Fire Engines Photos

Maybe if he aimed the hosereel at the fire rather than shooting over and past the skip he might put the fire out.

Added by Dave Johnson on 28 May 2007.

hi Dave. When this photo was taken the crew 1st used the defensive firefighting technique. Seconds later they used offensive firefighting technique with 4 jets.

Added by Saully on 29 May 2007.

why didn't they just put a shot extension ladder on the side of the cab held by to crew so the he could get on the appliance roof then it would be out in seconds


Added by Fire Fifer on 17 June 2007.

Its health and safety, Firefighters are not allowed to climb on top of fire appliances these days. Thats why the ladders up the back of appliances have disappeared and gantries have been put on appliances so the ladders can be slipped off easier.

Added by Barry Reid on 19 June 2007.

From the editors: We removed a comment that was added to this photo today. The language used was considered not suitable for this site, as was noticed by one of our regular site visitors.

Added by Marcel Gommers, editor on 29 October 2007.

Nice photo mate, yea as you could see from this photo this is a pump ladder which now doe's not carry the 9m ladder only 13.5m and sort extension roof ladder.

P.S. thanks to the editors for raising this issue.

Added by Fozaib Khan on 29 October 2007.

ow yeh a noticed wat you mean a saw fife do it last night deel with a skip on fire


Added by Fire Fifer on 10 November 2007.

Fozaib,
Your not wrong this is a pump ladder and pump ladders no longer carry 9m ladders. 9m ladders are carried by pump ladders only if the station has only 1 DPL (pump or pump ladder). This is most likely from a 1 DPL station as a pump ladder would not normally attend an incedent like this, and therefore this appliance still has 13.5m and 9m ladders.

Added by David Jones on 25 June 2010.

Why bother with a 9M ladder as well as a 13.5? I should think you can use a 13.5 meter ladder for any job which requires a 13.5M ladder - but, of course, not the other way around. If this is not possible, I'd like to learn why not.

Added by Rob Johnson on 24 June 2013.

The 9m ladder is a much more convenient size and easier to pitch for a snatch rescue from the first floor (bedroom) window of a typical house. It can be easily pitched by a crew of 3, often leaving 2 BA wearers to get donned up. The 13.5 is a great ladder, but really a little cumbersome for reaching a typical house via a typical front garden and has to have at least 4 personnel to pitch it.

Added by Mel Turbutt on 25 June 2013.

Thanks, Mel - now I get it.

It seems the British 13.5M ladder may be a bit heavier than similar length ladders used in other countries. Paris has 15 meter ladders on some pumpers, which look much lighter, and the ladders carried on Japanese pumpers are exceptionally light with almost completely open construction.

Perhaps as technology offers more lightweight and stronger alloys and composite materials, the UK fire service will eventually get 13.5 meter ladders which can be handled by a three person team?

With ever-increasing demands and problems of using every bit of available storage space on each unit for so much equipment, it would be neat to have fewer ladders with more versatilty.

One solution I saw in Sweden were very light individual ladders, which could be instantly locked together and deployed by two members. Each pump carried a pack of four, so you could have a 3, 6, 9, or 12 meter ladder - depending on what was needed (or two 6 meters, etc). Seemed like an unusual but very intelligent idea to me!

Added by Rob Johnson on 26 June 2013.

This sounds like a reinvention of the scaling ladder favoured by London. A tapered wooden ladder about 6' long with sockets so several could be used together.

Added by Neal Glover on 26 June 2013.

There used to be very versatile ladders in the form of Scaling Ladders and Hook Ladders but alas no more!

Added by Kyle Annakin on 26 June 2013.

Yes, I think similar locking ladders are also used in other Scandinavian countries and in parts of Germany, but I have not seen them in use.

The thing that amazed me was they are so light. Made with black composite materials, they are quite flexible but very strong. One man can carry two of them, and all four locked together come to 12 meters, which is not far short of the British 13.5 meter extension ladder, or the US 45 footer. It will get people up to the roofline of most four-storey buildings.

But this 12 meter ladder can be carried and pitched by only two firefighters - and can support up to four people. They do sag a bit, but it seems they are meant to, and the Swedish firefighters are quite used to it. But to my untutored eyes, it did look a bit scary!

They lock together instantly, and can be moved around from window to window very easily, if needs be.

Perhaps it really is a case of reinventing an old London Fire Brigade wheel, but I was very impressed with this example of putting modern materials to work on behalf of the fire service.

I think perhaps these ladders may be something other countries should take a look at, including another look by London.

Added by Rob Johnson on 26 June 2013.

Would anyone have any pictures of the ladder Rob is talking about.

Added by Les Davis on 28 June 2013.

Les - if you Google Brandvesen, you may possibly see them on either Youtube or Swedish fire service websites. I saw them in Gothenburg, which is Goteborg in Swedish. Brandvesen Goteborg may have pictures of them, but I have not checked. Good luck!

Added by Rob Johnson on 28 June 2013.

The German DIN version of the Swedish locking ladder ("Steckleiter") is a bit shorter, at 2.7 meters, according to the national DIN standard.

It appears to be currently available only in light alloy or wood - but there is no DIN norm yet for a composite version. All urban pumpera are required to carry a set of four, and small-town trucks or light pumps normally carry one pair. Extension ladders are also carried. The DIN norm is for a two-section 9.7 meter and/or a 14.0 meter three-section.

One interesting use for the steckleiter is to lash three together to form a bridge for hoses, so that at least smaller vehicles can pass underneath.

I checked with some German firefighters, who tell me these ladders are very popular, because they are strong, light and easy to deploy. Up to four can be cannected for a nominal length of 10.8 meters. They tend to use extension ladders rather infrequently, unless a building is an unusual height and not accessible to a TL - and of course many urban fire stations have a TL, even in samller twons with all-volunteer fire services.

Added by Rob Johnson on 28 June 2013.

Talking of safety, where I worked we were required to wear B/A on trash fires. It doesn't matter if the wind is at your back or what you had better be using B/A, same for vehicle fires. But my drivers knew we would use the master stream nozzle mounted on the engine if we could and would park the engine accordingly. No point in getting around a bin full of trash if you can help it. You don't know what is in there.

Added by Richard Sees on 01 November 2014.

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