DOWNLOAD PDF WHAT IS A FIRE ENGINE?

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1 Chapter 1 : Fire engine Synonyms, Fire engine Antonyms theinnatdunvilla.com Fire engines, or pumpers, carry hose, tools, and pump water. The engine can also carry ladders, but they are set up by the fire fighters and can be carried around. Key components of a fire engine include. A fire truck is a heavy vehicle equipped with specialized systems supporting fire suppression efforts. Examples of these systems include water tanks, pumps, aerial ladders, tower platforms, hydraulic rescue tools, and generators. Most types of fire trucks also transport fire fighting crews. Interestingly, firefighters rarely refer to these vehicles as fire trucks. Instead, we use the terms apparatus or unit when communicating with other fire fighters. A fire engine is one type of fire apparatus and refers to a vehicle that can pump water and is equipped with a water tank and hose lines. A rescue squad is a specialty unit equipped with high power electric generators, winch systems and hydraulic rescue tools. A crew of fire fighters staffs both types of units. What is a Rescue Company? Fire fighting units operate in a semi-military organization. Each fire apparatus that responds has a functional responsibility and a crew. By convention, these units are called companies. A fire engine is called an Engine Company and rescue squad is called a Rescue Company. Likewise, the aerial ladder truck is called a Truck Company. How does the volunteer rescue squad operate with the county fire and rescue department? All rescue squad personnel are trained to the same standard as other fire fighters certified to serve in Montgomery County. When operators in Montgomery County receive a call for help, a central database with a list of the closest fire stations is used to select the closest resources for engine companies the fire engine, truck companies aerial ladders or platforms, rescue squads, ambulances and chiefs. At an emergency incident, the rescue squad operates as a fire fighting unit under the supervision of the chief who is in charge. Supervisors may be chiefs from the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad, other volunteer fire departments or chiefs employed by Montgomery County. When working, the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad fire fighters follow standard operating procedures that apply to all fire fighters serving Montgomery County. Can the rescue squad truck transport patients? Maryland law requires patient transport be performed by approved basic life support BLS or advanced life support ALS transport units equipped with safely mounted cots. Fire trucks have transported patients in extreme circumstances, with a Montgomery County engine recently transporting a patient in cardiac arrest during a snowstorm when roads were blocked. Why does the rescue squad truck respond to a medical emergency? There are several reasons why the Montgomery County center sends a rescue squad truck to assist an ambulance during a medical incident. All rescue squad crewmembers are EMTs or paramedics. The most common reason the rescue squad truck is dispatched with an ambulance or paramedic unit is to provide additional EMTs to assist with patient treatment. Another common reason is when a transport unit is not as close as the rescue squad truck. Finally, the truck is summoned whenever the tools or technical rescue expertise of the crew is required. How many rescuers are on the rescue squad? The Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad typically staffs the rescue squad with three to six fire fighters. What type of training is involved to become qualified on the rescue squad? Each member of the rescue squad truck crew begins by completing training as an EMT. Once licensed by the State of Maryland to provide patient care, the member takes a formal program of fire fighting classes from the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute. The unit officer, supervisor of the rescue squad crew, must take additional training courses that include technical rescue, fire fighting and tactics, pumps and hydraulics and aerial ladder operations. The driver, as well, must take specialized training to operate the vehicle. All members participate in on-going refresher training to remain current on tools and practices. What should I do if I am in an accident and cannot get out of my car? If you are in a crash that damages your vehicle so much that you cannot exit, the vehicle may be very unstable and hazardous. If the vehicle is not on fire, you should remain in the vehicle. The rescue squad crew will immediately secure the car so that it does not move. They will then assess the safest and fastest approach to free you from the vehicle. Do not move injured patients. What should I do if I smell an odor of gas in my house? Do not turn any electric light or appliance on. Immediately leave the house and, once you are out of the house, call to report the problem. What should I do if my Carbon Monoxide alarm goes off? Carbon monoxide alarms are very important early warning systems that save lives. However, these systems Page 1

