emergencies (EMS supervisor vehicles) [32] [33] Yellow and ultramarine blue Boulevard Rene-Levesque 06 (cropped).JPG

China

Hong Kong

Hong Kong was a British Dependent Territory until 1997. Some emergency vehicles and special vehicles in the Hong Kong Police Force, Hong Kong Fire Services Department, Auxiliary Medical Service, and Hong Kong St. John Ambulance use Battenburg markings.

Common Battenburg markings used in Hong Kong
Battenburg-police.svg Police Force, Traffic Branch HeadquartersYellow and blue
Battenburg-white-blue.svg Police Force, a few other vehiclesWhite and blue
Battenburg-ambulance.svg Fire Services Department, Mobile Casualty Treatment CentreYellow and green
Battenburg-fire.svg Fire Services Department, Hazmat Tender, and Fire MotorcycleYellow and red
Fire Services Department, Mobile Publicity Unit, and Fire Safety Education Bus
Fire Services Department, Emergency Medical Assistant Motorcycle, Rapid Response Vehicle and Paramedic Equipment Tender
Battenburg-white-red.svg Fire Services Department, Mobile Command Unit, and Forward Command CarWhite and red
Battenburg-ambulance.svg Auxiliary Medical Service, Paramedic motorcycleYellow and green
Hong Kong St. John Ambulance, Ambulance

Czech Republic

Ambulance in the Czech Republic, 2012 Rallye Rejviz 2012, ZZS ZK, VW T5 Strobel (01).jpg
Ambulance in the Czech Republic, 2012

All Czech emergency vehicles, such as ambulances, use yellow-and-green Batternburg markings.

Common Battenburg markings used in the Czech Republic
Battenburg-ambulance.svg Emergency medical servicesYellow and green

Denmark

Danish emergency vehicles can have one of two options: a series of diagonal lines, or a Battenburg pattern. The diagonal lines must be either red-and-white or red-and-yellow at an angle of 45° ± 5° and have a width of 100 mm ± 2,5 mm. In the front and rear of the vehicle, the markings must be made symmetrical in a way that traffic is lead around the vehicle. [34]

Common Battenburg markings used in Denmark
BattenburgServiceColoursExample
Battenburg-police.svg PoliceYellow and blue
Battenburg-ambulance.svg Ambulances, doctor cars and similarYellow and green Ambulance Region H - new design right.jpg
Battenburg-fire.svg Fire DepartmentYellow and red Fire engines at Osterbro Brandstation 03 (cropped).jpg

Vehicles may have a reflective text in the above colours, describing their function; for example "POLITI" (Police), "ALARM 112", "AMBULANCE", "LÆGEVAGT" (Doctor), "INDSATSLEDER" (Incident Commander) or similar text.

The above patterns are not obligatory. For example, the Danish Emergency Management Agency have chosen to simply not have any reflective marking on their vehicles.

Germany

An Ambulance in the German city of Kiel 2022-02-27-Florian-Kiel-14-83-01.jpg
An Ambulance in the German city of Kiel

All rescue vehicles in Bavaria which have been procured uniformly since 2017 have a foiling in the Battenburg marker. [35] From 2019 the ambulance service in Schleswig-Holstein started to adapt the design.

Battenburg markings used in Germany
Battenburg-blood.svg Bavarian Red Cross

Schleswig-Holstein Ambulance

Orange and yellow

Iceland

In 2018 the Icelandic police started marking new police cars with blue and neon yellow markings similar to Battenburg markings used in Europe. Since then the police cars in the capital region have been made even more visible. In 2020 were Icelandic ambulances changed to look more like ambulances in Europe, adopting yellow and green markings. Icelandic Search and Rescue started adopting Battenburg markings in 2016 with red and yellow markings similar to the fire services.

Battenburg markings used in Iceland
 ?PoliceYellow and blue[ citation needed ]
Battenburg-ambulance.svg AmbulancesYellow and green
Battenburg-fire.svg Fire DepartmentYellow and red
Icelandic SAR

Ireland

A Land Rover Defender field ambulance from Dublin Civil Defence, Ireland Cdlandrover.JPG
A Land Rover Defender field ambulance from Dublin Civil Defence, Ireland
Emergency ambulance in Dublin Ireland HSE NAS Emergency Ambulance at a scene in Dublin 2014-03-14 00-00.jpg
Emergency ambulance in Dublin Ireland

In Ireland, the majority of the emergency services have adopted the Battenburg style of markings.

