Special fire-fighting equipment

Types and purposes

Classification of special fire-fighting equipment is carried out taking into account the needs when the truck can be used. There are generally accepted abbreviations in professional terminology which can help formulate faster the need for a concrete type of a company vehicle. The main classes look as follows:

• ERV is an emergency rescue vehicle. It is characterized by a small tank volume and small dimensions, it is quickly equipped and goes to the accident scene, where the rescuers are required no less than firefighters;
• FRV-MM is a fire–rescue vehicle with a medical module, it has a unique and rare design that combines the functions of the above-described ERV and ambulance;
• FAV – first aid vehicle, like the ERV, has a small supply of water and foaming agent and is modest in size, designed to be the first to arrive at the accident scene and provide first aid to victims before the arrival of medical workers;
• SV is a staff vehicle, which is relevant for large–scale fires, where a number of crews are involved in order to extinguish fire. This vehicle performs coordination functions and provides firefighters with communication channels;
• IRV is an immediate response vehicle, has a tank capacity below average, it is created specifically for immediate visits to the scene of a serious accident;
• FRV is a fire–rescue vehicle of the middle class, it has a significant volume of tank which fights large fires, it is equipped with an impressive set of fire-technical equipment;
• FEV – foam extinguishing vehicles. They drive to the fires where the most combustible substances burn, they are equipped with breathing apparatus to protect the crew from acrid or toxic smoke;
• HV – hose vehicles engaged in the mechanical laying of magistral hose lines from large water sources (including natural ones) to the epicenter of the fire;
• FTL – fire tanker truck with ladder, they are sometimes allocated to a separate class, meaning only those models which have the particularly long telescopic device;
• TCFE – trailer complex for fire extinguishing, tanker trucks in the form of trailers with a pump installed on them and the ability to supply water regardless of the vehicle. They are relevant if the additional supply of moisture is needed or only ordinary trucks are available, they can consume water from third-party reservoirs.

Main manufactures

Chassis of proven manufacturers are used for the production of special fire equipment. These manufacturers’ vehicles have proven their suitability for long years, or even decades of impeccable service. The suppliers are:

• Fuso Canter is a trademark of the Japanese manufacturer Mitsubishi. Its chassis are manufactured in the city of Kawasaki. It’s the only imported company on the list, its products are the basis for compact rescue equipment;
• GAZ – Gorky Automobile Plant, located in Nizhny Novgorod. It provides compact Gazelles for staff needs and first aid connected with fire fighting;
• KamAZ is the Kama Automobile Plant from Naberezhnye Chelny (Tatarstan), it is the most popular manufacturer. Fire crews of various purposes are equipped on the basis of its machines, necessarily with a large supply of water and foaming agent;
• UAZ is the Ulyanovsk Automobile Plant from the similar regional center. Its products are transformed into first aid fire pickups and emergency rescue vehicles;
• Ural is the Ural Automobile Plant from Miass, Chelyabinsk region, known for its FTL. It is capable to save people even from a high multi-store building.