Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Huw Jones on August 26, 2007 at 10:24pm

I know that the term the equipment is "rolling" comes from the time when some aparatus floors were built on a slight slope, the wheels of the pump were chocked and as the horses were hooked up the chocks were pulled out and the pump started rolling forward, I am not sure that this was on both sides of the pond but I know that the London Fire Brigade did this. They also had gas pilot jets burning from the floor so when the fire box of the steamer passed over the flame the fire would be lit.

Permalink Reply by Keith Mann on August 28, 2007 at 1:36am

The way "I" understand run and truck is this. In the days of hand pumps, firehouses were located in a fashion that limited the distance a Firefighter could "run" and still be useful to pump. I believe that distance was 1/2 mile maximum. For horses, that distance was 1 1/2 miles.
As far as Trucks go, a truck is a "wheeled assembly that supports" the "ladder trailer" such as the 2 wheeled "trucks" that replaced the horses.
If I am wrong, let me know.

Permalink Reply by SMOKEnPipesJim on August 31, 2007 at 5:54pm

Well, Keith I wasnt around back them tobe able to "tell" you..lol, But I sumise Liek you did That The Truck is a wheeled device , that replaced the 2nd generation "tool Or appliance" The first being a ladder beside someone's barn becoming a "community" location in which ladders and Hooks were "kept along with the" buckets that were purchased to supliment the private owners "house buckets... The tools were kept inthe "location which varied place to place, meeting hall, the Blacksmiths shop, or...? The 2nd big inovation was a Rack to stack whatever ladders and hooks thatwas "carried" to the fire , eventually putting wheels on the "rack" Making it into a "hand truck, Then a carrage, like truck and horse pulled Truck and eventually a larger truck with atiller axel for those narrow streets in Ye olde neck of the woods , anyone who's been to Old Quebec city, Parts of Boston'' North end , Knows colonial streets were barely 2 horses wide. when Hayes Developed his spring action stick, The city service truck didnt actually die,,, But eventually popped back up in world wars era the as a cheeper alternative in those newer less populated 1-3 story growth , As far as using the term, "Runs" absolutely your right it stems from the days when RUNs were made when the bells tolled for an alarm of fire, The fellows ran to the firehouse, from a home or business, And whomeever got there began getting it ready and as they Ran towards the smoke Other members would run up and grab hold of the rope, Ever notice that the tongue handle has grips and such, but the rope is reel /spool the tow rope can be lengthened or shortened depending how many "hands You had" Hand "tubs were also "washer tub looking hand carried devices" that eventually grew Into the wheeled alternating piston pumps, Manning the "Brakes" was in itself a full cardio workout I think thatsoften hand tubs had Lots of space and were pumped by whomever was available adding and resting crew as you went along, Rather then the Hand tuub muster Breakneck speed that they tend to pump em" at the competitions...

And Of course A "Run Counted" as an exercise session for the horses Once they were put in service in career departments In many earkly house That I have seen Of the period around these parts , NO there is of course a Pitch on the floor, mainly to allow water to drain, as far as to get some momentum up for the "rig" I havent actually seen enougto make a differance.... I worked in a house built in 1903 single bay 2 story suberban house with Cobblestone like apparatus floor The Hay loft eventually became part of the locker room and the Hay chute on thefloorlevel was officers gear storage..the stalls were gone but the stantions were obvious..all in all, I think you hit the nail right on...:)

Permalink Reply by Russ on October 1, 2007 at 11:16pm

the way i understtand it as a buff of over 20 years ladder is a "ladder" midship mount, tiller or rear mount, a cherry picker- a term i have hated all my life refers to a snorkel which has morphed into a tower ladder reguardless if the bucket is over the cab or not....BUT!!!! as i have checked with some guys when the bucket is over the rear its a tower ladder and a if the bucket is over the cab its a tower...sigh i guess its just where you were raised as a firefighter... on the same note a tiller is usually called a hook and ladder. that refers to colonial times where during a fire a ladder would be placed to the roof and a hook was taken to the peak and with a rope was hitched to horses who would pull the roof off a structure....to me the "vehicle" is allways the STICK or the TRUCK or the ROD...but every so often i still call it......the long truck (wink)

Permalink Reply by Keith Mann on October 4, 2007 at 12:59am

I am fortunate to be an Aerial Apparatus Operations instructor and hope that I I can use some of my skoolbuk learning here.
NFPA 1904 divides aerials as Aerial Ladders or Elevating Platforms. IFSTA divides aerial apparatus into aerial Ladders, Aerial Ladder Platforms, Telescoping Aerial Platforms and Articulating Aerial Platforms.
The way "I" describe it is that a ladder does not have a platform attached, Towers only have an emergency egress ladder (older Aerialscopes) or minimal ladderway (newer Aerialscopes) and a Tower Ladder has a walkway to the platform. While a "Bronto" would be a Hybrid consisting of an articulating (Snorkle) boom combined with a telescoping boom. Same with a Schwing.
We all have different names for the apparatus but a well trained crew can use any of them to their advantage.
Be well Brothers.

Permalink Reply by Tony Leonard,Jr. on November 24, 2007 at 8:19am

Well I think All these names come from the combining all of the elevating stuff over the years,mostly the,ladder,snorkel,quint,and the long lost Water Tower,now known as "Snozzel" and I'm sorry Aerial Device,is to Politically Correct of a term for everything to fall under.How about this...
Trucks with or without Buckets that carry pumps and water tanks be called,"Water Towers"
Trucks with water pipes but no pump or tanks be called "Ladder Pipes"
And Trucks with No waterway(which is odd nowadays) "Ladder Sticks"
However i guess its still ok to call them all Ladder Trucks,just with clearer and less definitions.