Jump to content

Fire engine: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Content deleted Content added
→‎History: Added image
No edit summary
 
(544 intermediate revisions by more than 100 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|Emergency vehicle intended to put out fires}}
{{about|a specific type of firefighting apparatus|Firefighting apparatus in general|Firefighting apparatus}}
{{About|a specific type of fire apparatus|firefighting apparatus in general|Firefighting apparatus}}
{{Redirect|Fire truck|the 1978 arcade game|Fire Truck (video game)}}
{{Redirect|Fire truck|other uses|Fire engine (disambiguation)|and|Fire Truck (disambiguation)}}
{{Redirect|Fire engines|the Scottish post-punk band|The Fire Engines}}
{{Redirect|Fire engines|the Scottish post-punk band|The Fire Engines}}
{{pp-move-indef|small=yes}}
[[File:LFB Pump Ladder.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Fire engine operated by the [[London Fire Brigade]] in the United Kingdom]]
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
[[Image:Fire Company Tower.jpg|right|thumb|300px|An example of a tower from the [[United States]]. This one represents the [[Fort Johnson, New York]] fire company.]]
[[File:Huachuca City Fire - 2010-03-16 - 06.jpg|thumb|300px|[[E-One]] fire engine in action. [[Huachuca City, Arizona]], 2010.]]
[[File:Humberside_Fire_&_Rescue_DH03P4_-_YT21_EHF.jpg|thumb|A [[Scania PRT-range|Scania P280]] fire engine used by the [[Humberside Fire and Rescue Service]] in [[Kingston upon Hull]], [[Yorkshire]], England]]
A '''fire engine''' or '''fire truck''' (also spelled '''firetruck''') is a [[vehicle]], usually a specially-designed or modified [[truck]], that functions as a [[firefighting apparatus]]. The primary purposes of a fire engine include transporting [[firefighter]]s and [[water]] to an incident as well as carrying equipment for [[firefighting]] operations in a [[fire drill]]. Some fire engines have specialized functions, such as [[wildfire suppression]] and [[aircraft rescue and firefighting]], and may also carry equipment for [[technical rescue]].
A '''fire engine''' (also known in some territories as a '''fire apparatus''', '''fire truck''', or '''fire appliance''') is a vehicle designed primarily for [[firefighting]] operations. In addition, many [[Fire department|fire departments/fire services]] often employ their vehicles for various other uses including [[emergency medical services]] and rescue purposes. The terms "fire engine" and "fire truck" are often used interchangeably but in North America represent different types of vehicles.


Many fire engines are based on [[commercial vehicle]] [[chassis]] that is further upgraded and customized for firefighting requirements. They are generally considered [[Emergency vehicle|emergency vehicles]] authorized to be [[Emergency vehicle equipment|equipped]] with [[Emergency vehicle lighting|emergency lights]] and [[Siren (alarm)|sirens]], as well as communication equipment such as two-way radios and mobile computer technology.
The primary purposes of a fire engine include transporting [[firefighter]]s to an incident scene, providing water with which to fight a fire, and carrying other equipment needed by firefighters. A typical modern vehicle will carry tools for a wide range of firefighting and rescue tasks, with common equipment including [[ladder]]s, a [[self-contained breathing apparatus]], ventilating equipment, [[first aid]] kits, and [[hydraulic rescue tools]].


The terms ''fire engine'' and ''fire truck'' are often used interchangeably to a broad range of vehicles involved in firefighting; however, in some [[fire department]]s they refer to separate and specific types of vehicle.
Many fire vehicles are based on standard vehicle models (although some parts may be upgraded to cope with the demands of the vehicles' usage). They are normally fitted with [[Siren (noisemaker)|audible]] and [[Emergency vehicle lighting|visual warnings]], as well as communication equipment such as two-way radios and mobile computer technology.

==Design and construction==
[[File:Front of a MAN fire engine with winch and shackles.jpg|thumb|Front of a [[MAN Truck & Bus|MAN]] fire engine with built-in [[winch]], e.g. for towing damaged cars. The [[shackle]]s serve a similar purpose.]]
The design and construction of fire engines focuses greatly on the use of both active and passive warnings. Passive visual warnings involve the use of high contrast patterns to increase the noticeability of the vehicle. These types of warnings are often seen on older vehicles and those in [[developing countries]].<ref name="warnings">{{cite web|last1=Dallman|first1=Chris|title=What Type Of Fire Truck Lights Are Most Effective|url=http://www.911signalusa.com/what-type-fire-truck-lights-are-most-effective-a-281.html|access-date=17 March 2015|website=911 Signal USA|archive-date=7 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307222530/http://www.911signalusa.com/what-type-fire-truck-lights-are-most-effective-a-281.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> More modern designs make use of [[retroreflector]]s to reflect light from other vehicles. Vehicles will also often have these reflectors arranged in a [[Chevron (insignia)|chevron]] pattern along with the words ''fire'' or ''rescue''.<ref name="warnings" /> European countries commonly use a pattern known as [[Battenburg markings]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=15 September 2009|title=Study Highlights Best Practices for Emergency Vehicle Visibility, Conspicuity|url=https://www.firerescue1.com/fire-products/vehicles/ambulances/articles/590231-Study-highlights-best-practices-for-emergency-vehicle-visibility-conspicuity/|access-date=23 February 2018|website=Fire Rescue 1|archive-date=24 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180224053001/https://www.firerescue1.com/fire-products/vehicles/ambulances/articles/590231-Study-highlights-best-practices-for-emergency-vehicle-visibility-conspicuity/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Along with the passive warnings, are active visual warnings which are usually in the form of flashing colored lights (also known as "[[light bar#beacon anchor|beacons]]" or "[[lightbar]]s"). These flash to attract the attention of other drivers as the fire truck approaches, or to provide warning to drivers approaching a parked fire truck in a dangerous position on the road. While the fire truck is headed towards the scene, the lights are always accompanied by loud audible warnings such as [[Siren (alarm)|sirens]] and [[air horn]]s.<ref name="warnings" /> Some fire engines in the United States are [[Lime (color)|lime yellow]] rather than red due to safety and ergonomics reasons. A 2009 study by the [[U.S. Fire Administration]] concluded that fluorescent colors, including yellow-green and orange, are easiest to spot in daylight.<ref>{{cite web | url =https://www.apa.org/topics/safety-design/fire-engine-color-safety |title=Why lime-yellow fire trucks are safer than red|publisher=[[American Psychological Association]]| date=2014| accessdate =26 July 2021}}</ref>

In some regions, a fire engine may be used to transport first responder firefighters, [[paramedic]]s or [[Emergency medical technician|EMT]]s to [[medical emergency|medical emergencies]] due to their proximity to the incident.<ref>Walter A, Edgar C, Rutledge M: First Responder Handbook: Fire Service Edition.</ref><ref>Alaspää et al.: Uusi ensihoidon käsikirja. Tammi 2004. (New Handbook on Emergency care) {{in lang|fi}}</ref>


==Types==
==Types==
===Conventional fire engine===
<gallery>
File:Fire Engine 33 (6225707251).jpg|An E-One engine used by the [[Boston Fire Department]]
File:Brandbil, Huddinge, 20220902.jpg|A [[Scania AB|Scania]] engine used by the [[Södertörn]] fire service
File:Ural Next-based fire engine in Tomsk 01.jpg|An [[Ural Automotive Plant|Ural]] engine used by the [[Russian State Fire Service]]
File:20230306 HOWO T5G 340 fire engine in Kaifeng.jpg|A [[Howo]] engine used by the [[China Fire and Rescue|Henan Fire Rescue Corps]]
</gallery>The standard fire engine transports firefighters to the scene, carries equipment needed by the firefighters for most firefighting scenarios, and may provide a limited supply of water with which to fight the fire. The tools carried on the fire engine will vary greatly based on many factors including the size of the department and the usual situations the firefighters handle. For example, departments located near large bodies of water or rivers are likely to have some sort of [[Swiftwater rescue|water rescue]] equipment. Standard tools found on nearly all fire engines include [[ladder]]s, [[hydraulic rescue tools]] (often referred to as the [[jaws of life]]), [[High-intensity discharge lamp|floodlights]], [[fire hose]], [[fire extinguisher]]s, self-contained breathing apparatus, and [[Thermal imaging camera (firefighting)|thermal imaging cameras]].<ref>{{cite web|title=What is a Fire Engine?|url=http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-fire-engine.htm|website=WiseGeek|access-date=17 March 2015}}</ref>


The exact layout of what is carried on an engine is decided by the needs of the department. For example, fire departments located in metropolitan areas will carry equipment to mitigate hazardous materials and effect technical rescues, while departments that operate in the wildland-urban interface will need the gear to deal with brush fires.
===Conventional fire apparatus===
[[File:Fire Company Engine 4.jpg|thumb|300px|left|An example of an engine, which can be identified in part by the pump panel on the side. Compartments in the rear hold essential tools for different types of emergency calls, and the apparatus often holds a reserve of water as well. This truck contains about 1,000 gallons of water.]]
The standard fire engine is an [[firefighting apparatus|apparatus]] designed primarily for [[firefighting]] operations. The primary purpose of the engine is transporting [[firefighter]]s to the scene, providing a limited supply of water with which to fight the fire, and carrying tools, equipment, and hoses needed by the firefighters. The tools carried on the fire engine will vary greatly based on many factors including the size of the department and what sort of terrain the department must handle. For example, departments located near large bodies of water or rivers are likely to have some sort of [[Swiftwater rescue|water rescue]] equipment. Standard tools found on nearly all fire engines include [[ladder]]s, [[hydraulic rescue tools]] (often referred to as the [[jaws of life]]), [[High-intensity discharge lamp|floodlights]], [[fire hose]], [[fire extinguisher]]s, [[self-contained breathing apparatus]], and [[Thermal imaging camera (firefighting)|thermal imaging cameras]].<ref>{{cite web|title=What is a Fire Engine?|url=http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-fire-engine.htm|website=WiseGeek|accessdate=17 March 2015}}</ref>


Some fire engines have a fixed [[deluge gun]], also known as a master stream, which directs a heavy stream of water to wherever the operator points it. An additional feature of engines are their preconnected [[fire hose|hose lines]], commonly referred to as ''preconnects''.<ref name=FEM-pre>{{cite journal|last1=Leihbacher|first1=Doug|title=Preconnects: The Basics|journal=[[Fire Engineering Magazine]]|date=1 April 2000|volume=153|issue=4|url=http://www.fireengineering.com/articles/print/volume-153/issue-4/features/features/preconnects-the-basics.html|access-date=19 March 2015}}</ref> The preconnects are attached to the engine's onboard water supply and allow firefighters to quickly mount an aggressive attack on the fire as soon as they arrive on scene.<ref name=FEM-pre/> When the onboard water supply runs out, the engine is connected to more permanent sources such as [[fire hydrant]]s or [[water tender]]s and can also use natural sources such as rivers or reservoirs by [[drafting water]].
The exact layout of what is carried on an engine is decided by the needs of the department. For example, [[fire department]]s which cover metropolitan areas are more likely to assist with non-fire-related cases such as [[Dangerous goods|hazardous material]] removal/cleanup and [[technical rescue]]s of people from [[traffic collision]]s or [[Structural failure|structural collapse]]s, while rural departments may need to do things like access remote areas or extinguish forest fires.


