Types of Fire Trucks

Firefighters rely on fire trucks for transportation to fire scenes and to carry equipment, water and other tools to the scene. However, not all fire trucks are the same. They are often highly customized based on specific department needs, the type of fires they’re likely to respond to and other factors.

The earliest fire trucks were horse-drawn contraptions that carried buckets and ladders to the scene of a fire. The modern fire truck was developed in 1905 when the Knox Automobile Company invented a vehicle with a water tank, pumps and enough space to transport firefighters and their tools. These early trucks were sometimes called fire engines, fire wagons or fire apparatuses.

In the United States, the National Fire Protection Association created universal firetruck standards and terminology that classifies fire trucks by their function and size. This ensures that when one fire department requests emergency assistance from another, the other fire department knows exactly what kind of firetruck to send. For example, a firetruck that’s classified as a Type 3 is also referred to as a wildland truck.

Type 1 fire trucks are commonly used in urban, rural and suburban applications to support structural firefighting and initial EMS response. These versatile vehicles are typically the first on the scene, combining the capabilities of an engine pumper and a fire rig. They have a firefighting capacity of up to 1,000 GPM and feature water tanks with varying capacities, ranging from 500 to 3,500 gallons.

A Type 2 fire truck is ideal for a variety of urban and suburban applications, performing both vehicle accident response and structural firefighting duties. These versatile vehicles are designed to meet NFPA requirements for both structural firefighting and initial EMS response.

Whether they’re used for airport emergencies or local emergency responses, airport fire trucks are specifically configured to help prevent and extinguish aircraft incidents. They include an aerial ladder to reach hard-to-reach places on the aircraft and a powerful fire suppression system that delivers water at high pressures.

Firefighting water is crucial to battling fires, and how much a firetruck carries depends on where the truck will operate. Depending on an area’s water infrastructure and fleet management, firetrucks may have ample water supplies or be equipped with less water.

In addition to water, a firetruck can also use other types of firefighting foam. Some manufacturers, including Pierce Manufacturing, offer firetrucks with a Compressed Air Foam System that employs either Class A or Class B foam to suppress fires.

Regardless of the type of firetruck, all firefighting equipment must be carefully secured and transported to and from emergency scenes. Compartments and storage solutions on firetrucks play an important role in reducing the risk of exposure to carcinogens, which is why Pierce Manufacturing offers a wide range of compartmentation options. For example, our ERGO compartmentation systems provide a safe place to store firefighter gear and tools that aren’t in use. This keeps hazardous materials at the fire scene where they’re needed and away from firefighters when they’re not.