live fire

[RobertN]

Our area used to be staffed with two, but most area's around here are now staffed with three. In the big city you will see staffing with four. Around here, you will get a bunch more engines show up for a similar fire. Not, because so many engines are needed, but because the people/manpower is needed.

Yes, our "water trucks" are called tenders. Most in the local fire districts carry 2800-3000 gallons of water(engines typically carry 500-700 gallons). Tankers, are aircraft, the classic "borate bombers". They do not use borate anymore; it is a different formula.

In our area(east of Sacramento), you can run in to a mix... The fire in the picture I posted, was making a run uphill in to a neighborhood; that "city type" neighborhood had a lot of houses close together. On the other side of the coin, is my house a few miles away; we're all on 5-10 acres. A close friend a mile away, is on 46 acres. 9 miles up the road, in our district, is Placerville; very city environment, although the most we get is 3 story buildings.

The ones here might only have four seats, I am not sure. Thinking about it, I believe there are three people to an engine most of the time. It is a mix of paid and volunteers.

Hmmm, that could be interensting if you wanted a truck full of water and you got a plane ready to drop retardant.

I get the impression that large city firefighting is a fair bit different from rual/small town firefighting, even though they all have the same name. In the city you have large, tall buildings close together with many people and in rual/small towns two stories is as tall as any building will be and they are farther apart. Thank you for taking the time to explain/answer my many questions.

Ed

 

[CompactTractorFan]

Wow, 10 people in one truck. I think most of the trucks around here have seating for 6 so I never thought about that. Then again, I don't think any of the stations around here ever have 10 people on duty at the same time. Now that you mention it, it makes sense that cost would make a difference in what they have.

I am guessing being able to hook up to a fire hydrant verse having to haul all the water in makes a difference in how it is approached also?

Ed

All out trucks have seating for 6 except one which has seating for 9.

 

[CompactTractorFan]

Most of our rigs have seating for four. Our paid crews usually staff with three. As volunteers, when we staff and engine, it varies from two to four people; usually we'll respond as soon as we have two unless we know another person is coming very soon.

In our area, we have a mix of area's with and without hydrants. You'll often hear dispatch call for water tenders(don't ask for a tanker; you'll get a plane ready to drop retardant...).

I could not see ten people on a truck/ladder, unless it was a staffed/paid city rescue/truck company.

We are all volunteer except for two township employees who are also paid drivers during the day. I respond out of the sub-station (normally the paid people respond out of the main station). Normally during the day we get about 3 on the 1st out truck out of the substation. At night we usually get about 4...

I don't know how they do it, but I have seen some 10 seat trucks. I think most are in volunteer departments in the NE.

 

[CompactTractorFan]

In our area(east of Sacramento), you can run in to a mix... The fire in the picture I posted, was making a run uphill in to a neighborhood; that "city type" neighborhood had a lot of houses close together. On the other side of the coin, is my house a few miles away; we're all on 5-10 acres. A close friend a mile away, is on 46 acres. 9 miles up the road, in our district, is Placerville; very city environment, although the most we get is 3 story buildings.

Our area has hydrants throughout the district. We have residential, some light commercial, apartment buildings, and three hospitals in our 1st due. I think our 2.44 acres is one of the largest residential lots in our township...:laughing:

 

[RobertN]

Ya, it is a regional thing. Out here, a town/small city like that would be a staffed dept with volunteers augmenting, like in my district. Sadly, I'm seeing volunteer fire waning around here.

Our area has hydrants throughout the district. We have residential, some light commercial, apartment buildings, and three hospitals in our 1st due. I think our 2.44 acres is one of the largest residential lots in our township...:laughing:

 

[jonyyuma]

All our fire protection is volunteer.. I did it for 5 years as pumper captain...We cannot pump from the hydrants, so we use dump tanks or water tankers. For off-road it is army rio rig 4x4..We are doing good with our 25 person crews, of course not all respond at the same time. The payments are 25 dollars a year on the water bill.

 

[CompactTractorFan]

Ya, it is a regional thing. Out here, a town/small city like that would be a staffed dept with volunteers augmenting, like in my district. Sadly, I'm seeing volunteer fire waning around here.

We do have two township employees that also respond to calls. They and the volunteers like me serve about 13,000...