2 have expiration dates and can malfunction. Systems operated on battery power and may fail when battery power becomes low. Replace the units when they become obsolete and replace batteries when you replace the smoke detector batteries. To be sure, Montgomery County has experienced several cases where family members became ill or perished because of high carbon monoxide levels. If the alarm goes off for an unknown reason, leave the house, call and report the problem. Be sure to inform the center if someone is feeling ill with headaches or not behaving with normal mental alertness. The closest fire truck will be sent to investigate. All fire trucks, including the rescue squad, carry specialized meters to test for gases and carbon monoxide. The crew will use this meter to carefully check for a problem. If a problem is found, the crew will ensure the problem is corrected safely. Can I become a fire fighter if I do not like emergency medicine? Our fire fighters draw great satisfaction working with the physical and technical challenges that come with fire and rescue efforts. In many cases, these members would prefer to serve on the rescue squad truck instead of on the ambulance units. However, all fire fighters at the rescue squad are experienced licensed EMTs. It is very difficult to develop this expertise if you do desire to deliver emergency medical care. How long does training take to become qualified on the rescue squad? It takes approximately 18 months to become an EMT. Training to serve at a basic level of operational expertise on the rescue squad takes another 12 months. Page 2

3 Chapter 2 : Type 1 Fire Engine MySafe:California Fire and Safety Education A fire truck, on the other hand, is a vehicle that transports firefighters and their equipmentâ ladders, rescue gear, and power toolsâ from the fire station to the fire. Wikimedia Commons has media related to Historical fire engines. Manually drawn fire pump in service in Edinburgh in An early device used to squirt water onto a fire is 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. The fire pump was reinvented in Europe during the 16th century, reportedly used in Augsburg in and Nuremberg in 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. Knox fire engine, one of the first modern fire engines, manufactured in in Springfield, Massachusetts by the Knox Automobile Company. By, Richard Newsham, in London, had made successful fire engines; the first used in New York City in were of his make six years before formation of the NYC volunteer fire department. The amount of manpower and skill necessary for firefighting prompted the institution of an organized fire company by Benjamin Franklin in Thomas Lote built the first fire engine made in America in These earliest engines are called hand tubs because they are manually hand powered and the water was supplied by bucket brigade dumped into a tub cistern where the pump had a permanent intake pipe. An important advancement around was the invention of an engine which could draft water from a water source doing away with the bucket brigade. Philadelphia fire engine manufacturers Sellers and Pennock model the Hydraulion is said to be the first suction engine produced in The earliest engines were small and were carried by four men or mounted on skids and dragged to a fire. The earliest four-wheel carriage mounted engines were pulled to the fire by hand. 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 built the first steam fire-engine in Britain. Until the midth 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 It was the target of sabotage by firefighters and its use was discontinued, and motorized fire engines did not become commonplace until the early 20th century. By, the idea of combining gas engine motor trucks into fire engines was attracting great attention; according to a Popular Mechanics article in that year, [5] such trucks were rapidly gaining popularity in England. A year later, the City of Springfield had an entire modern fire department supplied with Knox fire engines. 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. Audible and visual warnings[ edit ] This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. March Play media Active visual warnings of a North American-type fire appliance 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. Vehicles will also often have these reflectors arranged in a chevron pattern along with the words fire or rescue. These flash to attract the attention of other road users as the fire appliance approaches, or to provide warning to motorists approaching a stopped appliance in a dangerous position on the road. Additionally the lights are accompanied by loud sirens. The first audible warnings were mechanical bells, mounted on the front or roof of the truck. Most vehicles are now fitted with electronic sirens, which can produce a range of different sounds. Fire service driving training often includes the use of different sounds depending on traffic conditions and maneuver being performed. For instance, on a clear road, approaching a junction, the "wail" setting may be used, which gives a long up and down variation, with an unbroken tone, whereas, in heavy slow traffic, a "yelp" setting may be preferred, which is like a wail, but faster. The speakers for modern sirens can be located in several places on the vehicle, including being integral to the lightbar, or hidden in the grille. Some vehicles Page 3