=== Aerial apparatus ===
[[File:NSW Fire Brigades Pumper Class 2 and rescue.jpg|thumb|right|Conventional pumper of [[Fire and Rescue NSW]] in [[Wagga Wagga, New South Wales|Wagga Wagga]], [[Australia]]]]
An aerial apparatus is a fire truck mounted with an extendable boom that enables firefighters to reach high locations. They can provide a high vantage point for spraying water and creating ventilation, an access route for firefighters and an escape route for firefighters and people they have rescued. In North America, aerial apparatuses are used for fire suppression, whereas in Europe, they are used more for rescue.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fireapparatusmagazine.com/articles/print/volume-21/issue-6/features/fire-apparatus-united-states-vs-europe.html|title=United States vs. Europe|publisher=Fire Apparatus|date=7 June 2016|access-date=17 July 2019|archive-date=17 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190717103525/https://www.fireapparatusmagazine.com/articles/print/volume-21/issue-6/features/fire-apparatus-united-states-vs-europe.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="fe-2008">{{cite web|url=https://www.fireengineering.com/articles/2008/06/fire-commentary-european-firefighting-operations.html|title=Fire Commentary: European Firefighting Operations|publisher=Fire Engineering|date=12 June 2008|access-date=17 July 2019}}</ref>
Some fire engines have a fixed [[deluge gun]], also known as a master stream, which directs a heavy stream of water to wherever the operator points it. An additional feature of engines are their preconnected [[fire hose|hose lines]], commonly referred to as ''preconnects''.<ref name=FEM-pre>{{cite journal|last1=Leihbacher|first1=Doug|title=Preconnects: The Basics|journal=[[Fire Engineering Magazine]]|date=1 April 2000|volume=153|issue=4|url=http://www.fireengineering.com/articles/print/volume-153/issue-4/features/features/preconnects-the-basics.html|accessdate=19 March 2015}}</ref> The preconnects are attached to the engine's onboard water supply and allow firefighters to quickly mount an aggressive attack on the fire as soon as they arrive on scene.<ref name=FEM-pre/> When the onboard water supply runs out, the engine is connected to more permanent sources such as [[fire hydrant]]s or [[water tender]]s and can also use natural sources such as rivers or reservoirs by [[drafting water]].

===Aerial apparatus===


====Turntable ladder====
====Turntable ladder====
[[File:Iveco Eurocargo - Magirus turntable ladder - front view.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|An [[Iveco]] turntable ladder used by the [[Romanian General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations]]]]
{{Commons category|Turntable ladders}}
A turntable ladder (TL) is an aerial apparatus with a large ladder mounted on a pivot which resembles a [[turntable]], giving it its name. The key functions of a turntable ladder are allowing access or egress of firefighters and fire victims at height, providing a high-level water point for firefighting (elevated master stream), and providing a platform from which tasks such as ventilation or overhaul can be executed.
[[File:FLFR Ladder 13.JPG|thumb|left|200px|Quint 13 belonging to [[Fort Lauderdale]].]]
A turntable ladder (TL) is perhaps the best-known form of special purpose aerial apparatus, and is used to gain access to fires occurring at height using a large telescopic ladder, where conventional ladders carried on conventional appliances might not reach. The name is derived from the fact that the large ladder is mounted on a turntable on the back of a [[truck]] chassis, allowing it to pivot around a stable base. To increase its length, the ladder is [[telescoping (mechanics)|telescopic]]. Modern telescopic ladders are either [[hydraulic]] or [[pneumatic]]. These mechanical features allow the use of ladders which are longer, sturdier, and more stable. They may also have pre-attached hoses or other equipment.


To increase its length and reach, the ladder is often [[telescoping (mechanics)|telescoping]]. Modern telescopic ladders may be [[hydraulic]] or [[pneumatic]]. These mechanical features allow the use of ladders which are longer, sturdier, and more stable. They may also have pre-attached hoses or other equipment.
A ladder can also be mounted behind the cab. This is sometimes called "mid-ship" and the arrangement allows a lower travel height for the truck, and also can be more stable in certain conditions.


The pivot can be mounted at the rear of the chassis or in the middle, just behind the cab. The latter is sometimes called a "mid-ship" arrangement, and it allows a lower travel height for the truck.
[[File:Firefighting ladder trucks.jpg|right|thumb|Several aerial apparatus in use at a fire in [[Los Angeles]]]]
The key functions of a turntable ladder are:


While the traditional characteristic of a TL was a lack of water pumping or storage, many modern TLs have a water pumping function built in (and some have their own on-board supply reservoir). Some may have piping along the ladder to supply water to firefighters at the top of the ladder, and some of these may also have a [[fire monitor|monitor]] installed at the top. Other appliances may simply have a track-way to securely hold a manually-run hose reel.
# Allowing access or egress of firefighters and fire victims at height
# Providing a high-level water point for firefighting (elevated master stream)
# Providing a platform from which tasks such as ventilation or overhaul can be executed


{{Anchor|Quint}}In the United States, turntable ladders with additional functions such as an onboard pump, a water tank, [[fire hose]], aerial ladder and multiple [[ladder|ground ladders]], are known as quad or [[Quint (fire apparatus)|quint]] engines, indicating the number of functions they perform.<ref name=Glossary>{{cite web|title=Glossary|url=http://www.fireserviceinfo.com/glossary.html|publisher=Fire Service Info|access-date=5 January 2014}}</ref>
While the traditional characteristic of a fire appliance was a lack of water pumping or storage, many modern TLs have a water pumping function built in (and some have their own on-board supply reservoir), and may have a pre-piped waterway running the length of the ladder which directs a stream of water to the firefighters at the top. In some cases, there may also be a [[fire monitor|monitor]] at the top of the ladder for ease of use. Other appliances may simply have a track-way which will hold a manually-run hose reel securely, and prevent it from falling to the ground.
{{Anchor|Quint}}


The highest TL in the world is the [[Magirus]] M68L, with a range of {{convert|68|m|ft|1|sp=us}}.<ref>{{cite web|title=Dosięgnąć nieba czyli M68L, najwyższa na świecie drabina hydrauliczna z windą ratowniczą!|trans-title=Reach the Sky or the M68L, the world's tallest hydraulic rescue ladder! "|url=https://remiza.com.pl/dosiegnac-nieba-czyli-m68l-najwyzsza-na-%C2%9Cswiecie-drabina-hydrauliczna-z-winda-ratownicza/|access-date=19 June 2017|publisher=remiza.com|language=pl|archive-date=16 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171116131654/https://remiza.com.pl/dosiegnac-nieba-czyli-m68l-najwyzsza-na-%C2%9Cswiecie-drabina-hydrauliczna-z-winda-ratownicza/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
In the United States, some turntable ladders with additional functions such as an onboard pump, a water tank, [[fire hose]], aerial ladder and multiple [[ladder|ground ladders]], are known as quad or [[Quint (fire apparatus)|quint]] engines, indicating the number of functions they perform.<ref name=Glossary>{{cite web|title=Glossary|url=http://www.fireserviceinfo.com/glossary.html|publisher=Fire Service Info|accessdate=5 January 2014}}</ref>


====Tiller truck====
====={{anchor|Hook-and-ladder|tiller ladder|tiller truck}}Tiller Truck=====
<!-- When referencing this section from another page, reference the ANCHORS as those will not change -->
{{anchor|Hook-and-ladder|tiller ladder|tiller truck}}<!-- When referencing this section from another page, reference the ANCHORS as those will not change -->
[[File:LAFD Truck 3 with tiller.jpg|thumb|An [[American LaFrance]] tiller truck used by the [[Los Angeles Fire Department]]]]
[[Image:Lafd ladder truck.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Tiller-quint of the [[Los Angeles Fire Department]] manufactured by [[American LaFrance]]]]
In the United States, a tiller truck, also known as a tractor-drawn aerial, tiller ladder, or [[Pike pole|hook]]-and-ladder truck, is a specialized turntable ladder mounted on a [[semi-trailer truck]]. Unlike a commercial semi, the trailer and tractor are permanently combined and special tools are required to separate them. It has two drivers, with separate [[steering wheel]]s for front and rear wheels.<ref name=recruit-TDAs>{{cite news|last1=Avsec|first1=Robert|title=Pros and cons of tractor-drawn aerials|url=https://www.firerecruit.com/articles/1436548-Pros-and-cons-of-tractor-drawn-aerials|access-date=16 March 2015|agency=Fire Recruit|date=23 April 2013|archive-date=27 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160527184437/https://www.firerecruit.com/articles/1436548-Pros-and-cons-of-tractor-drawn-aerials|url-status=dead}}</ref>