Vehicles of the IRCG Irish Coast Guard - Greystones Unit.JPG
Vehicles of the IRCG
Common Battenburg markings used in Ireland
BattenburgServiceColoursExample
Battenburg-police.svg Garda Síochána (police)
Airport Police Service
Military Police
Yellow and blue Garda Siochana Vehicle Car.jpg
Battenburg-ambulance.svg HSE National Ambulance Service

St John Ambulance Ireland

Yellow and green DublinAmbulance.jpg
Battenburg-fire.svg Fire and Rescue
Order of Malta
Yellow and red Dublin Fire Brigade Pump Ladder D32.jpg
Battenburg-rail.svg Civil Defence Blue and orange Dublin Civil Defence Collecting For Haiti.jpg
Battenburg-blood.svg Coast Guard Orange and yellow Irish Coast Guard Land Rover Discovery in National Services Day.jpg
Battenburg-mountain.svg Mountain Rescue White and orange Link to image
Red and Blue Battenburg.png Red Cross Red and blue Link to image

New Zealand

A New Zealand Police car Commodore VF Evoke.jpg
A New Zealand Police car

The New Zealand Police use yellow-and-blue Battenburg markings on some vehicles. [36] Until October 2008 general duties vehicles were marked in orange and blue, with yellow and blue for highway patrol units; orange and blue was phased out in 2014. [37] Vehicles of New Zealand's St John's Ambulance Service/ Wellington Free Ambulance are marked with green-and-yellow Battenburg markings or rows of green-and-yellow half-chevrons. On 1 July 2017, New Zealand's urban and rural firefighting organisations amalgamated into Fire and Emergency New Zealand, with a new brand including Battenburg markings to be rolled out to the fleet. [38]

Common Battenburg markings used in New Zealand
BattenburgServiceColoursExample
Battenburg-police.svg PoliceYellow and blue Commodore VF Evoke (cropped).jpg
Battenburg-ambulance.svg St John Ambulance/Wellington Free AmbulanceYellow and green Bealey Sherborne crash 937 (cropped).jpg
Battenburg-fire.svg Fire and Emergency New ZealandYellow and red FENZ MAN Type 3 Appliance.jpg

Pakistan

A Toyota Hilux Motorway Police pickup truck Pakistan Motorway Police Vehicle.jpg
A Toyota Hilux Motorway Police pickup truck

In Pakistan, the National Highways & Motorways Police use yellow-and-blue Battenburg markings on most of their fleets.

Battenburg-police.svg National Highways & Motorways (Police)Yellow and blue

Sweden

Swedish Volvo V90 police car with Battenburg markings (2017) Polisbil Volvo 2017 - 5861.jpg
Swedish Volvo V90 police car with Battenburg markings (2017)
Saab 9-5 (2011) Saab9-5Polisbil.jpg
Saab 9-5 (2011)

Originally Swedish Police vehicles were painted with black roofs and doors or black roofs, bonnet, and boot. During the 1980s the cars became white with the word "Polis" written on the side in a semi-futuristic typeface. Later[ when? ] the livery became simply blue and white. In 2005 they began using a light blue and fluorescent yellow Battenburg livery. Swedish police cars have been Saabs, Volvos or Volkswagens, with the same livery all over Sweden. Many Swedish road agencies, contractors and consultants use Battenburg markings on road maintenance vehicles, with an orange-and-blue colour scheme, as in the UK rail response type shown above. This practice was established after a study in 2008 by the Swedish Road Administration, which showed a significant traffic calming effect when using orange-and-blue Battenburg marking to improve the visibility of road maintenance vehicles. [39]

Common Battenburg markings used in Sweden
BattenburgServiceColoursExample
Battenburg-police.svg PoliceYellow and blue Polisbil Volvo 2017 - 5861.jpg
Battenburg-ambulance.svg AmbulanceYellow and green Ambulance in Gothenburg (cropped).jpg
Battenburg-fire.svg Fire BrigadeYellow and red RDW604b.JPG
Battenburg-rail.svg Road maintenanceBlue and orange Swedish roadwork vehicle.jpg

