Why Are Fire Trucks Red – Is It Necessary?

The likelihood is that if I were to ask you at random what color you think of when you hear the word “firetruck,” it would most likely be red. Is it, however, because fire is red in color? Or is it because the color red also symbolizes the dangers that firefighters face on a daily basis? You’ll know the answers to the questions above by the end of this article. Let’s dive right in!

What Is A Fire Truck?

Let’s go over the foundations of this idea again for clarity’s sake. A fire truck, also known as a fire engine, is a car whose main use is as a firefighting tool. A ladder for fighting fires and saving people from tall buildings is included, as is a fire hose and a substantial amount of water storage. Additionally, they have mobile computers, two-way radios, emergency lighting, and other technical communication equipment.

Why Are Firetrucks Red?

Again, usually good for a chuckle but is there science behind why firetrucks are red? Fire engines were initially painted red in the 1800s, according to Rockland Firefighters. Fire departments competed fiercely with one another. Each department aspired to have the most opulent, exquisite, and visually appealing fire engine available. The majority of crews decided to paint their fire engines red because it was the most expensive color of paint that was offered.

According to other sources, the custom of painting fire trucks red dates back to Henry Ford’s introduction of mass production of automobiles in the early 1920s. Mr. Ford thought that the customer should come first and get whatever they wanted out of their cars. The only requirement was that it be black, he said, and they could have any color they desired. Fire engines were painted red to stand out on the roads because they were so heavily populated with black vehicles.

Color Scheme Of The Fire Truck

According to the first theory, Henry Ford’s actions are connected to the color scheme. You see, back then, black was the most affordable color for car paint. Ford was one of the biggest automakers, so it made economic sense for him to paint all of his vehicles black. As a result, there would be a wide variety of black cars lining the streets. What does this have to do with the fire truck’s red color, though? Which color has three letters, stands out among a sea of black cars, and denotes danger or an emergency? Because red stood out, it was chosen as the fire truck’s color scheme, at least according to this theory.

According to the second theory, the 1800s fire brigade rivalry is to blame for the color scheme. You see, the fire departments of the day were very proud of their pumps. Every business aspired to be regarded as exceptional and to stand out. As a result, they chose the color that was currently the most expensive: red.

According to some other theories, the color is the result of the design’s resemblance to carriages pulled by horses from the 1800s. They just stuck with it because early fire trucks were simply pieces of equipment mounted on horse-drawn carriages. Another plausible theory that I partially accept is this one.

Conclusion

In line with leadership is overall governance. An oversight committee and business-wide executives must be involved in any effort to enhance the customer experience.

There must be a clear line of sight between what you’re doing and what the customer is experiencing. In an upcoming post, I’ll go into more detail about “line of sight,” but this was the one thing in the riddle that really stood out to me: there’s a goal there (identifying why fire engines are red), but it’s a pretty muddled path to get to it.

Did we actually get to it, though? Do we actually comprehend why fire engines are red at this point? Be sure to understand and outline what the desired business outcomes are as a result of your efforts.