Aerial roof markings


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 and/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.

Australia

Different state police forces in Australia use different roof/aerial markings to designate specific vehicles, duty types and areas.

New South Wales Police Force

Local Area Commands vehicle bonnet/roof codes
ABAlburyASAshfieldBABarwonBBBotany BayBKBankstown
BLBlue MountainsBNBlacktownBRBarrierBUBurwoodBWBrisbane Water
CACampsieCBCanobolasCCCoffs/ClarenceCEHCentral HunterCFChifley
CMCabramattaCNCamdenCSCastlereaghCTCampbelltownCUCootmundra
DLDarling RiverDQDeniliquinEBEastern BeachesESEastern SuburbsEWEastwood
FAFairfieldFLFlemingtonFSFar South CoastGFGriffithGLGladesville
GNGoulburnGVGreen ValleyHBHawkesburyHIThe HillsHRHolroyd
HSHarboursideHUHurstvilleHVHunter ValleyJNJuneeKKempsy
KUKu-Ring-GaiKXKings CrossLELeichhardtLILake IllawarraLLLachlan
LMLake MacquarieLPLiverpoolMDMount DruittMEMudgeeMFMacquarie Fields
MGManning/Great LakesMIMirandaMLManlyMNMonaroMCMid North Coast
MRMarrickvilleNBNorthern BeachesNTHNorthern Highway PatrolNCCNewcastle CityNDNew England
NSNorth ShoreNTNewtownNTHNorthOROranaOXOxley
PAParramattaPEPenrithPTSPort StephensQHQuakers HillRBRose Bay
RFRedfernRHRosehillRMRichmondRYRydeSCSydney City
SGSt GeorgeSHSurry HillsSMSt MarysSUSutherlandSVShoalhaven
TBTweed/ByronTFTenterfieldTLTuggerah LakesWGWollongongWWWagga Wagga

Specialist squads/units and groups vehicle bonnet/roof codes

Fire appliances in New South Wales

fit aerial identification markings to appliances that are indicative of the vehicles call sign. Example: "RP001" indicates the appliance is the Rescue Pumper belonging to station 001, the City of Sydney while HH077 indicates the Heavy Hazmat support truck from St Marys fire station.
Fire and Rescue NSW aerial roof ID codes
APAerial PumpCTCompressed Air Foam System TankerDCDuty Commander
FIRUFire Investigations & Research UnitH Hazmat HHHeavy Hazmat
HPHazmat PumperHTHazmat TankerICVIncident Control Vehicle
LPLadder PlatformLSVLogistical Support VehiclePPumper
R Rescue RPRescue PumperRTRescue Tanker
SEVService Exchange Vehicle USARUrban Search and Rescue

The New South Wales Rural Fire Service fits aerial identification numbers to rural fire appliances with the format consisting of the letter "B" and the last 4 digits of the vehicles RTA approved operations plate. Example: "BF-07967" allocates an aerial ID of "7967". These markings do not denote a vehicles callsign.
The South Australian Country Fire Service have an Infra-Red Beacon on the roof of most new appliances and the vehicle call sign. As all trucks are named and numbered according to their location, capacity and capability, their call sign is also placed on the roof of the cab in a red text on white roof fashion. Older State Emergency Service vehicles, primarily in country areas, may have their call sign on the roof as well.

United Kingdom

Police vehicles

have markings of symbols, letters and numbers on their tops to enable aircraft to identify them. These markings show the use of the vehicle, its force code and a vehicle identifying mark or the police division to which the vehicle belongs.
Not every vehicle displays markings, but those involved in response and traffic generally do. This factor stems from guidelines of the Association of Chief Police Officers relating to police air operations and pursuit management.

Vehicle usage markings

On a typical vehicle roof layout, the vehicle usage marking is preceded by an integer PNC Force Identifier; the individual Vehicle Identifier, commonly alphanumeric, should occupy a second line all by itself.

Unique PNC force code

The Police National Computer is used by UK police forces and other government agencies to store and retrieve data about people, vehicles, and plant and government locations. Regarding roof markings, their inscription helps identifying the regional or institutional affiliation of each vehicle. PNC force codes are also used when custody records are created, when items are submitted to places such as the Forensic Science Service laboratory, when evidence is stored, or when documents are to be passed from one force to another. They also form the first two digits of any certificate issued under the Firearms Act since the introduction of the National Firearms Licensing Management System. For example, a licence issued by the Metropolitan Police will start with '02'.