Switzerland

Swiss Border Guard vehicle Garde Frontiere, Geneva Airport, Le Grand-Saconnex (BL7C0759).jpg
Swiss Border Guard vehicle

The first Swiss ambulance service with Battenburg markings was the emergency medical services in Zofingen. Since 2008, they have used Battenburg markings on their Volkswagen Crafters and Mercedes-Benz Sprinters. They use white-and-red markings on their ALS units.

Another Swiss service with Battenburg markings is the Swiss Border Guard agency, which uses yellow block markings on its vehicles.

Common Battenburg markings used in Switzerland
Battenburg-coastguard.svg Swiss Border Guard Yellow and navy blue

Thailand

A Toyota Hiace ambulance in Khon Kaen, Thailand 2014 Toyota Commuter 3.0 Khon Kaen Hospital Ambulance (Rear).jpg
A Toyota Hiace ambulance in Khon Kaen, Thailand

In Khon Kaen Province of Thailand, the Kohn Kaen Hospital features yellow-and-green Battenburg markings on their ambulances.

Battenburg-ambulance.svg Khon Kaen Hospital (Ambulance)Yellow and green

Trinidad and Tobago

A Toyota RAV4 Battenburg Police SUV Police car of Tobago 01.jpg
A Toyota RAV4 Battenburg Police SUV

The T.T.P.S. Police of Trinidad and Tobago uses half Battenburg yellow-and-blue Battenburg reflective markings on some of their vehicles.

Battenburg-police.svg National Highways & Motorways (Police Force)Yellow and blue

United Kingdom

A BMW X5 of the Metropolitan Police Service in London, with half-Battenburg markings London June 7 2016 029 Police (26918177123).jpg
A BMW X5 of the Metropolitan Police Service in London, with half-Battenburg markings
A Land Rover Discovery used by National Highways traffic officers with yellow-and-black Battenburg markings HATO Vehicle.JPG
A Land Rover Discovery used by National Highways traffic officers with yellow-and-black Battenburg markings
A Network Rail van with a narrow strip of orange-and-blue Battenburg markings Network Rail van Castleton East Junction.jpg
A Network Rail van with a narrow strip of orange-and-blue Battenburg markings

In the United Kingdom, the majority of the emergency services have adopted the Battenburg style of markings; nearly half of all police forces adopted the markings within three years of their introduction, and over three quarters were using it by 2003. [1]

In 2004, following the widespread adoption and recognition of the Battenburg markings on police vehicles, the Home Office recommended that all police vehicles, not just those on traffic duty, use "half-Battenburg" livery, formalising the practice of a number of forces.

In the United Kingdom each emergency service has been allocated a specified darker colour in addition to yellow, with the police continuing to use blue, ambulances using green, and the fire service their traditional red. Other government agencies such as immigration enforcement have adopted a variation, without using the reflective yellow. [40]

The use of these colours in retro-reflective material is controlled by the Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations 1989, with vehicles only legally allowed the use of amber reflective material (and red near the rear of the vehicle). [41] [42] A number of civilian organisations have also adopted the pattern, which is not legally protected, and a number of these also use other reflective colours.

An alternative to the use of reflective materials is the use of fluorescent or other non-reflective markings, which may be used by any vehicle.

