Types of Fire Trucks

Fire trucks are equipped with powerful water pumps, tanks that hold gallons of water and long water hoses. Depending on the type of fire truck, they can also carry other tools that help firefighters fight or rescue victims from an emergency situation. Some of these include thermal imaging cameras, self-contained breathing apparatuses and the jaws of life. They can also carry specialist equipment like turnout gear, a fire extinguisher and various other tools to help them access difficult-to-reach areas.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) classifies fire trucks by type and function to ensure that every fire department has a vehicle that matches its needs. For instance, an aerial fire truck can extend a boom that helps firefighters access hard-to-reach areas of tall buildings to put out a fire from the inside. The same goes for a tanker truck, which is designed to transport water from a distant location to the scene of an emergency.

NFPA requires every fire truck to have basic firefighting tools, such as ground ladders, a variety of nozzles and firefighting foam systems. Firefighting trucks also have a water tank with a minimum capacity of 300 gallons and a pump capable of flowing at least 1,000 gallons per minute. They also carry firefighting hoses that can be configured in many different ways to accommodate specific applications and situations.

A fire truck can be fitted with a special hydraulic device that helps to extricate people from vehicles or collapsed structures. This type of specialty fire truck is called a rescue truck. Rescue trucks can also be equipped with forcible entry tools and other equipment that can help firefighters enter a burning building without damaging property or hurting victims. They can even help them remove injured people from the scene of an accident.

Some fire trucks are designed to tackle non-fire emergencies, such as technical cliff or trench rescues. They’re commonly referred to as technical rescue trucks or rescue squads.

Other types of fire trucks are used to deal with wildfires, such as a wildland fire truck. These are usually fitted with specialised equipment for combating large fires in remote locations.

Airport crash trucks, which are a type of fire truck, can handle aircraft emergencies and are typically manned by a team of firefighters specially trained to deal with these incidents. Similarly, hazardous materials (Hazmat) trucks are specialized vehicles that can contain and control incidents involving dangerous substances.

Electric fire trucks are becoming increasingly popular amongst fire departments because they produce zero emissions from their tailpipe. They’re more environmentally friendly than traditional gasoline-powered vehicles and are safer for the environment and firefighters. They are also more fuel-efficient and require fewer maintenance operations.