One of the main features of the tiller-truck is its enhanced maneuverability.<ref name=SLO-tiller/> The independent steering of the front and back wheels allow the tiller to make much sharper turns, which is particularly helpful on narrow streets and in apartment complexes with maze-like roads.<ref name=recruit-TDAs/> An additional feature of the tiller-truck is that its overall length, over {{convert|50|ft|m}} for most models, allows for additional storage of tools and equipment.<ref name=SLO-tiller>{{cite web|last1=Hines|first1=Charlie|title=Fire Apparatus Utilized on Emergency Responses—Benefits of a Tiller|url=http://www.slocity.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=66|website=City of San Luis Obispo|publisher=Fire Chief|access-date=16 March 2015}}</ref> The extreme length gives compartment capacities that range between {{convert|500|and|650|cuft}} in the trailer with an additional {{convert|40|and|60|cuft}} in the cab.<ref name=SLO-tiller/>
In the United States, a tiller truck, also known as a tractor-drawn aerial, tiller ladder, or hook-and-ladder truck, is a specialized turntable ladder mounted on a [[semi-trailer truck]]. Unlike a commercial semi, the trailer and tractor are permanently combined and special tools are required to separate them. It has two drivers, with separate [[steering wheel]]s for front and rear wheels.<ref name=recruit-TDAs>{{cite news|last1=Avsec|first1=Robert|title=Pros and cons of tractor-drawn aerials|url=https://www.firerecruit.com/articles/1436548-Pros-and-cons-of-tractor-drawn-aerials|accessdate=16 March 2015|agency=Fire Recruit|date=23 April 2013}}</ref>


Some departments elect to use tiller-[[Quint (fire apparatus)|quint]]s, which are tiller trucks that have the added feature of being fitted with an on-board water tank.<ref name=SLO-tiller/> These are particularly useful for smaller departments that do not have enough personnel to staff both an engine company and a truck company.<ref name=SLO-tiller/>
One of the main features of the tiller-truck is its enhanced maneuverability.<ref name=SLO-tiller/> The independent steering of the front and back wheels allow the tiller to make much sharper turns, which is particularly helpful on narrow streets and apartment complexes with maze-like roads.<ref name=recruit-TDAs/> An additional feature of the tiller-truck is that its overall length, over {{convert|50|ft|m}} for most models, allows for additional storage of tools and equipment.<ref name=SLO-tiller>{{cite web|last1=Hines|first1=Charlie|title=Fire Apparatus Utilized on Emergency Responses - Benefits of a Tiller|url=http://www.slocity.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=66|website=City of San Luis Obispo|publisher=Fire Chief|accessdate=16 March 2015}}</ref> The extreme length gives compartment capacities that range between {{convert|500|and|650|cuft}} on the trailer with an additional {{convert|40|and|60|cuft}} on the cab.<ref name=SLO-tiller/>

Some departments elect to use tiller-quints (see [[#quint|quint]] below), which are tiller trucks that have the added feature of being fitted with an on-board water tank.<ref name=SLO-tiller/> These are particularly useful for smaller departments that do not have enough personnel to staff both an engine company and a truck company.<ref name=SLO-tiller/>
{{Clear}}
{{Clear}}


====Platform truck====
===={{anchor|platform truck|platform ladder|aerial platform}} Aerial Platform====
{{Anchor|Snorkel|platform truck|platform ladder|aerial platform}}<!--[[Snorkel (fire fighting)]] redirects here; various pages reference the other anchors-->
<!-- When referencing this section from another page, reference the ANCHORS as those will not change -->
[[Image:Roskilde S1.jpg|right|thumb|Telescopic hydraulic platform in [[Roskilde]], [[Denmark]]]]
[[File:Roskilde S1.jpg|thumb|An articulating platform truck used by the [[Roskilde]] fire brigade]]
Some aerials have a platform, also known as a basket or bucket, mounted at the top of the ladder. These are commonly known as ''platform trucks''. These platforms can provide a secure place from which a firefighter can operate. Many platforms also allow for rescues to be performed and are outfitted with tie down clips and [[rappelling]] arms.<ref name=ferrara>{{cite web|title=Platform Features|url=http://www.ferrarafire.com/Apparatus/Aerials/Platforms.html|website=Ferrara Fire|accessdate=17 March 2015}}</ref>
A platform truck carries an [[aerial work platform]], also known as a basket or bucket, on the end of a ladder or boom. These platforms can provide a secure place from which a firefighter can operate. Many platforms also allow for rescues to be performed and are outfitted with tie down clips and [[rappelling]] arms.<ref name="ferrara">{{cite web|title=Platform Features|url=http://www.ferrarafire.com/Apparatus/Aerials/Platforms.html|website=Ferrara Fire|access-date=17 March 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150315144217/http://www.ferrarafire.com/Apparatus/Aerials/Platforms.html|archive-date=15 March 2015}}</ref>


There are also platform trucks that do not have a ladder attached to the platform. These specialized [[elevated work platform]]s are capable of [[articulated|articulating]] which allows the arm to bend in one or more places. This is an advantage over the traditional platform ladder, which can only extend in a straight line and gives the articulating platform the ability to go "up and over" an obstacle (see picture).
Some booms are capable of [[articulated|articulating]], allowing the arm to bend in one or more places. This allows the platform truck to go "up and over" an obstacle, and is an advantage over the traditional platform ladder, which can only extend in a straight line.


===Rescue apparatus===
=== Wildland fire engine ===
{{main|Wildland fire engine}}
[[File:Truk pemadam kebakaran DKI Jakarta.jpeg|thumb|270px|Fire Engine in [[Jakarta]], [[Indonesia]]]]
[[File:Engine33ANF01.jpg|thumb|An [[Navistar|International]] wildland fire engine used by the [[United States Forest Service]]]]
A [[wildland fire engine]] is a specialized fire engine that can negotiate difficult terrain for [[wildfire suppression]]. A wildland fire engine is smaller than standard fire engines and has a higher [[ground clearance]]. They may also respond to emergencies in rough terrain where other vehicles cannot respond. Many wildland engines feature [[four-wheel drive]] capability to improve hill climbing and rough terrain capability.<ref>{{cite web|title=Engine Types|url=http://www.nwcg.gov/general/memos/nwcg-006-2008.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150501050059/http://www.nwcg.gov/general/memos/nwcg-006-2008.pdf|archive-date=1 May 2015|access-date=5 January 2014|publisher=National Wildfire Coordinating Group}}</ref> Some wildland apparatus can pump water while driving (compared to some traditional engines which must be stationary to pump water), allowing "mobile attacks" on vegetation fires to minimize the rate of spread.<ref>{{cite web|title=Type 3 Engine|url=http://sbcfire.ndic.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Type-3-Engine.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131231230053/http://sbcfire.ndic.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Type-3-Engine.pdf|archive-date=31 December 2013|access-date=30 December 2013|publisher=Santa Barbara County Fire}}</ref>


{{anchor|Type 1|Type 2|wildland-urban interface}}
====Heavy rescue vehicle====


Fire departments that serve areas along the [[wildland–urban interface]] have to be able to tackle traditional urban fires as well as wildland fires.<ref name="FEM-interface">{{cite journal|last1=Wright|first1=Edward|date=1 August 2012|title=Wildland Urban Interface Fires: Managing A Cascade Of Risk|url=http://www.fireengineering.com/articles/print/volume-165/issue-8/features/wildland-urban-interface-fires-managing-a-cascade-of-risk.html|journal=[[Fire Engineering Magazine]]|volume=165|issue=8|access-date=18 March 2015}}</ref> Departments in these areas often use a wildland-urban interface engine, which combine features of a standard fire engine with that of a wildland fire engine.<ref>{{cite web|title=Wildland Type I & Type II|url=http://www.ferrarafire.com/Apparatus/Wildland/TypeII/TypeII.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150408001828/http://www.ferrarafire.com/Apparatus/Wildland/TypeII/TypeII.html|archive-date=8 April 2015|access-date=18 March 2015|website=Ferrara Fire}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=April 2015}}
{{Main|Heavy rescue vehicle}}
[[Image:Sapporo Fire bureau odori 2 A-2class TypeII.jpg|thumb|left|Heavy rescue vehicle with the Fire Bureau in [[Sapporo]], [[Japan]]]]
A heavy rescue vehicle, sometimes referred to as a Rescue Company, Rescue Squad or Technical Rescue, is a type of specialty firefighting apparatus. They are primarily designed to carry specialized equipment for [[technical rescue]] situations such as [[vehicle extrication]]s following [[traffic collision]]s, [[confined space rescue]]s, [[rope rescue]]s, [[swiftwater rescue]]s, or [[structural failure|building collapses]].

In addition to fire and rescue departments, [[tram]] or [[railway]] companies may have their own dedicated heavy rescue squads.<ref>For example, Helsinki City Transport's tram rescue unit in [http://www.fireimages.net/displayimage.php?pos=-9508 Fireimages.net], retrieved May 9, 2007.</ref><ref>For example, VR railway rescue squad in [http://www.fireimages.net/displayimage.php?pos=-18186 Fireimages], retrieved May 9, 2007.{{better source|date=April 2015}}</ref> For example, railway rescue squads may carry very specialized equipment, for railway accidents, like hydraulic jacks with capacity for lifting [[locomotive]]s or even moving them horizontally, and equipment for [[tank car]] accidents.<ref>Visiiri 2/2006, pp. 6 – 7, on the heavy rescue unit of VR Railway Company in Helsinki, Finland, [http://www.liitin.fi/index.php?node_id=5607 Liitin Oy], retrieved May 9, 2007. {{fi icon}}</ref>

===Wildland and interface fire apparatus===
[[Image:SantaBarbaraCountyFireEngine331.jpg|right|thumb|200px|[[Type 3 fire engine]] belonging to the [[Santa Barbara County Fire Department]].]]
{{main|Wildland fire engine}}
[[Wildfire suppression|Wildland firefighting]] requires vehicles that can easily negotiate difficult terrain and high-gradient roads, be self-reliant, and have high clearances for wheels and suspension. These [[wildland fire engine]]s are traditionally smaller than standard fire apparatus and are primarily used for [[vegetation fire]]s or [[wildland fire]]s. They may also respond to emergencies in rough terrain where other vehicles cannot respond. Most wildland engines feature [[four-wheel drive]] capability to improve hill climbing and rough terrain capability.<ref>{{cite web|title=Engine Types|url=http://www.nwcg.gov/general/memos/nwcg-006-2008.pdf|publisher=National Wildfire Coordinating Group|accessdate=5 January 2014}}</ref> Some wildland apparatus can pump water while driving (compared to some traditional engines which must be stationary to pump water), allowing "running attacks" on vegetation fires to minimize the rate of spread.<ref>{{cite web|title=Type 3 Engine|url=http://sbcfire.ndic.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Type-3-Engine.pdf|publisher=Santa Barbara County Fire|accessdate=30 December 2013}}</ref>

