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Scott County EMS leans toward fluorescent yellow ambulances to improve visibility and crew safety
Summary
Presenters showed two design concepts for Medic EMS vehicles — a fluorescent yellow‑green base and a white base with reflective striping — and staff and supervisors favored the high‑visibility yellow option for daytime/fog visibility; a final color option will be presented Thursday for board consideration.
A Medic EMS presenter and branding consultant reviewed two ambulance design concepts for the board: a fluorescent yellow‑green base color and a white base color that would rely on reflective striping for night visibility. The presentation cited visibility studies (largely European) and standards such as NFPA in support of the high‑visibility yellow option.
"Design concept 1, is a fluorescent yellow green, which is the best that supported most tests to able to screen color..." the presenter said, noting that yellow remains recognizable for many people with color blindness and performs better in mixed traffic, fog and snow. Several supervisors said safety was their paramount concern and expressed a preference for the yellow option. One supervisor noted that a modest added cost — "if we're just talking, like, an additional $500 or more" — would be worth it to prioritize crew safety.
Staff asked for guidance and said they would bring the yellow option back to the board on Thursday for a decision. No formal vote on the new design was recorded at the committee meeting; the discussion was framed as guidance prior to a future decision.
