If you ask someone to imagine a fire truck, they’re likely to think of a big red car with water pipes and lights attached to it.
Why fire trucks are red, because back in the 20th century, the roads were mostly black cars made by Ford. Thus, the striking red of the fire truck stands out among the black vehicles vying for road space.
We’ll discuss the history of the fire truck and how it got its bright red hue.
Why Are Fire Trucks Red?
There are several theories as to why fire trucks are red.
One is that the earliest fire departments were composed of volunteers. Since these volunteers are not paid, their budget is quite small. Red paint was probably the cheapest paint color at the time, so it was the color they painted trucks and firehouses.
However, another theory completely contradicts the first theory.
It is said that when fire departments are made up of volunteers, fire brigades in neighboring towns will compete with each other.
To make their cars stand out, they would paint them red, probably the most expensive paint color at the time.
A third theory goes back to Henry Ford.
As cars became more common in America, most of them were black.
Early fire departments may have painted their vehicles red to make them stand out from other vehicles on the road.
Red fire trucks do play a role today.
Red is a very visible, recognizable color. During the day, drivers can easily see red, which is why many road signs are also red. It’s less useful at night, so the truck is also equipped with lights and sirens.
However, the most important factor when considering fire truck colors is recognizability.
Regardless of the color of the fire truck, drivers must identify it as an emergency vehicle. That’s probably why the truck has kept the same color for so many years.
The Usefulness Of Red Fire Trucks
The red fire truck makes sense because red has the longest wavelength of all colors in the visible spectrum, meaning red is best seen from a distance. That’s why stop signs are usually painted red.
Also, in many cultures, red symbolizes danger, which highlights the importance of red fire trucks as they gallop down the road with flashing lights and honking. Also, people are so used to seeing red fire trucks that fire departments simply don’t see the point of changing the color of a fire truck.
What Other Colors Can Fire Trucks Be?
To improve visibility, research has been done on the best colors for fire trucks.
The study found that while red is a great color for attention during the day, lime green and yellow are the most visible colors overall.
However, as mentioned earlier, the color is not as important as the recognizability of the engine.
Therefore, fire departments around the world use a variety of colors on their fire trucks.
Townspeople are used to the color of fire trucks, so when they see a fire truck, they can quickly recognize it.
For example, in Canberra, Australia, fire trucks are bright yellow-green.
This is unique to Canberra as most fire trucks in the rest of the country are traditionally red.
Fire trucks in Canberra were also red at one point, but in the 1980s they started switching to green.
They say they did it because they believed lime green would stand out today as red did in the early 20th century.
Because there aren’t many bright green vehicles around, the fire truck is easy to spot and easy to identify.
By 1986, all fire trucks were painted this yellow-green color, and they are still the color to this day.
While the sight of a green fire truck may be disconcerting to outsiders, Canberra residents are used to it.
When they saw these big brightly colored trucks, they immediately knew they were emergency vehicles and kept their vigilance around.
Other fire truck colors around the world include blue, orange, pink, and more.
Summarize
It’s likely that we’ll never know the exact origin of why fire trucks are red. However, we do know that the horse-drawn water pumps on the carriage were the earliest fire trucks, and they were painted red. Whether this is the most affordable option for volunteers or an expensive color chosen out of pride, the world may never quite know. However, all the information we have should present some historical context to extend existing theories