4 may also be fitted with airhorn audible warnings. The "acoustic" or "air" traditional sirens are still in wide use, most notably on North American-type fire apparatus but other countries such as Japan have fitted their apparatus with these types of warning systems as well, as its overtones help the public "locate" and avoid the fire truckâ the newer electronic signals disperse almost pure electronic sine wave tones, which are hard to locate, especially in city "canyons" of buildings. Furthermore, "air" sirens are generally much, much louder. In Chile, many vehicles are fitted with three types of audible warnings, which are sounded all at once: A development is the use of the RDS system of car radios, whereby the vehicle can be fitted with a short range FM transmitter, set to RDS code 31, which interrupts the radio of all cars within range, in the manner of a traffic broadcast, but in such a way that the user of the receiving radio is unable to opt out of the message as with traffic broadcasts. This feature is built into all RDS radios for use in national emergency broadcast systems, but short range units on emergency vehicles can prove an effective means of alerting traffic to their presence, although is not able to alert pedestrians and non-rds radio users. Page 4

5 Chapter 3 : How Fire Engines Work HowStuffWorks The standard fire engine is an apparatus designed primarily for firefighting operations. The primary purpose of the engine is transporting firefighters 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. Lets look at what you are really seeing. Apparatus can be found in any color. Engines- This is what most fire departments call the basic vehicle in this region of the country. This is because they can do three jobs. They can pump, transport personnel, and carry hose. It is possible to have a single function vehicle. New York has had vehicles with giant pumps mounted on them. It can pump tens of thousands of gallons a minute. But that is all it can do. It is also possible to have apparatus that can perform four or five major functions. These are called "Quads" or "Quints". This pertains to the size of pump etc. The engines shown above would be "Type I". A little Fire Apparatus History. The first pump designed for fire fighting may have been created by Ctesibius of Alexandria around the second century BC. Thomas Lote built the first fire engine made in America in, although some hand pump units were imported from Europe prior to that time. John Ericsson is credited with building the first steam powered fire engine. The first self propelled steam engine pumper was built in New York in Self propelled motorized fire apparatus did not gain acceptance until after One of the first motorized pumpers for Dallas, Texas. That same year, Cincinnati became the first American city to replace volunteers with the horse-drawn steam fire engine and to form a paid fire department. Steam Pumpers in action. This is reported to be circa But notice the motorized vehicle to the far left. Model T Fords were not produced until Does this car look like an early Model T or Tin Lizzi to anyone? Any car experts out there with info? Trucks- The first "trucks" were horse drawn wagons with ladders and other equipment. This apparatus transports a large complement of ladders and equipment. It usually does not have a pump. But we are still only talking about the hand deployed "ground ladders". The ladders on trucks can be 50 feet long or more each. While an engine may carry feet of ladders, a truck may carry hundreds of feet of hand deployed "ground ladders" plus a ft or more aerial device. Truck or possible Quint - Reedy Creek, Florida. Quints- This is a piece of apparatus that enjoys some controversy. As the name implies this vehicle carries out five functions. The two most notably are that of pump and aerial device on one vehicle. Many city managers think that if you buy a quint you can do away with the need for having both an engine and a truck. Fire chiefs tend to point out that if you have only three or four people on the quint that you have the function of either a truck crew or an engine crew at a fire and not both. It takes a large aerial device, mounted on apparatus with a full size pump, with a full load of hose, and a water tank to be called a quint. There is a photo of a quint on the glossary page. Worth Texas - Squad 2 - Note the color of the apparatus. Squads- This is an all purpose term often applied to smaller apparatus. This can be a vehicle just for carrying extra personnel or it can be a vehicle with some pumping ability or other special function. Just about anything might be called a "squad". Some of these are four wheel drive. But this is too expensive for most fire departments. Most often this is a water tank, and a pump mounted on a four wheel drive pick-up. Some of these vehicles can be a simple as a pickup with a small tank, pump, and line while other