Fire Apparatus Familiarization
The Company
Historically, the basic unit of a fire department is
the Company, a team of firefighters with
apparatus assigned to perform a specific
function in a designated response area.
A company consist of a company officer, a
driver/operator, and one or more firefighters.
The Company
• The basic unit (engine, truck, or rescue
company.)
• Under the direction of a Captain and
Lieutenants.
Engine Company
• Deliver water at fire scene.
• Stretch hoselines.
• Attack and extinguish fires.
• Carries hose, pump, water tank, tools, &
appliances.
Engine Company
• The engine company is
organized to provide
Firefighters who deliver
water at the fire
scene,
• stretch hoselines,
• attack and
extinguish fires in
vehicles and structures.
Engine Company
• The engine company is organized to provide
Firefighters who deliver water at the fire
scene, stretch hoselines, attack and
extinguish fires in vehicles and structures.
Engine Company
• The apparatus designated as an engine will
have:
• Sufficient hose
• A water pump capable of delivering 750 to 2,000 gpm
• A water tank
• Other tools and appliances to accomplish these task.
Truck (ladder) company
The primary function of a truck company is to provide:
Firefighters for forcible entry, search and rescue of
building occupants, ventilation, ladders, securing utilities,
and overhaul functions at a fire scene.
The apparatus designated as a truck company has a complement
of ground ladders and an aerial device 50 to over 100 feet
depending on local needs, with tools designed specifically
for forcible entry, ventilation, rescue, and overhaul.
Truck (Ladder) Company
• Forcible entry.
• Search and rescue.
• Ventilation.
• Ladders.
• Securing utilities.
• Overhaul.
• Carries ladders, aerial device
and tools.
Rescue (Squad) Company
• Forcible entry.
• Search and rescue.
• Light tower.
– Specialized rescue:
– Vehicle extrication.
– Confined space.
– Rope rescue.
Brush Company
• Extinguishes wildland fires and protects
structures
in the urban interface.
Hazardous Materials Company
• Responds to and mitigates hazardous materials
incidents.
NFPA
• NFPA 1002 Standard for Fire Department
Vehicle Driver / Operator Professional
Qualifications.
• NFPA 1901 Standard for Automotive Fire
Apparatus.
Types of Apparatus
•
Pumping apparatus
•
Triple combination pumper
•
Minipumper
•
Mobile water supply
•
Brush apparatus
•
Aircraft fire apparatus
•
Fire boat
•
Aerial ladder truck
•
Elevating platform apparatus
•
Quintuple ladder truck (Quint)
•
Rescue truck
Types of Apparatus
• Pumping Apparatus:
A Fire Department apparatus whose
primary
responsibility is to pump water.
Triple-Combination Pumper:
Fire department pumper that carries a fire
pump, hose, and a water tank.
Types of Apparatus
• Minipumper:
A small fire apparatus mounted on a pickup truck-sized
chassis, usually with a pump having a rated capacity less than 500
gpm.
Their primary advantage is speed and mobility, which enables
them to respond to fires more rapidly than larger apparatus.
Types of Apparatus
• Mobile Water Supply
Apparatus:
A.K.A. Tanker, Tender
A fire apparatus with
a water tank of 1,000
gallons or larger whose
primary purpose is
transporting water. The
truck may also carry a
pump, some hose, and
other equipment.
Mobile Water Supply
• Mobile water supply apparatus are used to
transport water to areas beyond the water
system or areas where water supplies are
inadequate and must be supplemented.
• The size of the tank will depend on the
department’s water requirements and the
weight and capability of the apparatus.
Mobile Water Supply.
• NFPA 1901 sets the standard for an approved
tanker.
• The road test and weight distribution
requirements generally limit tank capasity to less
then 1500 gallons on a single axle vehicle.
• Tanks over 1500 gallons require tandem rear
axle or semitrailer construction.
• Nonstandard tankers can be as large as 8000
gallons on a semitrailer.
Mobile Water Supply
• Safety Considerations:
Many fire departments that cannot afford to
purchase manufactured tankers convert other types of
tank trucks to fire service use. Water has 10% greater
weight by volume than fuel oil. A fuel oil tanker of 1000
gallons capacity filled with water would create an
additional 800+ pounds that the vehicle was not
designed for. A safe and efficient apparatus should meet
the following criteria:
• Have proper Acceleration, braking, handling, and safety
due to baffling and tank security.
Safety Criteria Cont.
• Adequate but reasonable tank capacity
• Adequate loading rate(500 GPM or greater)
• Adequate unloading rate(500 GPM or greater)
• Adequate vent capacity
• Observe Manufacturer’s Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
• Adequate Chassis, Power, Breaks
• Proper tank mounting
• Proper baffling
Types of Apparatus
Brush Apparatus:
A.K.A. Booster Apparatus
A fire department apparatus designed
specifically for fighting ground cover fires.
Types of Apparatus
Aircraft Fire Apparatus
Fire apparatus specifically designed for
aircraft crash fire fighting/rescue operations.
Types of Apparatus
Fire Boat:
A boat that carries large fire pumps and is
capable of supplying master streams or supply
line hoselines to land-based fire fighting
apparatus.
Types of Apparatus
Aerial Ladder Truck:
Fire fighting vehicle equipped with
hydraulically operated ladder or elevating
platform for the purpose of placing
personnel and/or water streams in
elevated positions.
Types of Apparatus
Elevating Platform Apparatus:
An aerial apparatus with a work platform
attached to the end of an articulating or
telescoping aerial device.
