Fire Engines and Other Fire Apparatus
Fire engines are vehicles that are designed to assist in fighting fires. Fire engines transport firefighters to the scene and provides them with access, water and equipment. In some areas fire engines are referred to as fire trucks or fire apparatus. However, fire apparatus is more commonly used to describe equipment on fire engines, and equipment at the fire station.
Modern fire engines are usually multi-purpose vehicles carrying professionals and other fire apparatus for a wide range of fire-fighting and rescue tasks.
Therefore, most fire engines carry fire apparatus such as ladders, pike poles, axes and cutting equipment, Halligans, fire extinguishers, ventilating equipment, floodlights, hose ramps, breathing apparatus (BA) and general tools. In some areas, a ladder truck may carry some of these fire apparatus tools as well. These fire engines would then be known as a "Hook and Ladder" truck.
There are many other pieces of fire apparatus found on fire engines. The turntable ladder is a specialized fire apparatus that is used to gain access to a building that a conventional ladder cannot reach. Another fire apparatus is a hydraulic platform. This has similar advantages to the turntable ladder in the sense that this fire apparatus allows you to gain access to areas you would not normally be able to reach.