can be equipped with all kinds of equipment. Some have plumbed in nozzles located on the bumper that can be operated from the cab. Notice that the "Booster 11" pictured above is constructed with a low profile. There are no big lights on top. This makes it better able to do double duty in parking garages. Something northern Irving, Texas, has many of. Often this is applied to vehicles designed to fight grass or brush fires. Although some departments use this term to describe hazardous materials apparatus. In these cases they can pump foam or other specialized agents for the control of particular types of fires. This allowed these vehicles to pump and roll at the same time. The transfer case forces you to choose between rolling down the road or supplying the pump with power. Texas state law has definitions of EMS apparatus. Rescue Unit - Kauai, Airport, Hawaii. Air and Lights support vehicle. Support Apparatus- These include vehicles or dedicated companies for special operations or situations. The list is endless. Click on photo for more Seattle area fire apparatus photos by Ben Saladino Special vehicles or other apparatus- Fire departments might be very imaginative when it comes to other vehicles or apparatus. You can see all kinds of vehicles for Page 5

6 just about any special purpose. Many departments have invested in off-road vehicles for event EMS service or rescue. MC Photo Numbering of apparatus- The numbering system for fire apparatus might appear strange if you ever try to examine it. Some departments, with only two stations may designate their apparatus with two or three digit numbers. There could be any one of several reasons for this. The entire county or mutual aid system may be on one numbering system. For example, a smaller city may have the numbers for their use. This way communications are not confused at large fires. Without such a system there may be three companies called "Engine 1" at the same fire. This may be a voluntary program so you may see both numbering systems in the same county or at the same fire. A city may have several engines at one station. For example, if Station 5 has three engines, they may be numbered, "Engine 51", "Engine 52" and "Engine 53". When FDNY became fully paid they absorbed some other fire departments. For example, the Bronx had there own numbering system that duplicated other apparatus. To solve this problem, all Bronx apparatus simply received a "2" before their number. A city may have stations numbering but also have a "Central Fire Station". The apparatus at this station might be numbered "11" or something else. Traditional fire apparatus numbering did not allow the use of a "0" for identification. For decades, apparatus was dispatched by ringing a bell. A "box" or a piece of equipment was identified by a series of bells. A signal of 2 bells then 3 bells meant box or station They did not have a way to ring a "0". They also did not want to ring nine times so the largest number of bells was five or six. This means that you could not ring a "7". After five or six the number might be "". Strange but very efficient numbering systems and codes evolved from this. Chief officers will often have three digit numbers. This is often derived from the number the city has designated for the fire department. If the fire department is "Department 5" to the city government, then the chief of that department will be "". Assistant chiefs will be "", "" etc. In some cities the vehicle numbers will reflect the department number. The engine from Station 1 might be called "Engine " or even "Engine ". There are other numbering systems as well. Most photos since November taken with Nikon Coolpix See hundreds more at: Page 6

7 Chapter 4 : Fire Engine Definition of Fire Engine by Merriam-Webster A fire engine, also known as a fire pumper, carries thousands of feet of fire hose, nozzles, hose couplings and other equipment. It also carries gallons of water in a tank for a quick attack on a fire which is critical to fire control until they can establish a dedicated water supply from a fire hydrant. There are many types of hoses on the fire engine, and each has its own specific role in putting out a blaze. Hoses, also called lines, will put out different amounts of water depending on the hose length, diameter and the amount of pressure in the pump. When responding to a house fire, the firefighters will immediately pull off the crosslay hoses. These lines are located directly below the pump panel. They lay out in the open and are light, so they are easy to get off the fire engine for attacking a fire. Crosslays are feet 61 m long, have a diameter of 1. For smaller fires, such as small wood fires or chimney fires, the small booster line is adequate. A booster line is the smallest hose on the truck and has a diameter of about 1 inch. Located directly above the pump panel is the deluge gun, also called a deck gun or master stream. Just by looking at it, you know why this water cannon carries those names. The deluge gun is used to put a lot of water on large fires. It can put out in excess of 1, gallons per minute. These lines are preconnected to the truck in order to save time at the fire