{{anchor|Type 1|Type 2|wildland-urban interface}}
Fire departments that serve areas along the [[wildland–urban interface]] are faced with unique challenges that departments based in larger cities or strictly rural areas do not need to worry about.<ref name=FEM-interface>{{cite journal|last1=Wright|first1=Edward|title=Wildland Urban Interface Fires: Managing A Cascade Of Risk|journal=[[Fire Engineering Magazine]]|date=1 August 2012|volume=165|issue=8|url=http://www.fireengineering.com/articles/print/volume-165/issue-8/features/wildland-urban-interface-fires-managing-a-cascade-of-risk.html|accessdate=18 March 2015}}</ref> Departments in these areas often elect to use a type of fire engine commonly referred to as a ''wildland-urban interface engine'' or simply ''interface engines''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Wildland Type I & Type II|url=http://www.ferrarafire.com/Apparatus/Wildland/TypeII/TypeII.html|website=Ferrara Fire|accessdate=18 March 2015}}{{better source|date=April 2015}}</ref> While technically considered a [[wildland fire engine]] by many{{who|date=April 2015}}, these maintain the traditional look and feel of a standard engine.<ref name=type-1-pierce>{{cite web|title=Wildland Type 1|url=http://www.piercemfg.com/en/trucks/by-purpose/wildland.aspx|website=Pierce MFG|accessdate=18 March 2015}}{{better source|date=April 2015}}</ref>
{{Clear}}
{{Clear}}


===Logistical support apparatus===
===Water tender===
[[File:JMSDF Water tender(Isuzu Forward, 41-8056) right front view at Kanoya Air Base April 30, 2017.jpg|thumb|An [[Isuzu]] [[water tender]] used by the [[Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force]]]]
{{unreferenced section|date=April 2015}}
A [[water tender]] is a specialist fire appliance with the primary purpose of transporting large amounts of water to the fire area to make it available for extinguishing operations. These are especially useful in rural areas where fire hydrants are not readily available and natural water resources are insufficient or difficult to exploit.
Many fire departments operate a number of vehicles in specialized logistical functions. These can be stand-alone vehicles, or may be modular, such as with the use of a [[Hydraulic hooklift hoist|hook-lift]] system. Hooklifts are sometimes only employed for seldom-used equipment; they can load a variety of different equipment containers very rapidly and act as a special unit with lower investment costs. For example, the [[Helsinki]] Rescue Department has several hooklift trucks and more than 40 containers, including a water container, a hose container, and an oil destruction container. Containers may also carry a command post, salvage tools, foam barrels, hoses, special pumps for [[wildfire]]s, and [[field hospital]]s.

====Command support unit====
{{Commons category|Firefighting command vehicles}}
[[Image:New Zealand Trucks - Hazmat Unit.jpg|thumb|left|A [[New Zealand Fire Service]] command unit, 2009]]
The advancement of technology and potential for very large-scale incidents has led to many fire departments increasing their use of mobile command support units.

A fundamental advantage of such an appliance is to accommodate the many different types of communication equipment needed at major incidents. In addition to the wide range of radio frequencies used, a [[fire chief]] often needs to communicate via landlines and send and receive information via satellite links and [[Closed-circuit television|CCTV]] to keep aware of and control the ongoing situation. The command unit can essentially be used as an on-site conference center for command personnel, mapping and planning firefighting operations and directing crews as they arrive.

===Water carrying apparatus===
{{main|Water tender|Wildland water tender}}

====Tender truck====
[[File:Fire Company Tanker.jpg|thumb|300px|right|A tender capable of holding up to 2,000 gallons of water. This tanker can also act as an engine, as you can see from the pump panel on the side, which is not universal among all tankers in the fire service.]]
A tanker truck, which can also be known as a [[water tender]] or water [[Bowser (tanker)|bowser]], is a specialist fire appliance with the primary purpose of transporting large amounts of water to the fire area to make it available for extinguishing operations. These are especially useful in rural areas where fire hydrants are not readily available and natural water resources are insufficient or difficult to exploit.


Most tankers have an on-board pumping system. This pump is often not of sufficient power to fight fires (as it is designed to be attached to a fire engine), but is more often used to draw water into the tender from hydrants or other water sources. In some areas, the tenders are used to pump water during floods, and may be fitted with a heavier duty pump for this purpose. Many tankers are equipped with fast-drain valves on the sides and back of the truck. This allows firefighters to empty thousands of gallons of water into a [[portable water tank]] in just a few seconds.
Most tankers have an on-board pumping system. This pump is often not of sufficient power to fight fires (as it is designed to be attached to a fire engine), but is more often used to draw water into the tender from hydrants or other water sources. Many tankers are equipped with fast-drain valves on the sides and back of the truck. This allows firefighters to empty thousands of gallons of water into a [[portable water tank]] in just a few seconds.


Most water tenders are designed to carry loads of {{convert|1000|USgal|L impgal}} or more.
Most water tenders are designed to carry loads of {{convert|5000-12000|L|impgal}}.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tankbil |url=http://salabrand.se/tankbil-4x2/ |publisher=Sala Brand |access-date=24 September 2020}}</ref>


===Airport crash tender===
===Airport crash tender===
[[File:Stryker (3561270493).jpg|thumb|200px|left|[[Long Beach Fire Department (California)|LBFD]] Crash 3 responding to a call at [[Long Beach Airport]].]]
{{Main|Airport crash tender}}
{{Main|Airport crash tender}}
[[File:Whitehorse International Airport ARFF Striker.jpg|thumb|An [[Oshkosh Corporation|Oshkosh]] airport crash tender used by the [[Erik Nielsen Whitehorse International Airport]] fire department]]
An [[airport crash tender]], or "crash rig", is a specialized fire engine designed for use at [[aerodrome]]s in [[aircraft]] accidents.<ref name=new-arff>{{cite journal|last1=Petrillo|first1=Alan|title=Protecting Airports with New ARFF Designs and Equipment|journal=Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment|date=29 August 2014|volume=19|issue=9|url=http://www.fireapparatusmagazine.com/articles/print/volume-19/issue-9/features/protecting-airports-with-new-arff-designs-and-equipment.html|accessdate=17 March 2015}}</ref> Some of the features that make the crash rigs unique are their ability to move on rough terrain outside the [[runway]] and airport area, large water capacity as well as a [[foam]] tank, a high-capacity pump, and water/foam [[Fire monitor|monitors]]. Newer [[ARFF]] vehicles also incorporate [[Twin agent fire extinguishing system|twin agent]] nozzles/injection systems to inject a stream of [[Purple-K]] dry chemical into the AFFF (Aqueous Film Forming Fluroprotein) foam stream, which "flattens" the fire faster.<ref name=fr-arff>{{cite journal|last1=Vaccaro|first1=Bob|title=Latest ARFF Apparatus Technology|journal=FireRescue|date=31 July 2008|issue=August 2008|url=http://www.firefighternation.com/article/apparatus-innovations/latest-arff-apparatus-technology|accessdate=17 March 2015}}</ref> Some also have Halotron tanks with handlines for fires which must be extinguished with a dry chemical similar to the ones which can be found in a fire extinguisher. These features give the airport crash tenders a capability to reach an airplane rapidly, and rapidly extinguish large fires with [[jet fuel]] involved.
An [[airport crash tender]] is a specialized fire engine designed for use at [[aerodrome]]s in [[aircraft]] accidents.<ref name="new-arff">{{cite journal|last1=Petrillo|first1=Alan|date=29 August 2014|title=Protecting Airports with New ARFF Designs and Equipment|url=http://www.fireapparatusmagazine.com/articles/print/volume-19/issue-9/features/protecting-airports-with-new-arff-designs-and-equipment.html|url-status=dead|journal=Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment|volume=19|issue=9|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141228185946/http://www.fireapparatusmagazine.com/articles/print/volume-19/issue-9/features/protecting-airports-with-new-arff-designs-and-equipment.html|archive-date=December 28, 2014|access-date=17 March 2015}}</ref> Some of the features that make the airport crash tender unique are its ability to move on rough terrain outside the [[runway]] and airport area, large water capacity as well as a [[firefighting foam|foam]] tank, a high-capacity pump, and water/foam [[Fire monitor|monitors]]. Newer airport crash tenders also incorporate [[Twin agent fire extinguishing system|twin agent]] nozzles/injection systems that add dry chemical [[fire retardant]] (such as [[Purple-K]]) to create a stream of [[firefighting foam]] which is able to stop the fire faster.<ref name="fr-arff">{{cite journal|last1=Vaccaro|first1=Bob|date=31 July 2008|title=Latest ARFF Apparatus Technology|url=http://www.firefighternation.com/article/apparatus-innovations/latest-arff-apparatus-technology|url-status=dead|journal=FireRescue|issue=August 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140529020848/http://www.firefighternation.com/article/apparatus-innovations/latest-arff-apparatus-technology|archive-date=May 29, 2014|access-date=17 March 2015}}</ref> Some also have [[gaseous fire suppression]] tanks for electrical fires. These features give the airport crash tenders a capability to reach an airplane rapidly, and rapidly extinguish large fires with [[jet fuel]] involved.


