With different fire departments having varying needs, fire engines come in all
shapes, sizes, and colors. The important thing to know about a fire engine is that it is a combination of a personnel carrier, tool box and water tanker. All three components are essential to fighting fires. In the pumper/tanker fire engine, the primary water tank is inside the vehicle, it holds 1,000 gallons (3,785 liters) of water and it runs down the center in the rear of the truck.
A
drop tank is like a big
aboveground pool that can hold about 2,000
gallons of water. A 6-inch diameter, hard suction line is used to suck
water out of the drop tank or other exterior water source. The pump panel is used to control which hoses
have water flowing through them at any given time. The truck also has a foam system, and carries about 20
gallons (76 L) of foam.
The
foam tank is embedded in the main water tank. Pumper/tankers carry different
types of foam. Class A foam can
be used to saturate materials inside a structure to keep those materials from
re-igniting. Class B foam is used to fight car fires and other fires where
flammable liquids might be present. Below are interesting facts you might not
know about the evolution of fire trucks.
1.
Firefighting apparatus has been
around since ancient times. We’ve been fighting fires since we learned what
fire was. We realized early on that you can put flames out with enough water.
And buckets were actually the most effective firefighting tool we had
for centuries. There were some ancient civilizations that began creating fire
engines though, or at least primitive versions of them, like this one from Greece. These were basically huge pumps that shot water out of
them. The bucket was still the most common means of fighting fires for
centuries.
The concept of a firefighter began appearing in Egypt and
Rome before taking on more formal roles in Europe and colonial America. The first fire company was established in Boston, Massachusetts in 1678.As fire companies
developed, so did our firefighting apparatuses. Designs evolved, and the first
patent for a “new water engine for quenching and
extinguishing fires” – a horse-drawn contraption – was
submitted in England in 1721. The first modern truck design appeared in the
1960’s, equipped with tools like water pumps, ladders, and cherry pickers.
2.
The Dalmatian was used as the first
emergency siren. There’s a good reason why the Dalmatian is the official
firehouse dog. Dalmatians have been involved with
firefighting for more than a century. While they’re usually just firehouse
mascots these days, they used to clear the way for firefighters, serving a
critical role in historic firefighting practices. It goes back to when
horse-drawn carriages were the most popular means of transportation. These dogs
used to run alongside horses and could keep up even when the horse was going full-speed.
They’d also keep other animals away from the horses –
preventing the horse from getting spooked. Firefighting companies saw how
valuable this could be, so they started using the dogs as sirens. The Dalmatians
would run out barking as soon as the firehouse opened its doors; letting people
know to get out of the way before the firefighter’s wagon rushed out of the
station. Then the dogs would run to the scene alongside the wagon, and once
there; would guard the wagon so no one would steal anything.
The dogs also helped the horses. Horses are afraid
of fire – so the dogs would comfort and
distract the horses from all the commotion. The Dalmatians still served a
purpose once the automobile was introduced. They’d guard the trucks while the
firefighters dealt with the flames. One thing did change though; the dogs would
get to ride inside the vehicle instead of having to run alongside it.
3.
A former New York firefighter
designed the truck that changed how we use ladders at fires. Daniel Hayes is
considered the inventor of the modern aerial ladder fire truck that
revolutionized how ladders were used at fires. In 1868, Hayes designed and mounted an extension
ladder to the truck, and created a design
that is still in use today. Hayes served as a firefighter in New York City
before moving to San Francisco in the 1860’s.
While living there, he designed the truck that made his name
a firefighting-household name, the Hayes truck. The new design used a
spring-assist mechanism mounted to the top of the ladder truck to raise or
lower. The design entirely did away with the old hand splice-ladder. The San
Francisco Fire Department bought the Hayes truck for $3,000. But the fire chief
at the time was reluctant to use the new contraption. That changed after the
Harpending fire in 1871 however; historians say the ladders the crews were
using failed miserably, and public pressure pushed the department to finally
use the Hayes truck three years after it was purchased.
The Hayes truck was put to the test after being called away
from a July 4th parade it was participating in to respond to a
nearby fire. Hayes himself took control of his truck and showed the department
and the public that his apparatus was far better than the old one as he and the
crew successfully battled the fire. The design is considered so efficient that
nearly 300 Hayes trucks are still in service in the United States.
4.
Another American inventor
revolutionized the fire escape ladder in 1878. A decade later, another American
inventor on the other side of the continent made another major advancement in
firefighting design that’s still used today. On May 7, 1878, Joseph Winters patented the fire escape
ladder. It was a wagon-mounted fire escape
ladder that was attached to a fire truck in the city of Chambersburg,
Pennsylvania.
Winters noticed that firemen spent a lot of time taking
ladders off the truck to rescue those trapped on the upper floors or reach the
flames. He wanted to create something that was easier to rise and was already
mounted to the wagon. It also had to be able to collapse so it could be long
enough to reach the top floors, but small enough to fit around tight corners. This
invention couldn’t have come at a better time.
Cities were beginning to grow up instead of out. Buildings
were getting taller and streets were getting narrower. Having something that
could reach the highest floors and maneuver around turns was critical in saving
buildings, city blocks, and lives. Winters patented improvements to his
original design in 1879 and patented a fire escape that could be attached to
buildings in 1883. Historians say that while he didn’t receive
much money for his inventions,
he went on to live a good life in Chambersburg; living to the age of 100 by
some accounts before dying in 1916.
5.
There’s technically a difference between
a modern fire truck and a fire engine. People use the phrases interchangeably,
but they aren’t
technically the same vehicle .Modern
fire trucks are equipped with very large ladders that extend from the truck but
don’t come off. Some of the key components of a fire truck are:
·
Hydraulically operated (aerial)
ladder
·
Full complement of ground ladders of
various types and lengths
·
Specialized equipment for forcible
entry, ventilation, and search and rescue tasks
The
fire engines used today pump water and carry the tools firefighters need. Also
called pumpers, these vehicles carry hoses, tools, and the water firefighter’s
use on the flames. Engines can also have ladders, but they are set up by the
firefighters and can be carried around. The main components of a fire
engine are:
·
Water tank (usually 500-750 gallons)
·
Pump (approximately 1500 GPM)
·
Complement of various types of hose
(for both attack and
“I have no ambition in this world but one, and
that is to be a fireman. The position may, in the eyes of some, appear to be a
lowly one; but we who know the work which the fireman has to do believe that
his is a noble calling. Our proudest moment is to save lives. Under the impulse
of such thoughts, the nobility of the occupation thrills us and stimulates us
to deeds of daring, even of supreme sacrifice.” (Chief Edward
F. Croker)[i]
[i] Sources used:
·
“5 Things
You Might Not Know About Fire Trucks” by Ashley Benjamin
i read the above notes and clarify my doubts very well.in this information i observe lot of things about how to study.........thanks a lot
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