scene. These lines are between 1. Side preconnect A 5-inch-diameter hose is stored on top of the truck. There is a total of 1, feet m of this line, but it is stored in foot sections. This is the line that the firefighters will hook up to fire hydrants. The wide yellow hose in back carries water from the hydrant to the fire engine. There are two extra sections of the 5-inch hose: These two sections are called curb jumpers, because they typically lay on the curb. These sections give firefighters just a little bit more line to connect to a fire hydrant without having to get another foot section down. Curb jumpers and hose packs Also stored in this compartment is a hose pack. A hose pack is a small, bundled hose that can be taken to the higher levels of a building. It is banded to make it easier to carry up a ladder. A firefighter can just throw it over his or her shoulder and take it up and through a window. This hoseline will connect to the hose that runs up the ladder of the ladder truck, which you will learn more about in the next section. Page 7

8 Chapter 5 : fire engine - Wiktionary â Fox News, "Fire breaks out in skyscraper in Mumbai in India," 13 June The village's front line fire engine, meanwhile, was a / model, and its backup, a, had been acquired through a trade. Other functions[ edit ] In some communities a fire apparatus, often a paramedic engine, will be used to carry first responder firefighters, paramedics or EMTs to medical emergencies because of their faster response times due to forward staging in the city. Design and construction[ edit ] National Forests Office France fire engine with roll-over protection structure 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. Vehicles will also often have these reflectors arranged in a chevron pattern along with the words fire or rescue. 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. 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. The fire pump was reinvented in Europe during the 16th century, reportedly used in Augsburg in and Nuremberg in 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. By, Richard Newsham, in London, had made successful fire engines; he invented the first ones used in New York City in 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 Thomas Lote built the first fire engine made in America in 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 was the invention of an engine which could draft water from a water source. This rendered the bucket brigade obsolete. In, a Philadelphia-based manufacturing company called Sellers and Pennock made a model called "The Hydraulion". It is said to be the first suction engine. Manually drawn fire pump in service in Edinburgh in 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 built the first steam fire-engine in Britain. Until the midth 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 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. Motorized fire engines did not become commonplace until the early 20th century. By, the idea of combining gas engine motor trucks into fire engines was attracting great attention; according to a Popular Mechanics article in that year, [23] such trucks were rapidly gaining popularity in England. A year later, the city of Springfield, Illinois, had filled their fire department with Knox engines. 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[ edit ] 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 Page 8

9 sounded. This was found to be harmful to the system and unreliable. 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 s. 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 â which were even longer, mechanically extendable, and installed directly onto fire trucks â made their appearances. After the 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. Page 9

10 Chapter 6 : Top 10 Causes of Car Fires HowStuffWorks A fire engine is a motor vehicle which is designed to carry personnel and equipment which can be used to fight fires. Many people use the term "fire apparatus" or "fire truck" to describe such vehicles, as the term "fire engine" can be used to refer to a specific type of fire truck. Fire Engine Background The term "fire truck" is commonly used as a generic expression to describe a fire-fighting vehicle. Technically, a "fire truck" is a vehicle equipped with ladders and is used mainly to gain access to elevated portions of a structure or to provide a means of applying an elevated stream of water. A "fire wagon" carries large amounts of hose and is primarily used to lay hose as a complement to a pumper. This entry will focus on the manufacture of a fire engine. From our first toys and books as toddlers to the everyday newscasts showing fire fighters in action, the fire apparatus remains one of the most familiar and impressive examples of technology in our lives. Uncontrolled fire was one of the greatest fears until quite recently. Early attempts to quell fires were merely bucket brigades, that is, lines of citizens handing water buckets to the fire, which was often ineffective against a fully involved building. Some attempts at increased water application were hand-operated piston pumps whose hoses