FIRE ENGINE Deck gun This special water outlet is a high capacity water jet It shoots water out the top of the engine and Coan spray a stream a long distance to the top of a Fire engines race down streets to get to a blaze quickly Their lights flash and sirens blare to clear a path through traffic The truck carries a team of firefighters and it also holds all the equipment they need to help in many situations This includes a big tank full of water it holds enough water to fill over 40 bathtubs The water is pumped out through the large hoses attached to the truck Ladder i Ladders are used to rescue 31 people from high buildings or to get a cat out of a tree wheel Control panel The wheels on the Equipment The control panel has many engine have to be thick Fire engines carry hoses lights buttons and levers that are and strong to support medical equipment breathing used to operate the pump the weight of all the equipment see page 16 and that pushes water through water and equipment in firefighters axes the
HOSES This fire engine right has many outlets for hoses to attach in order to tap into the water supply in the engine SANT I Jumpseat Four to six firefighters ride in this compartment ready to jump out when they reach the fire Cab The driver sits in the front to steer the truck The rest of the firefighters sit behind him or her in the cab Siren and lights The flashing lights and noisy siren warn people that the fire engine is coming Engine The engine provides the power to drive the fire truck Fire truck engines can have up to 600 horsepower that is three times as powerful as a car engine
ALL SHAPES AND SIZES Fire trucks haven't always been big and red like those you might see on the street today The first fire trucks had to be small enough to be pulled by horses Some trucks today may be smaller with just a water tank and ladder while others might be green or yellow with lots of equipment STEAMENGIN Early fire trucks were powered by steam left and below Water was heated in a boiler to produce steam This gave the truck's pump the power to push water through the hoses At the time these were in use vehicle motors did not exist These early steam engines had to be drawn to the fire by a team of horses Seat Firefighters would sit here to direct the Boiler The metal boiler got very hot when working to make enough steam to power the hoses the fire 1863 Wheel S Wheels at this time were made out of wood and made for a bumpy
O FIREFIGHTING HISTORY IO The first organized fire brigade was in ancient Rome The firefighters were equipped with hand pumps ladders buckets and pickaxes They also had blankets to protect themselves from heat In 1982 a fire in Borneo lasted for 10 months It was only put out when heavy rain started to fall Y sh TODAY S TRUCKS This tiny British fire engine left carries ladders hoses and two firefighters It can get to fires down very narrow streets or can be used for off road search and rescue missions J752 KAF OIL REFINERY FIRE TRUCK This small fire engine right works at an oil refinery Because oil burns quickly this truck needs to be able to get to a fire with extra speed O STANDARD FIRE TRUCK THREILEED Standard fire trucks right are big because they have to carry lots of equipment Don't be fooled by its yellow color Some fire engines are yellow so that they are more easily spotted at night