===Other apparatus===
===Other vehicles===
Other vehicles that are used by fire departments but may not be directly involved in firefighting may include
[[Image:Japanese Kei car Fire apparatus.jpg|thumb|[[Kei car]] fire truck in [[Japan]]]]
{{div col|colwidth=23em}}
Other fire apparatus include:
* [[Fire car]]
* Swap-Body vehicles which use a specialized hitch and hydraulic system to be able to easily change bodies for various situations- these are common in Europe
* [[Fire Police]] Unit
* Fire investigation unit
* Fire/Arson Investigation Unit
* [[Fire police]] unit
* Dive/Marine Rescue Unit
* Operational Support Unit
* Animal Rescue Unit
* Rescue and firefighting robot
*[[File:Big 123.jpg|thumb|Fire engine used by fire brigades throughout [[India]]]][[Technical rescue]] equipment trucks
* Crane trucks
* [[Hazardous materials apparatus]]
* [[Hazardous materials apparatus]]
* [[Light and air unit]]
* Squad/Utility Unit
* Marine rescue unit
* [[Tracked vehicle]]
* [[Mobile communications vehicle]]
* [[Jowett#World War II|Pump trailer]]
* Operational support unit
* Other watercraft support such as [[rigid-hulled inflatable boat]]s, [[hovercraft]] or [[hydrocopter]]s
{{div col end}}<gallery>
File:Japanese Kei car Fire apparatus.jpg|A [[Mitsubishi Town Box]] [[kei car]] fire truck used by the [[Chichibu, Saitama]] fire department
File:Seattle Fire Department - Battalion 6 command vehicle.jpg|[[Chevrolet Suburban]] command vehicles used by the [[Seattle Fire Department]]
File:ACTFB HAZMAT-heo.jpg|A Scania hazardous materials vehicle used by [[ACT Fire and Rescue]]
File:GLOUCESTERSHIRE FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICE. - Flickr - secret coach park.jpg|A [[Dennis Dart]] command post used by the [[Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service]]
File:Hemer-Löschpanzer1-Bubo.JPG|A [[Marder (infantry fighting vehicle)|Marder]] [[infantry fighting vehicle]] converted for use as a firefighting vehicle by the [[German Fire Services]]
</gallery>


=={{anchor|Horse-drawn}}History==
==Other functions==
[[File:Feuerwehrmuseum-Kübelspritze.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.75|One of the simplest forms of ''hand tub'' type fire engines, engraving from the mid 17th century in Germany]]An early device used to squirt water onto a fire was known as a ''squirt'' or ''fire syringe''. Hand squirts and hand pumps are noted before [[Ctesibius of Alexandria]] invented the first fire pump around the 2nd century B.C.,<ref>Young, Charles Frederick T.. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=gjoDAAAAQAAJ Fires, fire engines, and fire brigades: with a history of manual and steam fire engines, their construction, use, and management; remarks on fire-proof buildings ... statistics of the fire appliances in English towns; foreign fire systems; hints for the f]''. London: Lockwood & Co., 1866. 335. Print.]</ref> and an example of a force-pump possibly used for a fire-engine is mentioned by [[Heron of Alexandria]].
In some communities a fire apparatus, often a paramedic engine, will be used to carry first responder firefighters, [[paramedic]]s or [[Emergency medical technician|EMT]]s to [[medical emergency|medical emergencies]] because of their faster response times due to forward staging in the city.<ref>Walter A, Edgar C, Rutledge M: First Responder Handbook: Fire Service Edition.</ref><ref>Alaspää et al.: Uusi ensihoidon käsikirja. Tammi 2004. (New Handbook on Emergency care) {{fi icon}}</ref> Fire departments may also have lifeguards in places such as [[Los Angeles County, California]].
[[File:Löschmaschine Hans Hautsch 1650.jpg|thumb|Fire engine invented by Hans Hautsch]]


In 1650, [[Hans Hautsch]] built a fire engine with a compressed air vessel. On each side 14 men worked a piston rod back and forth in a horizontal direction. The air vessel, a type of pressure tank, issued an even stream despite the backward motion of the piston. This was made possible by a rotating pipe mounted on the hose which allowed the jet to reach heights up to {{cvt|20|m|ft|1}}. Caspar Schott observed Hautsch's fire engine in 1655 and wrote an account of it in his ''Magia Universalis.''<ref>W. Hornung: Die Entwicklung der Feuerlöschpumpe vom ausgehenden Mittelalter bis zum 18. Jahrhundert. Eine technikgeschichtliche Betrachtung (3. Part). (Archive from 13. January 2015) In: VFDB-Zeitschrift. Nr. 4, 1960, S. 133–141.</ref>
==Design and construction==
{{main|Firefighting_apparatus#Audible_and_visual_warnings|l1=Firefighting Apparatus}}
[[Image:C.C.F. 2000 IVECO 1 Cellule de brûlage dirigé O.N.F. 83 I-2011.jpg|thumb|left|[[National Forests Office (France)]] fire engine with [[roll over protection structure]]s.]]


Colonial laws in America required each house to have a bucket of water on the front stoop in preparation for fires at night. These buckets were intended for use by the initial [[bucket brigade]] that would supply the water at fires. [[Philadelphia]] obtained a hand-pumped fire engine in 1719, years after [[Boston]]'s 1654 model appeared there, made by [[Joseph Jenckes Sr.]], but before New York's two engines arrived from London.
The design and construction of fire engines focuses greatly on the use of both active and passive warnings. Passive visual warnings involve the use of high contrast patterns to increase the noticeability of the vehicle. These types of warnings are often seen on older vehicles and those in [[developing countries]].<ref name=warnings>{{cite web|last1=Dallman|first1=Chris|title=What Type Of Fire Truck Lights Are Most Effective|url=http://www.911signalusa.com/what-type-fire-truck-lights-are-most-effective-a-281.html|website=911 Signal USA|accessdate=17 March 2015}}</ref> More modern designs make use of [[retroreflector]]s to reflect light from other vehicles. Vehicles will also often have these reflectors arranged in a [[Chevron (insignia)|chevron]] pattern along with the words ''fire'' or ''rescue''.<ref name=warnings/> European countries commonly use a pattern known as [[battenburg markings]].{{citation needed|date=March 2015}} Along with the passive warnings, are active visual warnings which are usually in the form of flashing colored lights (also known as "[[light bar#beacon anchor|beacons]]" or "[[lightbar]]s"). These flash to attract the attention of other drivers as the fire truck approaches, or to provide warning to drivers approaching a parked fire truck in a dangerous position on the road. While the fire truck is headed towards the scene, the lights are always accompanied by loud audible warnings such as [[Siren (alarm)|sirens]] and [[air horn]]s.<ref name=warnings/>
{{clear}}


By 1730, [[Richard Newsham]], in London, had made successful fire engines. He also invented those first used in [[New York City]] in 1731 where the amount of manpower and skill necessary for firefighting prompted [[Benjamin Franklin]] to found an organized fire company in 1737. [[Thomas Lote (inventor)|Thomas Lote]] built the first fire engine made in America in 1743. These earliest engines are called ''hand tubs'' because they are manually (hand) powered and the water was supplied by a bucket brigade dumping it into a tub (cistern) where the pump had a permanent intake pipe.
==History==
{{Commons category|Historical fire engines}}
[[File:Feuerwehrmuseum-Kübelspritze.jpg|thumb|One of the simplest forms of ''hand tub'' type fire engines, engraving from the mid 17th century in Germany]]


An important advancement around 1822 was the invention of an engine which could draft water from a water source. This rendered the bucket brigade obsolete. In 1822, a Philadelphia-based manufacturing company called ''Sellers and Pennock'' made a model called "The Hydraulion". It is said to be the first suction engine.<ref>Rorer, Beverly, and Barbara Marinelli. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=KeSDR86o4EEC Images of America: Upper Darby]''. Charleston, S.C.: Arcadia Pub., 2011. 112. Print.</ref> Some models had the hard, suction hose fixed to the intake and curled up over the apparatus known as a squirrel tail engine.
An early device used to squirt water onto a fire was known as a ''squirt'' or ''fire syringe''. Hand squirts and hand pumps are noted before [[Ctesibius of Alexandria]] invented the first fire pump around the 2nd century B.C.,<ref>Young, Charles Frederick T.. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=gjoDAAAAQAAJ Fires, fire engines, and fire brigades: with a history of manual and steam fire engines, their construction, use, and management; remarks on fire-proof buildings ... statistics of the fire appliances in English towns; foreign fire systems; hints for the f]''. London: Lockwood & Co., 1866. 335. Print.]</ref> and an example of a force-pump possibly used for a fire-engine is mentioned by [[Heron of Alexandria]]. The fire pump was reinvented in Europe during the 16th century, reportedly used in [[Augsburg]] in 1518 and [[Nuremberg]] in 1657. A book of 1655 inventions mentions a steam engine (called a ''fire engine'') pump used to "raise a column of water {{convert|40|ft|m}}", but there was no mention of whether it was portable.


[[File:Burning of Pennsylvania Hall.png|thumb|left|Fire engine, Philadelphia, 1838, trying to save adjacent building. One firefighter (with helmet) directs the water; three to his left are manning the pump. Hand-colored. To the right of the engine is a hose truck.]]
Colonial laws in America required each house to have a bucket of water on the front stoop during fires at night. These buckets were intended for use by the initial [[bucket brigade]] that would supply the water at fires. [[Philadelphia]] obtained a hand-pumped fire engine in 1719, years after [[Boston]]'s 1654 model appeared there, made by [[Joseph Jencks]], but before New York's two engines arrived from London.
[[File:Edinburgh fire engine, 1824.JPG|thumb|Manually drawn fire pump in service in [[Edinburgh]] in 1824]]
[[File:Brockhampton Estate - horse-drawn fire pump.jpg|thumb|Horse-drawn fire pump given to [[Brockhampton Estate]] in 1818]]
The earliest engines were small and were either carried by four men, or mounted on skids and dragged to a fire. As the engines grew larger they became horse-drawn and later self-propelled by steam engines.<ref>[https://www.bostonfiremuseum.com/PhotoPages/Web_Fitzgerald/Fire%20Chiefs/slides/Amoskeag%20first%20self-propelled%20Steam%20Fire%20Engine.html Manchester Locomotive Works first self-propelled Amoskeag Steam Fire Engine. Sold to Boston Fire department after use at Great Boston Fire of 1872] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150919000429/http://www.bostonfiremuseum.com/PhotoPages/Web_Fitzgerald/Fire%20Chiefs/slides/Amoskeag%20first%20self-propelled%20Steam%20Fire%20Engine.html |date=19 September 2015 }} ''www.bostonfiremuseum.com'', accessed 6 August 2020</ref>
[[File:Antique Japanese Fire pump.jpg|thumb|Antique Japanese fire pump]]
Until the mid-19th century, most fire engines were maneuvered by men, but the introduction of horse-drawn fire engines considerably improved the response time to incidents. The first self-propelled [[steam pumper]] fire engine was built in New York in 1841. Unfortunately for the manufacturers, some firefighters sabotaged the device and its use of the first engine was discontinued. However, the need and the utility of power equipment ensured the success of the steam pumper well into the twentieth century. Many cities and towns around the world bought the steam fire engines.