Types of Apparatus
Quintuple Ladder Truck (Quint):
A fire apparatus equipped with a fire
pump, water tank, ground ladders, and
hose bed in addition to the aerial device.
Types of Apparatus
Rescue Truck:
A.K.A. Rescue Squad
A specialized unit with equipment and personnel
dedicated to performing rescue and extrication
operations at the scene of an emergency.
Aerial Devices
• Aerial Ladders
• Aerial Ladder Platforms
• Telescoping Aerial Platforms
• Articulating Aerial Platforms
• Water Towers
Aerial Ladders
• Most common type in North America
• A power-operated ladder that allows
firefighters to easily climb and descend.
“Working Height” or fully extended length
ranges from 50 to 135 feet.
Aerial Ladder Platforms
• Similar to aerial ladder apparatus with the
addition of a work platform at the tip.
• Commonly range from 85 to 110 feet
Telescoping Aerial Platforms
• Similar to the Aerial Ladder Platform
except without a large ladder that is used
by firefighters for climbing back and forth.
• Two or more sections made of either boxbeam construction or truss beam
construction
Articulating Aerial Platforms
• Similar to the telescoping aerial platform
apparatus. The primary difference is in the
operation of the aerial device. Instead of
telescoping into each other, the boom
sections are connected by a hinge, and
they fold like an elbow.
• Range in height from 90 to 174 feet.
Aerial Apparatus
Components of an aerial ladder and elevating
platform fire apparatus:
• Aerial Device/Operating Controls
• Aerial ladder
• Aerial ladder platform
• Articulating boom
• Auxiliary hydraulic power
• Auxiliary pump (booster pump)
Aerial Apparatus Cont.
•
Back up alarm
•
Base rail
•
Base section
•
Boom
•
Boom support
•
Cable
•
Chassis
•
Elevating platform
•
Fire pump
Aerial Apparatus Cont.
•
Fly section
•
Intake relief valve
•
Knuckle
•
Ladder section
•
Load limit indicator
•
Platform
•
Preconnected line
•
Stabilizer
•
Stabilizer shoe
•
Top rail
•
Turntable alignment indicator
Definitions
• Aerial Device - General term used to describe the
hydraulically operated ladder or elevating platform
attached to a specially designed fire apparatus.
• Aerial ladder - Power-operated (usually hydraulically)
ladder mounted on a special truck chassis.
• Aerial ladder platform - Power-operated (usually
hydraulically) ladder with a passenger-carrying device
attached to the end of the ladder.
Definitions
• Articulating Boom - Arm portion of the
articulating aerial platform.
• Auxiliary Hydraulic Power - A back up hydraulic
system on an aerial device used in the event
that the main hydraulic pump fails.
• Back up alarm - An alarm on the back of an
apparatus that is used to alert people that the
apparatus is in reverse.
Definitions
• Base Section - Bottom section of an extension ladder.
Also called Base Section.
• Boom - Telescoping or articulating arm portions of an
elevating platform aerial device.
• Boom Support - Supports that help further strengthen the
Boom of an elevating platform aerial device.
• Cable - Usually galvanized, made from plow steel and
resistant to abrasion. Designed for extension and
retraction of the fly sections of an aerial ladder.
Definitions
• Chassis - Frame upon which the body of the fire
apparatus rest.
• Elevating Platform - Work platform attached to the end of
an articulating or telescoping aerial device.
• Fire Pump - Water pump on a piece of fire apparatus
• Fly Section - The extendable section of the aerial ladder.
• Intake relief valve - A safety device used to control
excess pressures on the intake side of the pump.
Definitions
• Load limit indicator - an electrical monitoring system that
protects the electrical system from overloads.
• Platform - A work area that is attached to the end of an
aerial ladder.
• Preconnected Line - Attack hose connected to a
discharge when the hose is loaded.
• Stabilizer - Devices that transfer the center of gravity of
the apparatus and prevent it from tipping as the aerial
device is extended away from the center line of the
chassis.
Definitions
• Stabilizer Shoe - Flat metal plate attached
to the bottom of the aerial apparatus
stabilizer to provide firm footing on the
stabilizing surface.
• Turntable Alignment Indicator - An
indicator on the apparatus that indicates
when the ladder is in line with the
apparatus bed.
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Pump Classifications
• Positive Displacement Pumps
• Centrifugal Pumps
Pump Classifications
Positive Displacement Pumps
•
Simple Piston Pump
•
Simple Rotary Gear Pump
•
Simple Rotary Vane Pump
Pump Classifications
Positive Displacement Pump
Simple Piston Pump
Pump Classifications
Positive Displacement Pump
Simple Rotary Gear Pump
Pump Classifications
Positive Displacement Pump
Simple Rotary Vane Pump
Pump Classifications
• Simple Centrifugal Pumps
• Multistage Centrifugal Pumps
Pump Classifications
Simple Centrifugal Pump
Pump Classifications
Parts of a Simple Centrifugal Pump
Pump Classifications
• Multistage Centrifugal Pumps
1. Volume or Parallel Stage
2. Pressure or Series Stage
Pump Classifications
Multistage Centrifugal Pumps
Volume or Parallel Stage
Pump Classifications
Multistage Centrifugal Pumps
Pressure or Series Stage
Pump Classifications
One thing to always remember when
operating pumps, nozzles, hydrants, or
any valve on the fire truck is to always
open and close them slowly to prevent
WATER HAMMER.
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