These plates are issued to firefighting-related vehicles upon request of a fire chief. They are used by volunteer, municipal, and corporate fire departments. Not all fire trucks use license plates in Connecticut.
This type started around 1963, with white letters on a blue background, and a red decal strip across the top with the “FIRE APPARATUS” legend engraved into the plate. Eventually the plates used red letters on a white background.
When the “blue fade” base was introduced, many of these plates were issued with blue numbers, such as the one in the photo to the left. I have no idea why. Red letters are once again the standard for this type.
‘Vanities’ are also becoming more common, with the unit number as the plate number: e.g. ‘E-177’ for Engine 177, ‘S-213’ for Willington’s Service Vehicle 213, ‘F-139’ for Broad Brook’s Forestry 139 Vehicle, and even ‘RESQ-1’ for Cheshire’s Rescue 1.
Click the image above to see this type in use.
1977
Map base, ca. 1990s
2001
Map base, ca. 1990s
2002, with numbers painted blue instead of the proper red.
ca. 2001