Types of Fire Trucks

When firefighters arrive at the scene of an emergency, they depend on their fire trucks to provide them with the tools necessary for the job. Knowing what distinguishes the various types of fire trucks helps ensure that fire departments can find the right vehicles to meet their needs and respond quickly to calls.

The National Fire Protection Association’s fire truck standards and terminology classify vehicles by type and function to help fire departments across the country find the exact equipment they need. The NFPA’s standards also creates universal fire truck terminology, so that what may be called a brush truck in one community is referred to as a wildland fire truck or a fire engine in another.

Fire engines, or fire apparatus (North American English) or fire fighting vehicles (UK English), are equipped with emergency lighting and audible warnings that alert traffic to the presence of the vehicle. Traditionally, the sound was a mechanical bell, but today, most fire vehicles are fitted with electronic sirens that can produce a variety of sounds. For example, a fire engine on clear roads might emit a long up and down tone, while when in heavy traffic or passing other emergency vehicles, the siren might be programmed to produce a faster, more repetitive sound that is often described as a “wail.”

Municipal fire trucks typically carry water, a pump and hoses for extinguishing fires. Firefighters use the hoses to spray water at high pressure to control or extinguish fires and other incidents. Fire engines also contain specialized equipment like forcible entry tools, rescue tools and other specialty devices.

Airport fire trucks, or ARFF (Airport Rescue and Firefighting) trucks, are unique in that they also have the ability to deliver fire suppressants as foam. They have a nozzle mounted on the front of the vehicle, known as a turret, which can be operated from inside the fire truck cab to spray foam or other fire suppression agents. Adding this capability to the fire truck allows the crew to attack the fire from multiple angles and reduces the amount of time required to set up hose lines at the site of an emergency.

Firefighters also use their fire trucks to transport other emergency equipment, such as the Jaws of Life or circular saws. These are called rescue trucks or heavy rescue fire trucks, and they typically have large storage compartments that can hold the specialized gear that is necessary for emergencies like severe car crashes or industrial accidents.

Some fire departments choose to equip their fire trucks with a power-take-off pump that allows the vehicle to remain in motion while fighting a fire. This feature is particularly useful when navigating difficult terrain or responding to an accident on a highway.