Types of Fire Trucks

Fire trucks carry the equipment needed to fight fires and other emergency situations. They also carry water, which is used to extinguish fires or to supply firefighters on the scene with a source of drinking water. Some fire trucks also have foam systems that improve the fire-extinguishing capabilities of water, which can help to reduce water use and save precious resources.

Engine trucks are the largest type of fire truck and are typically used to respond to most emergency calls. They feature an impressive amount of gear, including thermal imaging cameras, self-contained breathing apparatuses, fire hoses, floodlights, the jaws of life and other hydraulic rescue tools and ladders. Some also have fixed deluge guns, which can spray a master stream of water onto the scene without the need to unroll hoses or find an available fire hydrant. Some engine trucks have preconnects, which allow firefighters to connect their hoses to the water tank quickly and easily upon arrival at the scene.

A fire truck’s audible warning system is another important tool to help people quickly locate the vehicle, allowing them to avoid collisions or slow down for its approach. While traditional airhorns are still in use, most vehicles today are fitted with electronic sirens that offer a variety of tones depending on traffic conditions and the maneuver being performed by the fire truck. For example, a long, up-and-down wail may be used when driving on a clear road with little traffic. On the other hand, a yelp tone is often used in busy or slow traffic to alert motorists that a fire truck is approaching.

Other types of fire trucks are designed for more specific emergencies, such as airport crash trucks or hazardous materials response vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with powerful firefighting agents and specialized tools for these situations, and are often manned by specially trained firefighters.

Fire trucks are also available in a variety of sizes to meet each municipality’s needs and to optimize the use of space. For example, large, multipurpose fire trucks are often deployed to urban areas and may be able to carry more firefighters than smaller vehicles due to their larger size.

The different features of each fire truck make it a highly customized piece of machinery that is specially designed for the emergency responses it will be called on to perform. This ensures that fire departments can request mutual aid support with confidence, knowing that the other fire department will be sending a fire truck that has all of the necessary equipment to meet local standards and requirements.