TOKYO, Dec. 28 (Kyodo) -- The Fire and Disaster Management Agency unveiled Tuesday Japan's first fire engine that also functions as an ambulance.
The vehicle was shown to the public at the main office of the fire agency, which is part of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, in Tokyo's Kasumigaseki district.
The agency hopes the dual-function vehicle will help cut the firefighting costs of local municipalities, officials said.
The vehicle, which can carry six people, is about the same size as a regular fire engine, with most of its body painted bright red, but the front is white.
The vehicle is fitted with a bed and medical equipment as well as water pumps, hoses and a ladder. It can use two different sirens, one for firefighting and the other for ambulance duty.
The first vehicle will be assigned to the fire department of the city government of Matsudo, Chiba Prefecture, next month, the officials said.
The Fire and Disaster Management Agency, the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry, and the National Police Agency have agreed to register the vehicle as a fire engine.
Because its ambulance space is limited, the vehicle is categorized as a fire engine by the standards of the Fire and Disaster Management Agency as well, the officials said.
