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Engine
The engine is also
referred to as a pumper
because of its ability to
pump water. In most cases,
an engine carries small
ground ladders, supply
line to connect it with a
hydrant, hand lines to
fight the fire with and a
tank holding between 500
and 1,000 gallons of
water.
Engine Company
An engine company is a
combination of a fire
engine and the manpower
used to staff it. A
standard engine company
will include an officer,
driver/engineer and two
firefighters on a pumper
truck.
Engineer
The
Engineer, also referred to
as the Apparatus Operator,
is the person that drives
the Fire Engine or Ladder
Truck. The engineer is
also responsible for all
of the equipment that is
on the engine and making
sure that it is clean and
in good working condition.
They also run the pumps,
etc. when they are at a
fire.
Extension
Ladder
A ladder with two or
more sections, allowing it
to be extended to a longer
length.
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Flat Lay
A method of loading
hose in the hose bed,
where the hose is laid on
the flat, or wide side,
rather than on edge.
Foam
Foam is a concentrate
mixed with water or air
and applied to any
material that is on fire
or could potentially catch
fire. The foam creates a
barrier between the
material and the heat,
preventing ignition of
flammable gases. Foam is
commonly used on flammable
liquid fires (gas or oil),
but is also being used in
some areas for automobile
& structure fire
applications.
Forestry Line
A forestry line is a
small-diameter,
cotton-jacketed handline
used to fight brush and
forest fires. Its
construction reduces the
weight a firefighter has
to pull and therefore
reduces fatigue.
Forward Lay
A forward lay is when fire
hose is laid from the
hydrant to the fire. (See
also reverse lay).
Front
Mount
A pumper with the pump
mounted at the front of
the vehicle, driven
directly off the
crankshaft of the engine.
Front mount pumpers are
most common in rural areas
where drafting is more
common, as the vehicle can
pull straight up to a
water source.
Front
Suction
A pump inlet mounted
at the front of the
vehicle, providing more
versatility when hooking
up to a water source.
Front suctions are
typically are a 4, 5 or
6" inlet, depending
on the size of the pump,
and can be used with a
hard or soft suction hose.
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Gate Valve
A valve that has a
flat plate that
Gated
Wye
A wye is an appliance
with a single hose inlet
and two or more outlets,
allowing a supply line to
be split for multiple
uses. A gated wye has
valves to shut off the
outlet, allowing one
outlet to be unused until
needed.
Grover
Grover is the name of
the manufacturer of the
air horns typically used
on fire apparatus.
Growler
The nick-name given to
the mechanical siren
because of its
"growl" like
sound.
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H ~
Hall Runner
A narrow salvage
cover used to lay down
hallways to protect carpet
from water and soot.
Halligan
An
all-purpose steel prying
bar used as a forcible
entry tool. Invented by
New York City firefighter
Huey Halligan.
Hand
line
A hand line is a small
diameter hose usually used
inside a burning structure
to directly apply water on
to the fire. Hand lines
are usually 1.5 or 1.75
inches in diameter.
Hard
Suction
Hard suctions are the
large black hoses you see
mounted on the side of the
fire apparatus. They are
hard sleeved hoses that
are used to draft water.
The hard sleeve will not
collapse under a vacuum,
allowing a pumper to draft
from a water source. Hard
suction hoses are hooked
directly to the inlet of
the pump, and are sized
according to the inlet,
typically 2 1/2, 4, 5 or 6
inches in diameter.
Higby
Cut
A special cut on the
thread of fire hose
couplings that makes it
easier to mate the
threads. One coupling can
be rotated backwards until
it clicks, or drops into
place, and then tightened.
Hose
Hose is used to deliver
water onto a fire and to
provide water from
hydrants to firefighting
apparatus. The types of
hose used include
handlines, booster lines
and large diameter hose.
Hydrant
Gate
A vale that is mounted
to the fire hydrant outlet
before attaching a hose.
The hydrant gate allows a
single outlet to be shut
down without shutting down
the whole hydrant. This
situation may arise if you
have two engines being
supplied off one hydrant,
or if one of the supply
lines should fail during a
fire. Hydrant gates can be
gate style valves or ball
valves.
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