Motorised fire engines date back to January 1897, when the Prefect of Police in [[Paris]] applied for funds to purchase "a machine worked by petroleum for the traction of a fire-engine, ladders, and so forth and for the conveyance of the necessary staff of pompiers".<ref>Notes of the Month, The Automotor and Horseless Vehicle Journal, January 1897, p143</ref> With great prescience the report states "If the experiment prove successful, as is anticipated, horses will eventually be entirely replaced by automobiles". This was, indeed, the case and motorised fire engines became commonplace by the early 20th century. By 1905, the idea of combining gas engine motor trucks into fire engines was attracting great attention; according to a ''[[Popular Mechanics]]'' article in that year,<ref name="PopMech1905v7n2p202">{{Citation |author=Editorial staff |date=February 1905 |title=Motor fire engines popular in England |journal=Popular Mechanics |volume=7 |issue=2 |page=202 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Wd4DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA202 |postscript=.}}</ref> such trucks were rapidly gaining popularity in England. That same year, the [[Knox Automobile Company]] of [[Springfield, Massachusetts]], began selling what some<ref name="Arcadia_on_Knox_Auto">{{cite web |url=http://www.arcadiapublishing.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=9780738504995&Store_Code=arcadia&search=MA&offset=100&filter_cat=&PowerSearch_Begin_Only=&sort=&range_low=&range_high=%20%26srch_state%3D1 |title=Books about Knox Automobile Company—Historical Photos & Images of Knox Automobile Company |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |access-date=24 October 2011 |archive-date=1 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151001013914/http://www.arcadiapublishing.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=9780738504995&Store_Code=arcadia&search=MA&offset=100&filter_cat=&PowerSearch_Begin_Only=&sort=&range_low=&range_high=%20&srch_state=1 |url-status=dead }}</ref> have described as the world's first modern fire engine. A year later, the city of Springfield, Illinois, had filled their fire department with Knox engines. Another early motorized fire engine was developed by [[Peter Pirsch and Sons]] of [[Kenosha, Wisconsin]].<ref name=enc>{{cite book |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=The American Peoples Encyclopedia Yearbook: Events and Personalities|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ud8PAAAAIAAJ|publisher=Spencer Press |page=77 |date=1955 }}</ref>
By 1730, [[Richard Newsham]], in London, had made successful fire engines; he invented the first ones used in [[New York City]] (in 1731) (this was six years before formation of the NYC volunteer fire department). The amount of manpower and skill necessary for firefighting prompted [[Benjamin Franklin]] to found an organized fire company in 1737. [[Thomas Lote]] built the first fire engine made in America in 1743. These earliest engines are called ''hand tubs'' because they are manually (hand) powered and the water was supplied by a bucket brigade dumping it into a tub (cistern) where the pump had a permanent intake pipe. An important advancement around 1822 was the invention of an engine which could draft water from a water source. This rendered the bucket brigade obsolete. In 1822, a Philadelphia-based manufacturing company called ''Sellers and Pennock'' made a model called "The Hydraulion". It is said to be the first suction engine.<ref>Rorer, Beverly, and Barbara Marinelli. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=KeSDR86o4EEC Images of America: Upper Darby]''. Charleston, S.C.: Arcadia Pub., 2011. 112. Print.</ref> Some models had the hard, suction hose fixed to the intake and curled up over the apparatus known as a squirrel tail engine.


For many years firefighters sat on the sides of the fire engines, or even stood on the rear of the vehicles, exposed to the elements. This arrangement was uncomfortable and dangerous (some firefighters were thrown to their deaths when their fire engines made sharp turns on the road), and today nearly all fire engines have fully enclosed seating areas for their crews.
[[File:Edinburgh fire engine, 1824.JPG|thumb|left|Manually drawn fire pump in service in [[Edinburgh]] in 1824.]]
The earliest engines were small and were either carried by four men, or mounted on skids and dragged to a fire. As the engines grew larger they became horse-drawn and later self-propelled by steam engines. [[John Ericsson]] is credited with building the first American steam-powered fire engine. [[John Braithwaite (engineer)|John Braithwaite]] built the first steam fire-engine in [[Great Britain|Britain]].


===Hook and ladder===
Until the mid-19th century, most fire engines were maneuvered by men, but the introduction of horse-drawn fire engines considerably improved the response time to incidents. The first self-propelled steam-driven fire engine was built in New York in 1841. Unfortunately for the manufacturers, some firefighters sabotaged the device and its use was discontinued. Motorized fire engines did not become commonplace until the early 20th century. By 1905, the idea of combining gas engine motor trucks into fire engines was attracting great attention; according to a ''[[Popular Mechanics]]'' article in that year,<ref name="PopMech1905v7n2p202">{{Citation |author=Editorial staff |date=February 1905 |title=Motor fire engines popular in England |journal=Popular Mechanics |volume=7 |issue=2 |page=202 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Wd4DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA202#v=onepage&f=false |postscript=.}}</ref> such trucks were rapidly gaining popularity in England. That same year, the [[Knox Automobile Company]] of [[Springfield, Massachusetts]] began selling what some<ref name="Arcadia_on_Knox_Auto">{{cite web|url=http://www.arcadiapublishing.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=9780738504995&Store_Code=arcadia&search=MA&offset=100&filter_cat=&PowerSearch_Begin_Only=&sort=&range_low=&range_high=%20%26srch_state%3D1 |title=Books about Knox Automobile Company - Historical Photos & Images of Knox Automobile Company |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |date= |accessdate=2011-10-24}}</ref> have described as the world's first modern fire engine. A year later, the City of Springfield, Illinois had filled their fire department with Knox engines.
[[File:Zephyr quick step as performed by the independent blues band LCCN2003656623.jpg|thumb|left|A hook-and-ladder of the Pioneer, Hook and Lader Co.]]

The "hook and ladder" was an early type of fire units known since late 1700s. It was a horse-drawn carriage which brought ladders and hooks to the fire place. Ladders were used for access to upper floors and the roof. "Hooks" were [[pike pole]]s used for pulling down and apart the burning construction.<ref> Larry Shapiro, "Hook and Ladders", [https://books.google.com/books?id=sG1_lIHoVFQC&pg=PA44 p.44]</ref>
For many years firefighters sat on the sides of the fire engines, or even stood on the rear of the vehicles, exposed to the elements. This arrangement was uncomfortable and dangerous (some firefighters were thrown to their deaths when their fire engines made sharp turns on the road), and today nearly all fire engines have fully enclosed seating areas for their crews.


===Early pumpers===
===Early pumpers===
[[File:A horse-drawn fire engine, Dawson, Yukon.jpg|thumb|A horse-drawn fire engine, Dawson, Yukon, circa 1899-1905.]]
[[File:Fire truck and firemen, NSW Brigade headquarters 1941.jpg|thumb|A fire engine in [[Sydney]], Australia in 1941]]
Early pumpers used cisterns as a source of water. Water was later put into wooden pipes under the streets and a "fire plug" was pulled out of the top of the pipe when a suction hose was to be inserted. Later systems incorporated pressurized [[fire hydrant]]s, where the pressure was increased when a fire alarm was sounded. This was found to be harmful to the system and unreliable. Today's valved hydrant systems are kept under pressure at all times, although additional pressure may be added when needed. Pressurized hydrants eliminate much of the work in obtaining water for pumping through the engine and into the attack hoses. Many rural fire engines still rely upon cisterns or other sources for drafting water into the pumps.
Early pumpers used cisterns as a source of water. Water was later put into wooden pipes under the streets and a "fire plug" was pulled out of the top of the pipe when a suction hose was to be inserted. Later systems incorporated pressurized [[fire hydrant]]s, where the pressure was increased when a fire alarm was sounded. This was found to be harmful to the system and unreliable. Today's valved hydrant systems are kept under pressure at all times, although additional pressure may be added when needed. Pressurized hydrants eliminate much of the work in obtaining water for pumping through the engine and into the attack hoses. Many rural fire engines still rely upon cisterns or other sources for drafting water into the pumps. [[Steam pumper]] came in to use in the 1850s.


===Early aerials===
===Early aerials===
In the late 19th century, means of reaching tall structures were devised. At first, manually extendable ladders were used; as these grew in length (and weight), they were put onto two large wheels. When carried by fire engines these ''wheeled escape ladders'' had the wheels suspended behind the rear of the vehicle, making them a distinctive sight. Before long, ''turntable ladders''—which were even longer, mechanically extendable, and installed directly onto fire trucks—made their appearances.
[[File:A General Motors fire truck.jpg|thumb|A General Motors fire truck, March 22, 1937.]]
In the late 19th century, means of reaching tall structures were devised. At first, manually extendable ladders were used; as these grew in length (and weight), they were put onto two large wheels. When carried by fire engines these ''wheeled escape ladders'' had the wheels suspended behind the rear of the vehicle, making them a distinctive sight. Before long, ''turntable ladders'' — which were even longer, mechanically extendable, and installed directly onto fire trucks — made their appearances.


After the [[World War II|Second World War]] turntable ladders were supplemented by the [[aerial work platform]] (sometimes called "cherry picker"), a platform or bucket attached onto a mechanically bending arm (or "snorkel") installed onto a fire truck. While these could not reach the height of similar turntable ladders, the platforms could extend into previously unreachable "dead corners" of a burning building.
After [[World War II]], turntable ladders were supplemented by the [[aerial work platform]] (sometimes called "cherry picker"), a platform or bucket attached onto a mechanically bending arm (or "snorkel") installed onto a fire truck. While these could not reach the height of similar turntable ladders, the platforms could extend into previously unreachable "dead corners" of a burning building.