pumped water from a holding tank or a pond. These early hoses were made of leather with copper rivets; cotton hoses came into use in the s. Eventually wheels were added to the apparatus, but it was still pulled and operated by the firemen. Volunteer fire departments were established to man the equipment and fight the fire. With the appearance of property insurance, insurance companies created fire departments and spent considerable time improving the fire apparatus. By the s, the steam engine was used to operate the piston pump, and it was pulled to the fire by horses. Other attempts to pressurize the hoseline were chemical tanks, which used acid combined with soda dissolved in water to start a chemical reaction that would produce carbon dioxide. In this process, the carbon dioxide expanded, pressurizing the tank and propelling the entire mixture out of the hoseline and onto the fire. All of these designs were practically obsolete after the introduction of the centrifugal pump in early After the advance of the automobile, the internal combustion engine became the primary power source for the fire engine. Adaptation of the truck frame to accommodate the pump and tank completed the transition to the presentday fire truck apparatus. Design The basic design of the fire apparatus begins with a thorough review of the fire load and geographical terrain of the area the fire department will be responding to. In addition, the fire fighters responsible for the apparatus also contribute to the design of the vehicle. Most fire apparatuses are purchased by tax-supported governments, cities, towns, townships, and counties. In small departments, the design and approval process can take up to a year, mainly because of funding issues. When medium and large departments choose a new apparatus, funding is usually already established, and designs can be approved and purchased in less time. The basic fire apparatus has evolved into specialized units for particular types of fires and response. In the s, pumpers, ladder trucks, and other miscellaneous designs such as small tankers and hose trucks were common, though airport crash trucks and large rural tanker trucks were also in use. Today, fire apparatuses are tailored to meet many kinds of specific hazards. Due to this wide variety, the rest of this article will discuss the manufacture of the basic combination pumper apparatus for small- and medium-size communities. The Manufacturing Process The manufacture of a fire engine remains a custom, almost one-of-a-kind operation. Typically, a group of workers is assigned to the fabrication of the body and assembly of the truck frame. A separate group performs body finishing, then the apparatus is wired, equipped, and tested by a third, or "equipment," group. Aside from the body, manufacture of the fire apparatus is typically an assembly process. Fire was a plague in many early American cities. Americans responded with a variety of weapons: Fire companies represented the ioyalty and corwaderies of special groups. Neighborhood pride, political rivalries, ethnic hostility, and class animosity were alt evident in the volunteer fire companies. Companies received public acclaim for their efforts and competed wiih one another for those public accolades. Af the first signal of a fire, companies would race to the scene pulling their hose carts and handpumped enginesâ not necessarily to catch the fire in its early stages. The commander of the first company to arrive would be in charge of the entire operation with absolute control over rival companies. Members fought with Page 10

11 one another on the way and at the site, sometimes forgetting even to fight the fire! Once at the scene, more fighting could occur and volunteers were threatened as much by other firefighters as they were by the fire itself. Equipment and uniforms were dtspfayed during public ceremonies and parades where competition for social status was particularly evident in pre- Civil War America. Hose carts and engine! Pretzer Chassis 1 The selection and purchase of the truck chassis is based upon the tactical application of the apparatus. The truck frame may be "bare," having only the engine, axles, springs, frame members, steering, and brake systems installed. The apparatus builder may choose, however, to use a "cab and chassis," where the frame has the engine, cab, seats, front sheet metal, and wiring already completed. In either case, the truck frame is usually ordered from a well-established truck builder such as General Motors, Ford, International, Freightliner, or Peterbilt. The apparatus builder advises the truck manufacturer of the intended design so special options concerning the performance of the frame can be made. It is critical that the proper selection of suspension be made to support the average 35,pound 15, kg fire engine. In our example, we have chosen the cab and chassis frame design. Body 2 After the truck frame is received and inspected, the fabrication of the body or "coach," as it is sometimes called begins. Primarily sheet steel is used for body panels and supports, although aluminum and some stainless steel are also incorporated. Sheet steel is approximately 