Common Battenburg markings used in the United Kingdom [43] [44]
BattenburgServiceColoursExample
Battenburg-police.svg Police Yellow and blue City of London Police (12546796895).jpg
Battenburg-ambulance.svg Ambulance and Doctors Yellow and green LJ58OJX LONDON AMBULANCE QUEEN VICTORIA STREET CITY OF LONDON (26124592264).jpg
Battenburg-fire.svg Fire and Rescue Yellow and red London Fire Brigade Pump Ladder Soho A241 (cropped).jpg
Battenburg-blood.svg NHS Blood and Transplant, Blood Bikes and some 4×4 respondersYellow and orange NHS Blood and Transplant vehicle in Glasgow.jpg
Battenburg-highways.svg National Highways traffic officers, Welsh Government traffic officers and DVSA Yellow and black HATO Vehicle.JPG
Battenburg-rail.svg Rail Response Orange and blue Network Rail van Castleton East Junction.jpg
Battenburg-mountain.svg Mountain Rescue, Lowland Rescue, and Cave Rescue and most 4×4 respondersWhite and orange [44] [45] [46] [47] 2018 Land Rover Discovery SE SD4 Automatic Mountain Rescue Unit 2.0.jpg
Battenburg-coastguard.svg HM Coastguard Yellow and navy blue Mitsubishi L200 Coastguard (2020).jpg
Battenburg-IE.png Immigration Enforcement, Border Force, [48] [49] HM Customs and Excise [ citation needed ]Sky blue and navy blue [40] Home Office Immigration Enforcement vehicle north Finchley.jpg
Battenburg-MineRescue.svg Mine Rescue ServiceGreen and Blue Link to image

United States

A Sillitoe tartan-marked police car used by the Chicago Police Department Chicago Police (51574643391).jpg
A Sillitoe tartan-marked police car used by the Chicago Police Department

Battenburg markings on emergency vehicles are uncommon in the United States. However, many municipalities have begun to use the markings in recent years.[ citation needed ]

The Miami Township Police Department in Ohio has previously used ones similar to those found in the UK on their police cars. [50] Battenburg markings are also used in South Carolina's Charleston County for EMS vehicles. [51]

From 2017 to 2021, the Pittsburgh Police used Sillitoe tartan markings on some of their fleets. The design was updated to include black-and-gold Battenburg markings in 2021 to represent the city's official colours. City authorities stated that the markings would also be applied to all future municipal vehicles. [52]

The Chicago Police Department began using Sillitoe tartan markings on their police vehicles in 2018, [53] while the hats of officers have used them since 1967. [54]

The Red and Yellow Battenburg Markings can be seen on most of the ambulances in the City of Chicago for the Chicago Fire Department.

See also

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Sillitoe tartan is the nickname given to the distinctive checkered pattern, usually black-and-white, which was originally associated with the police in Scotland. It later gained widespread use in the rest of the United Kingdom and overseas, notably in Australia and New Zealand, as well as Chicago and Pittsburgh in the United States. It is used occasionally elsewhere, including by some Spanish municipal police and in parts of Canada, where it is limited to auxiliary police services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CEN 1789</span>

CEN 1789:2020 is the European Union standard for ambulances and medical transportation vehicles. This European standard specifies requirements for the design, testing, performance and equipping of road ambulances used for the transport and care of patients. This standard is applicable to road ambulances capable of transporting at least one person on a stretcher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HSE National Ambulance Service</span>

The National Ambulance Service is the statutory public ambulance service in Ireland. The service is operated by the National Hospitals Office of the Health Service Executive, the Irish national healthcare authority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Orleans Emergency Medical Services</span>

New Orleans Emergency Medical Services is the primary provider of advanced life support emergency medical services to the city of New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Unlike most other emergency medical services in the United States, New Orleans EMS operates as a third service and is not part of the New Orleans Fire Department; rather, New Orleans EMS is operated by the New Orleans Health Department and the New Orleans Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.

Aerial roof markings are symbols, letters or numbers on the roof of selected police vehicles, fire engines, ambulances, coast guard vehicles, cash-in-transit vans, buses and boats to enable aircraft or CCTV to identify them. These markings can be used to identify a specific vehicle, vehicle type or agency. The markings, depending on the vehicle, or information required, may also be displayed on the bonnet, boot, or other areas of the vehicle visible from the air.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York City Fire Department Bureau of EMS</span> New York City emergency medical service

The New York City Fire Department Bureau of Emergency Medical Services is a division of the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) in charge of emergency medical services for New York City. It was established on March 17, 1996, following the merger of the FDNY and New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation's emergency medical services division. FDNY EMS provides coverage of all five boroughs of New York City with ambulances and a variety of specialized response vehicles.

References

  1. The cake was named after the Battenberg family, in turn named after the town of Battenberg. "Battenburg" with a "u" is a misspelling of the family name, but an acceptable spelling for the markings.
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