==See also==
==See also==
{{portal|Trucks}}
{{Portal|Transport}}
{{div col|colwidth=23em}}
* [[Roller container#Containerized firefighting equipment|Containerized firefighting equipment]]
* [[Electric fire engine]]
* [[Fire appliances in the United Kingdom]]
* [[Fire appliances in the United Kingdom]]
* [[Fire chief's vehicle]]
* [[Glossary of firefighting terms]]
* [[Glossary of firefighting terms]]
* [[Jan van der Heyden]]
* [[Roller container#Containerized firefighting equipment|Containerized firefighting equipment]]
* [[Jan van der Heyden]], improved the design of the fire engine in 1672
* [[NFPA 1901]]
* [[NFPA 1901]]
* {{Interlanguage link|Turntable ladder|de|Drehleiter}}
* [[List of fire stations]]
{{div col end}}

{{clear}}


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist|33em}}
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
{{Commons category|Fire engines}}
*{{Commons category inline|Fire engines}}

* [http://www.firehouse.com/magazine/american/apparatus.html The development of United States fire engines]
* [http://people.howstuffworks.com/fire-engine.htm Detailed examination of two fire trucks]
* [http://www.firetruck-photos.net/ Large image library and forum with thousands of photos of old and modern fire engines / trucks]
* [http://www.handtubs.com/ Handtub Junction, USA] Website about handtubs in the U.S. including a database of all known apparatus.
* [http://scaa.sk.ca/gallery/fire/history.htm A brief, concise history of fire fighting apparatus]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaARuv7hFfo Video of slowly setting up to pump a restored 1868 Button hand pumper]
{{Fire fighting}}
{{Fire fighting}}
{{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Fire Apparatus}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fire Apparatus}}
[[Category:Fire service vehicles]]
[[Category:Fire engines]]
[[Category:Trucks]]
[[Category:Emergency vehicles]]
[[Category:Firefighting equipment]]

Latest revision as of 17:17, 21 August 2024

A Scania P280 fire engine used by the Humberside Fire and Rescue Service in Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, England

A fire engine or fire truck (also spelled firetruck) is a vehicle, usually a specially-designed or modified truck, that functions as a firefighting apparatus. The primary purposes of a fire engine include transporting firefighters and water to an incident as well as carrying equipment for firefighting operations in a fire drill. Some fire engines have specialized functions, such as wildfire suppression and aircraft rescue and firefighting, and may also carry equipment for technical rescue.

Many fire engines are based on commercial vehicle chassis that is further upgraded and customized for firefighting requirements. They are generally considered emergency vehicles authorized to be equipped with emergency lights and sirens, as well as communication equipment such as two-way radios and mobile computer technology.

The terms fire engine and fire truck are often used interchangeably to a broad range of vehicles involved in firefighting; however, in some fire departments they refer to separate and specific types of vehicle.

Design and construction

[edit]
Front of a MAN fire engine with built-in winch, e.g. for towing damaged cars. The shackles serve a similar purpose.

The design and construction of fire engines focuses greatly on the use of both active and passive warnings. Passive visual warnings involve the use of high contrast patterns to increase the noticeability of the vehicle. These types of warnings are often seen on older vehicles and those in developing countries.[1] More modern designs make use of retroreflectors to reflect light from other vehicles. Vehicles will also often have these reflectors arranged in a chevron pattern along with the words fire or rescue.[1] European countries commonly use a pattern known as Battenburg markings.[2] Along with the passive warnings, are active visual warnings which are usually in the form of flashing colored lights (also known as "beacons" or "lightbars"). These flash to attract the attention of other drivers as the fire truck approaches, or to provide warning to drivers approaching a parked fire truck in a dangerous position on the road. While the fire truck is headed towards the scene, the lights are always accompanied by loud audible warnings such as sirens and air horns.[1] Some fire engines in the United States are lime yellow rather than red due to safety and ergonomics reasons. A 2009 study by the U.S. Fire Administration concluded that fluorescent colors, including yellow-green and orange, are easiest to spot in daylight.[3]

In some regions, a fire engine may be used to transport first responder firefighters, paramedics or EMTs to medical emergencies due to their proximity to the incident.[4][5]

Types

[edit]

Conventional fire engine

[edit]

The standard fire engine transports firefighters to the scene, carries equipment needed by the firefighters for most firefighting scenarios, and may provide a limited supply of water with which to fight the fire. The tools carried on the fire engine will vary greatly based on many factors including the size of the department and the usual situations the firefighters handle. For example, departments located near large bodies of water or rivers are likely to have some sort of water rescue equipment. Standard tools found on nearly all fire engines include ladders, hydraulic rescue tools (often referred to as the jaws of life), floodlights, fire hose, fire extinguishers, self-contained breathing apparatus, and thermal imaging cameras.[6]

The exact layout of what is carried on an engine is decided by the needs of the department. For example, fire departments located in metropolitan areas will carry equipment to mitigate hazardous materials and effect technical rescues, while departments that operate in the wildland-urban interface will need the gear to deal with brush fires.

Some fire engines have a fixed deluge gun, also known as a master stream, which directs a heavy stream of water to wherever the operator points it. An additional feature of engines are their preconnected hose lines, commonly referred to as preconnects.[7] The preconnects are attached to the engine's onboard water supply and allow firefighters to quickly mount an aggressive attack on the fire as soon as they arrive on scene.[7] When the onboard water supply runs out, the engine is connected to more permanent sources such as fire hydrants or water tenders and can also use natural sources such as rivers or reservoirs by drafting water.

Aerial apparatus

[edit]

An aerial apparatus is a fire truck mounted with an extendable boom that enables firefighters to reach high locations. They can provide a high vantage point for spraying water and creating ventilation, an access route for firefighters and an escape route for firefighters and people they have rescued. In North America, aerial apparatuses are used for fire suppression, whereas in Europe, they are used more for rescue.[8][9]

Turntable ladder

[edit]
An Iveco turntable ladder used by the Romanian General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations

A turntable ladder (TL) is an aerial apparatus with a large ladder mounted on a pivot which resembles a turntable, giving it its name. The key functions of a turntable ladder are allowing access or egress of firefighters and fire victims at height, providing a high-level water point for firefighting (elevated master stream), and providing a platform from which tasks such as ventilation or overhaul can be executed.

To increase its length and reach, the ladder is often telescoping. Modern telescopic ladders may be hydraulic or pneumatic. These mechanical features allow the use of ladders which are longer, sturdier, and more stable. They may also have pre-attached hoses or other equipment.

The pivot can be mounted at the rear of the chassis or in the middle, just behind the cab. The latter is sometimes called a "mid-ship" arrangement, and it allows a lower travel height for the truck.

While the traditional characteristic of a TL was a lack of water pumping or storage, many modern TLs have a water pumping function built in (and some have their own on-board supply reservoir). Some may have piping along the ladder to supply water to firefighters at the top of the ladder, and some of these may also have a monitor installed at the top. Other appliances may simply have a track-way to securely hold a manually-run hose reel.

In the United States, turntable ladders with additional functions such as an onboard pump, a water tank, fire hose, aerial ladder and multiple ground ladders, are known as quad or quint engines, indicating the number of functions they perform.[10]

The highest TL in the world is the Magirus M68L, with a range of 68 meters (223.1 ft).[11]

Tiller truck

[edit]

An American LaFrance tiller truck used by the Los Angeles Fire Department

In the United States, a tiller truck, also known as a tractor-drawn aerial, tiller ladder, or hook-and-ladder truck, is a specialized turntable ladder mounted on a semi-trailer truck. Unlike a commercial semi, the trailer and tractor are permanently combined and special tools are required to separate them. It has two drivers, with separate steering wheels for front and rear wheels.[12]

One of the main features of the tiller-truck is its enhanced maneuverability.[13] The independent steering of the front and back wheels allow the tiller to make much sharper turns, which is particularly helpful on narrow streets and in apartment complexes with maze-like roads.[12] An additional feature of the tiller-truck is that its overall length, over 50 feet (15 m) for most models, allows for additional storage of tools and equipment.[13] The extreme length gives compartment capacities that range between 500 and 650 cubic feet (14 and 18 m3) in the trailer with an additional 40 and 60 cubic feet (1.1 and 1.7 m3) in the cab.[13]

Some departments elect to use tiller-quints, which are tiller trucks that have the added feature of being fitted with an on-board water tank.[13] These are particularly useful for smaller departments that do not have enough personnel to staff both an engine company and a truck company.[13]

Platform truck

[edit]

An articulating platform truck used by the Roskilde fire brigade

A platform truck carries an aerial work platform, also known as a basket or bucket, on the end of a ladder or boom. These platforms can provide a secure place from which a firefighter can operate. Many platforms also allow for rescues to be performed and are outfitted with tie down clips and rappelling arms.[14]

Some booms are capable of articulating, allowing the arm to bend in one or more places. This allows the platform truck to go "up and over" an obstacle, and is an advantage over the traditional platform ladder, which can only extend in a straight line.

Wildland fire engine

[edit]
An International wildland fire engine used by the United States Forest Service

A wildland fire engine is a specialized fire engine that can negotiate difficult terrain for wildfire suppression. A wildland fire engine is smaller than standard fire engines and has a higher ground clearance. They may also respond to emergencies in rough terrain where other vehicles cannot respond. Many wildland engines feature four-wheel drive capability to improve hill climbing and rough terrain capability.[15] Some wildland apparatus can pump water while driving (compared to some traditional engines which must be stationary to pump water), allowing "mobile attacks" on vegetation fires to minimize the rate of spread.[16]

Fire departments that serve areas along the wildland–urban interface have to be able to tackle traditional urban fires as well as wildland fires.[17] Departments in these areas often use a wildland-urban interface engine, which combine features of a standard fire engine with that of a wildland fire engine.[18][better source needed]

Water tender

[edit]
An Isuzu water tender used by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force

A water tender is a specialist fire appliance with the primary purpose of transporting large amounts of water to the fire area to make it available for extinguishing operations. These are especially useful in rural areas where fire hydrants are not readily available and natural water resources are insufficient or difficult to exploit.

Most tankers have an on-board pumping system. This pump is often not of sufficient power to fight fires (as it is designed to be attached to a fire engine), but is more often used to draw water into the tender from hydrants or other water sources. Many tankers are equipped with fast-drain valves on the sides and back of the truck. This allows firefighters to empty thousands of gallons of water into a portable water tank in just a few seconds.

Most water tenders are designed to carry loads of 5,000–12,000 litres (1,100–2,600 imp gal).[19]

Airport crash tender

[edit]
An Oshkosh airport crash tender used by the Erik Nielsen Whitehorse International Airport fire department

An airport crash tender is a specialized fire engine designed for use at aerodromes in aircraft accidents.[20] Some of the features that make the airport crash tender unique are its ability to move on rough terrain outside the runway and airport area, large water capacity as well as a foam tank, a high-capacity pump, and water/foam monitors. Newer airport crash tenders also incorporate twin agent nozzles/injection systems that add dry chemical fire retardant (such as Purple-K) to create a stream of firefighting foam which is able to stop the fire faster.[21] Some also have gaseous fire suppression tanks for electrical fires. These features give the airport crash tenders a capability to reach an airplane rapidly, and rapidly extinguish large fires with jet fuel involved.