0. It can also be supplied in rolls of the same width and weighing 2, pounds kg or more. Each door panel, support, body panel, and equipment tray is cut and bent using shearing machines and press brakes. Holes for electrical equipment and piping are also punched at this time. The body is typically metal inert gas Mig welded together, with the doors and access panels bolted for ease of replacement. Many manufacturers protect the body from corrosion by dipping each panel into a rust inhibiting sealer. The interior and other hidden areas of the doors and cabinets are pre-painted before assembly. While the body construction is underway, the pump and tank are mounted to the frame. Pump 3 The pump is selected to perform specifically for the practices of the fire department. Essentially, the pump is the only reason for the fire engine. All of the other features are practically useless if the pump does not perform adequately. Most firepumps today are centrifugal pumps, and are manufactured by separate companies and purchased by the apparatus builder. A typical firepump can pump 1, gallons 3, 1 of water per minute. This flow can safely provide enough water to fight a residential or small commercial building fire. Pump size can be restricted by the available water supply, particularly in rural areas where there are no fire hydrants. Pumps are usually cast iron, with bronze for the rotating impeller and steel gears in the drive unit. Our truck shall have the 1, gallon per minute pump bolted to the frame near the center, and driven by an auxiliary output shaft or "power take off" from the truck transmission. This type of arrangement is referred to as a "midship" pump apparatus. The pump sits across the frame of the truck, and is bolted through the support castings to the upper frame flange. Alignment with the transmission is important to reduce vibration. Tank 4 The water tank for this example apparatus would typically be a polypropylene tank holding, gallons 1,, 1 of water. This is bolted to special supports before being attached to the frame immediately behind the pump. Connective piping to the pump and filling openings is also installed, typically of galvanized steel construction. Tanks may be square, round, or oval, and many are "hot-welded" together out of sheet material. The hot-welding process uses a high temperature stream of air to melt the plastic pieces at their joint, where the material mixes and fuses together. Most tanks contain perforated plates or "baffles" to reduce the sloshing of the water while driving. Occasionally, a "quick dump" is installed in the tank of an apparatus designed for use in rural locations. This large valve "dumps" the water from the main tank into a folding portable tank, carried to the fire on a separate tanker truck. This allows the tanker trucks to shuttle water from long distances and empty into the portable tank, where large suction hoses feeding directly into the pump allow the flow to be increased to maximum capacity. These quick dump valves empty the 1, gallons 5, 1 of water in 45 seconds. Assembly 5 When the body is completed, it is mounted to the frame over the pump and tank, and bolted using neoprene or rubber vibration strips. Along each side and above the tank are the equipment and hose compartments. They are formed into the body with doors and covers for protection. Related equipment, such as hose nozzles, as well as tactical equipment, such as forcible entry tools and self-contained breathing units, are stored in the side equipment compartments. They are sized and equipped to allow the fastest and easiest deployment of the equipment. The hose beds carry the fire hose. The top bed usually contains 50 foot 15 m Page 11

12 long 2. This hose is folded in such a manner as to allow it to be pulled from its bed with ease and speed. Shorter sections of suction hoses are also carried on the apparatus. These suction hoses are made of a firm material so they do not collapse from the reduced pressure when coupled to the suction of the pump. They cannot be folded, so they are usually placed into hose troughs specially designed for suction hoses. All other types of fire hoses are collapsible and for use on the pressure side of the pump only. In front of the tank, and above the pump, are the attack hoseline beds. These beds contain 1. Two or four beds of "preconnects" are common. These will be the first hoses used in the incident, therefore they are the most important. Behind the tank is the reel booster. Here, a one-inch 2. Chapter 7 : Why Are Fire Trucks Red? Wonderopolis fire engine n. Any of various large motor vehicles that carry firefighters and equipment to a fire and support extinguishing operations, as by pumping water. Also called fire. Chapter 8 : Fire Hose Basics A fire engine is a large vehicle which carries firefighters and equipment for putting out fires. Chapter 9 : Fire Service Apparatus, Equipment and Vehicles Fire engines are amazing pieces of equipment that allow firefighters to perform their jobs and get to fire scenes quickly. The important thing to know about a fire engine is that it is a combination of a personnel carrier, tool box and water tanker. Page 12