Fire Engines Photos

It translates literally as “extinguishing train” or “extinguishing parade”. The concept goes back to the days of horsedrawn wagons, which were single purpose because of their limited size and carrying capacity. A zug would then consist of an officer on horseback or in a small trap, then a CO2 powered first aid tender with a small water tank and hose reel, a steam pumper, a ladder truck, a hose wagon, often a turntable ladder and a usually an additional personnel carrier. Unlike the US, where these would typically respond from different small fire stations, the German model was for everything to be based at a single large fire station - and it still is the norm. Hence the idea of a train or procession of vehicles.

With motorization the number of units gradually fell as roles could be combined on increasing larger and heavier vehicles, until now it is usually along the lines illustrated here. A command unit, two rescue pumpers and a turntable ladder. Hannover is unusual in operating Econic pumpers, as these are usually bought more often for aerials and rescues.

The number of personnel manning the zug varies a bit from place to place but usually consists of around sixteen members, six on each pump, two on the ladder and two or three in the command van.

If attending a rescue, the zug replaces the ladder by a heavy rescue, and may often add a crane with a separate crane tender.

For a hazmat alarm the response includes one or more dedicated or specialized hazmat trucks, tenders, or containers on roll-on roll-off carriers.

As JP mentions, it is normal for an ambulance to attend too. This may be either a fire service ambulance or one operated by the DRK or another certified EMS organization.

In general, it is expected that the first responding zug will be able to handle the vast majority of incidents, but if needed further alarms will be raised along tha American model.

The zug concept is also applied to volunteer fire stations, but the size and composition of a voluntary zug is for obvious reasons much more variable, and in rural areas will often include brush trucks and water tenders or tankers.

Added by Rob Johnson on 17 January 2023.

Thanks Rob, great explanations!

Added by PETER JACQUES on 18 January 2023.

Very welcome. Different strokes for different folks, as the Datong goes! But in recent years a lot of ideas, products and operating processes have made it from one country to others. We now have firms like Rosenbauer building their vast range of products in their own and acquired international subsidiaries factories in twenty different countries

Added by Rob Johnson on 18 January 2023.

In some countries the emergence of the heavy 16 or 18 ton multipurpose rescue pump water tender ladder has changed fire station coverage patterns. Often, its powerful firefighting capabilities combined with advanced rescue equipment have meant that the individual single pump station has become more and more attractive.

Spreading resources over more numerous smaller fire stations tends to improve response times; in many cases the first due pump can actually deal with almost 90% of alarms, even if it has one or more others responding.

This tends to have been the typical pattern in many US cities for decades, and now it is becoming more common in other countries including the UK.

Added by Rob Johnson on 19 January 2023.

I recently saw a film of a Dresden loeschzug from the mid 1920s. By then the units were all petrol powered, and both the pumpers had water tanks, hose carts and several ground ladders - eliminating any need for a separate first aid tender, hose wagon or ladder truck. The officer's car carried four crew, and both the pumpers and the turntable ladder had eight men on board - for a total first response of twenty eight firefighters! Dresden was always a rather innovative fire brigade, and standardized on diesel powered trucks with its next generation of acquisitions - starting with eight pumpers in 1934.

Added by Rob Johnson on 09 February 2023.

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