Fire Engines Photos

Tokyo has 16, 000 volunteer firefighters to support the professional full-time force of 18, 000 personnel. Senior officers implement recall protocols as needed to mobilize both off-duty full-time members and volunteers, who work together side-by-side. Volunteers are not compensated.

To put these numbers into context, a town the size of Darlington would have 133 full-time and 89 volunter members if staffing levels were along Japanese lines, manning two stations - quite a commitment to fire and rescue protection!

The corresponding appliance fleet would include six pumpers, 2 rescue trucks, an aerial ladder, two ambulances, a command van and two or theee support vehicles.

I am not recommending anything, but it is interesting to see how different countries meet their different challenges.

The main differences are that Japanese fire services handle EMS, have to deal with structure fires in very densely built-up areas, and address such emergencies as earthquakes and typhoons, with extensive wind damage and flooding.

Added by Rob Johnson on 21 April 2013.

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