Other vehicles

[edit]

Other vehicles that are used by fire departments but may not be directly involved in firefighting may include

History

[edit]
One of the simplest forms of hand tub type fire engines, engraving from the mid 17th century in Germany

An early device used to squirt water onto a fire was known as a squirt or fire syringe. Hand squirts and hand pumps are noted before Ctesibius of Alexandria invented the first fire pump around the 2nd century B.C.,[22] and an example of a force-pump possibly used for a fire-engine is mentioned by Heron of Alexandria.

Fire engine invented by Hans Hautsch

In 1650, Hans Hautsch built a fire engine with a compressed air vessel. On each side 14 men worked a piston rod back and forth in a horizontal direction. The air vessel, a type of pressure tank, issued an even stream despite the backward motion of the piston. This was made possible by a rotating pipe mounted on the hose which allowed the jet to reach heights up to 20 m (65.6 ft). Caspar Schott observed Hautsch's fire engine in 1655 and wrote an account of it in his Magia Universalis.[23]

Colonial laws in America required each house to have a bucket of water on the front stoop in preparation for fires at night. These buckets were intended for use by the initial bucket brigade that would supply the water at fires. Philadelphia obtained a hand-pumped fire engine in 1719, years after Boston's 1654 model appeared there, made by Joseph Jenckes Sr., but before New York's two engines arrived from London.

By 1730, Richard Newsham, in London, had made successful fire engines. He also invented those first used in New York City in 1731 where the amount of manpower and skill necessary for firefighting prompted Benjamin Franklin to found an organized fire company in 1737. Thomas Lote built the first fire engine made in America in 1743. These earliest engines are called hand tubs because they are manually (hand) powered and the water was supplied by a bucket brigade dumping it into a tub (cistern) where the pump had a permanent intake pipe.

An important advancement around 1822 was the invention of an engine which could draft water from a water source. This rendered the bucket brigade obsolete. In 1822, a Philadelphia-based manufacturing company called Sellers and Pennock made a model called "The Hydraulion". It is said to be the first suction engine.[24] Some models had the hard, suction hose fixed to the intake and curled up over the apparatus known as a squirrel tail engine.

Fire engine, Philadelphia, 1838, trying to save adjacent building. One firefighter (with helmet) directs the water; three to his left are manning the pump. Hand-colored. To the right of the engine is a hose truck.
Manually drawn fire pump in service in Edinburgh in 1824
Horse-drawn fire pump given to Brockhampton Estate in 1818

The earliest engines were small and were either carried by four men, or mounted on skids and dragged to a fire. As the engines grew larger they became horse-drawn and later self-propelled by steam engines.[25]

Antique Japanese fire pump

Until the mid-19th century, most fire engines were maneuvered by men, but the introduction of horse-drawn fire engines considerably improved the response time to incidents. The first self-propelled steam pumper fire engine was built in New York in 1841. Unfortunately for the manufacturers, some firefighters sabotaged the device and its use of the first engine was discontinued. However, the need and the utility of power equipment ensured the success of the steam pumper well into the twentieth century. Many cities and towns around the world bought the steam fire engines.

Motorised fire engines date back to January 1897, when the Prefect of Police in Paris applied for funds to purchase "a machine worked by petroleum for the traction of a fire-engine, ladders, and so forth and for the conveyance of the necessary staff of pompiers".[26] With great prescience the report states "If the experiment prove successful, as is anticipated, horses will eventually be entirely replaced by automobiles". This was, indeed, the case and motorised fire engines became commonplace by the early 20th century. By 1905, the idea of combining gas engine motor trucks into fire engines was attracting great attention; according to a Popular Mechanics article in that year,[27] such trucks were rapidly gaining popularity in England. That same year, the Knox Automobile Company of Springfield, Massachusetts, began selling what some[28] have described as the world's first modern fire engine. A year later, the city of Springfield, Illinois, had filled their fire department with Knox engines. Another early motorized fire engine was developed by Peter Pirsch and Sons of Kenosha, Wisconsin.[29]

For many years firefighters sat on the sides of the fire engines, or even stood on the rear of the vehicles, exposed to the elements. This arrangement was uncomfortable and dangerous (some firefighters were thrown to their deaths when their fire engines made sharp turns on the road), and today nearly all fire engines have fully enclosed seating areas for their crews.

Hook and ladder

[edit]
A hook-and-ladder of the Pioneer, Hook and Lader Co.

The "hook and ladder" was an early type of fire units known since late 1700s. It was a horse-drawn carriage which brought ladders and hooks to the fire place. Ladders were used for access to upper floors and the roof. "Hooks" were pike poles used for pulling down and apart the burning construction.[30]

Early pumpers

[edit]
A fire engine in Sydney, Australia in 1941

Early pumpers used cisterns as a source of water. Water was later put into wooden pipes under the streets and a "fire plug" was pulled out of the top of the pipe when a suction hose was to be inserted. Later systems incorporated pressurized fire hydrants, where the pressure was increased when a fire alarm was sounded. This was found to be harmful to the system and unreliable. Today's valved hydrant systems are kept under pressure at all times, although additional pressure may be added when needed. Pressurized hydrants eliminate much of the work in obtaining water for pumping through the engine and into the attack hoses. Many rural fire engines still rely upon cisterns or other sources for drafting water into the pumps. Steam pumper came in to use in the 1850s.

Early aerials

[edit]

In the late 19th century, means of reaching tall structures were devised. At first, manually extendable ladders were used; as these grew in length (and weight), they were put onto two large wheels. When carried by fire engines these wheeled escape ladders had the wheels suspended behind the rear of the vehicle, making them a distinctive sight. Before long, turntable ladders—which were even longer, mechanically extendable, and installed directly onto fire trucks—made their appearances.

After World War II, turntable ladders were supplemented by the aerial work platform (sometimes called "cherry picker"), a platform or bucket attached onto a mechanically bending arm (or "snorkel") installed onto a fire truck. While these could not reach the height of similar turntable ladders, the platforms could extend into previously unreachable "dead corners" of a burning building.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Dallman, Chris. "What Type Of Fire Truck Lights Are Most Effective". 911 Signal USA. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
  2. ^ "Study Highlights Best Practices for Emergency Vehicle Visibility, Conspicuity". Fire Rescue 1. 15 September 2009. Archived from the original on 24 February 2018. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  3. ^ "Why lime-yellow fire trucks are safer than red". American Psychological Association. 2014. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  4. ^ Walter A, Edgar C, Rutledge M: First Responder Handbook: Fire Service Edition.
  5. ^ Alaspää et al.: Uusi ensihoidon käsikirja. Tammi 2004. (New Handbook on Emergency care) (in Finnish)
  6. ^ "What is a Fire Engine?". WiseGeek. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
  7. ^ a b Leihbacher, Doug (1 April 2000). "Preconnects: The Basics". Fire Engineering Magazine. 153 (4). Retrieved 19 March 2015.
  8. ^ "United States vs. Europe". Fire Apparatus. 7 June 2016. Archived from the original on 17 July 2019. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  9. ^ "Fire Commentary: European Firefighting Operations". Fire Engineering. 12 June 2008. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  10. ^ "Glossary". Fire Service Info. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  11. ^ "Dosięgnąć nieba czyli M68L, najwyższa na świecie drabina hydrauliczna z windą ratowniczą!" [Reach the Sky or the M68L, the world's tallest hydraulic rescue ladder! "] (in Polish). remiza.com. Archived from the original on 16 November 2017. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  12. ^ a b Avsec, Robert (23 April 2013). "Pros and cons of tractor-drawn aerials". Fire Recruit. Archived from the original on 27 May 2016. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  13. ^ a b c d e Hines, Charlie. "Fire Apparatus Utilized on Emergency Responses—Benefits of a Tiller". City of San Luis Obispo. Fire Chief. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  14. ^ "Platform Features". Ferrara Fire. Archived from the original on 15 March 2015. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
  15. ^ "Engine Types" (PDF). National Wildfire Coordinating Group. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 May 2015. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  16. ^ "Type 3 Engine" (PDF). Santa Barbara County Fire. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 December 2013. Retrieved 30 December 2013.
  17. ^ Wright, Edward (1 August 2012). "Wildland Urban Interface Fires: Managing A Cascade Of Risk". Fire Engineering Magazine. 165 (8). Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  18. ^ "Wildland Type I & Type II". Ferrara Fire. Archived from the original on 8 April 2015. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  19. ^ "Tankbil". Sala Brand. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  20. ^ Petrillo, Alan (29 August 2014). "Protecting Airports with New ARFF Designs and Equipment". Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment. 19 (9). Archived from the original on 28 December 2014. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
  21. ^ Vaccaro, Bob (31 July 2008). "Latest ARFF Apparatus Technology". FireRescue (August 2008). Archived from the original on 29 May 2014. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
  22. ^ Young, Charles Frederick T.. Fires, fire engines, and fire brigades: with a history of manual and steam fire engines, their construction, use, and management; remarks on fire-proof buildings ... statistics of the fire appliances in English towns; foreign fire systems; hints for the f. London: Lockwood & Co., 1866. 335. Print.]
  23. ^ W. Hornung: Die Entwicklung der Feuerlöschpumpe vom ausgehenden Mittelalter bis zum 18. Jahrhundert. Eine technikgeschichtliche Betrachtung (3. Part). (Archive from 13. January 2015) In: VFDB-Zeitschrift. Nr. 4, 1960, S. 133–141.
  24. ^ Rorer, Beverly, and Barbara Marinelli. Images of America: Upper Darby. Charleston, S.C.: Arcadia Pub., 2011. 112. Print.
  25. ^ Manchester Locomotive Works first self-propelled Amoskeag Steam Fire Engine. Sold to Boston Fire department after use at Great Boston Fire of 1872 Archived 19 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine www.bostonfiremuseum.com, accessed 6 August 2020
  26. ^ Notes of the Month, The Automotor and Horseless Vehicle Journal, January 1897, p143
  27. ^ Editorial staff (February 1905), "Motor fire engines popular in England", Popular Mechanics, 7 (2): 202.
  28. ^ "Books about Knox Automobile Company—Historical Photos & Images of Knox Automobile Company". Arcadia Publishing. Archived from the original on 1 October 2015. Retrieved 24 October 2011.
  29. ^ The American Peoples Encyclopedia Yearbook: Events and Personalities. Spencer Press. 1955. p. 77.
  30. ^ Larry Shapiro, "Hook and Ladders", p.44
[edit]