PNC CodeGovernment department
01 Metropolitan Police
02 Metropolitan Police
03 Cumbria Constabulary
04 Lancashire Constabulary
05 Merseyside Police
06 Greater Manchester Police
07 Cheshire Constabulary
08 Criminal Cases Review Commission
09 Post Office Security
10 Northumbria Police
11 Durham Constabulary
12 North Yorkshire Police
13 West Yorkshire Police
14 South Yorkshire Police
15 RMP Provost Police
RAF Police
16 Humberside Police
17 Cleveland Police
18 Department of Trade and Industry
19 X400 Interface Broadcasts
20 West Midlands Police
21 Staffordshire Police
22 West Mercia Police
23 Warwickshire Police
24 MoD Police
25 PNC Hendon
26 PNC Horseferry
27 PNC Testing
28 PNC Restart terminals 1
29 PNC Restart terminals 2
30 Derbyshire Constabulary
31 Nottinghamshire Police
32 Lincolnshire Police
33 Leicestershire Constabulary
34 Northamptonshire Police
35 Cambridgeshire Constabulary
36 Norfolk Constabulary
37 Suffolk Constabulary
38 Thames Valley Constabulary
39 NPT
40 Bedfordshire Police
41 Hertfordshire Police
42 Essex Police
43 Thames Valley Police
44 Hampshire Constabulary
45 Surrey Police
46 Kent Police
47 Sussex Police
48 City of London Police
49 Kent Ports Police
50 Devon & Cornwall Police



PNC CodeGovernment department
51 Force 51
52 Avon & Somerset Constabulary
53 Gloucestershire Constabulary
54 Wiltshire Police
55 Dorset Police
56 Guernsey Police
57 Jersey Police
58 Port of Dover Police
59 Civil Nuclear Constabulary
60 North Wales Police
61 Gwent Police
62 South Wales Police
63 Dyfed-Powys Police
64 National Ports Office
65 National Joint Unit
66 NIS
67 National Crime Agency
68 Government Communications Headquarters
69 Force 69 - Force code not used
70 Police Scotland
71 Royal Navy NIS Liaison
72 RAF
73 Army NIS Liaison
74 Police Scotland
75 HSE Nuclear Directorate
76 Police Scotland
77 DWP
78 Police Scotland
79 Bramshill Police College
80 Police Scotland
81 Ministry of Defence Security
82 Police Scotland
83 Police Scotland
84 Police Scotland
85 Inland Revenue
86 Prison Service
87 Police Scotland
88 Customs & Excise
89 Department of the Environment
90 Police Scotland
91 National Crime Agency
92 NAFIS
93 British Transport Police
94 DVLA
95 Criminal Records Office
96 Police Scotland
97 Isle of Man Police
98 Police Service of Northern Ireland
99 Criminal Records Office
100 Departmental Security Units


Thermal roof markings

In 2004, the UK Home Office, under direction from the Technical and Training Committee of ACPO Air Operations were tasked with improving the recognition and identification of police vehicles amongst other traffic, particularly when operating at night. Colour images show the flashing blue lights but other details are lost, and a thermal camera image would show the vehicles and surroundings, but the livery and roofbar lighting could not be seen. The preferred solution was to make the police vehicle distinguishable when viewed with a thermal camera.
Working with QinetiQ, they developed a thermally reflective marking film and issued the publication Thermal Roof Markings for Police Vehicles 43/04
These markings reflect infra-red light back to the thermal imager, resulting in a contrast between the cold reflection and the ground / vehicle temperature. Being passive in nature, they require no activity on the part of the air observer or vehicle crew, nor any power from the vehicle.

Public buses

Vehicles operating London Buses services carry roof markings, as shown in the image opposite. The first three letters denote the operator and the remaining letters and numbers are the fleet number, which also appears on the front and rear of the vehicle.
Operator codes include:

Fire vehicles

In Germany, DIN 14035, "Dachkennzeichen für Feuerwehrfahrzeuge", issued in November 1981, defines that fire engines should carry their registration plate number; these include the one-to-three letter abbreviation code of the corresponding Landkreis, thus making regional origin self-evident. The inscription is recommended to be at least 40 cm in size; the font color should, in terms of roof painting, be "white on red", or "black on white and aluminium/metallic".
As DIN standards are, however, not generally binding in Germany, but mere recommendations, the scheme is not used everywhere, with some fire companies preferring visually appealing inscriptions like company name or logo. Many others show their cars' radio call signs ; over the years, various local efforts have been made to match both designations, aided by district administrations that reserved registered car like designations on principle.

European Union

Ambulances

, "Medical vehicles and their equipment - Road ambulances", reissued in 2007, recommends in its "informative" annex A "Recognition", that roofs of ambulance vehicles should bear the Red Cross/Crescent Emblems or the Star of Life.

Canada

Aerial roof markings are used by Toronto Police Service and Toronto EMS to provide identification from the air. In the Metro Vancouver, British Columbia area, the various police forces have their specific municipal code and vehicle number on the roof for airborne identification.