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Each person has a different backpack, depending on their duties. This is firefighter Sato's locker.
They fitted my wife with the oxygen bottle and tools that Firefighter Sato carries. She couldn't stand up straight.
Engineer Dorian said his suit, helmet and full pack can weigh 95 lbs.
It's a long way up. And crowded when you get there. It reminded me of the H1 Hummer - all engine tunnel.
Spotted: Merry Christmas Red and Chrome
On this windy, rainy, chilly Christmas eve, Mrs. Cazalea and I headed out with the camera on a specific mission: Fire Station 27.
They tipped the cab so we could see the engine.
The front is suspended by torsion bars - one bar is visible just below the frame on the right.
We thought it might be fun to have bright red and chrome as our theme for this post at the end of the year. Regular readers will remember that I found multiple fire engines over the last few months, and I was sorry not to have more details on each one. So I made an appointment to rectify the situation!
This San Diego fire station serves 6 square miles of residential and light commercial buildings in a community built in the 40's-70's. It is criss-crossed with canyons and several freeways. As of today, they have responded to 2745 events in 2016, including 275 fires, hundreds of heart attacks, scores of children locked in running cars, and one cat stuck in a tree.
Engineer Dorian drives and operates the engine. The fire captain operates the radio and studies the computer which has plans of large commercial buildings, hospitals and factories in their zone. The firefighters lay down water, enter the buildings, open locked doors in cars, and serve as emergency medical technicians. Each team includes a paramedic who can give advanced medical treatment.
Engineer Dorian drives and operates the engine. The fire captain operates the radio and studies the computer which has plans of large commercial buildings, hospitals and factories in their zone. The firefighters lay down water, enter the buildings, open locked doors in cars, and serve as emergency medical technicians. Each team includes a paramedic who can give advanced medical treatment.
Engineer Dorian and Firefighter Sato agreed to give our PuristS community a guided tour of the fire equipment that they operate - one Pumper engine and one utility truck.
They tipped the cab so we could see the engine.
Here's the twin-turbocharged 6-cylinder Detroit Diesel. That black shaft at lower left is the steering column.
The front is suspended by torsion bars - one bar is visible just below the frame on the right.
The Pierce fire engine carries 500 gallons of water. They would normally pump this at 200 gallons per minute, so they can pull up to a site, connect an "attack" hose, and start putting water onto a fire. Supply hose on the left connects to a fire hydrant. Attack hose on the right goes to a nozzle. Ladders swing down on the right side of the engine.
After they put to the scene, the engineer has about two minutes to connect his "supply" hoses to a hydrant before calling on the main pumps which can deliver 1200 gallons per minute. The pumps are driven from their main engine, via a Power Take-Off driveshaft. He runs all this!
The engine carries several ladders, lots of hoses and fittings, chain saws, a "Jaws of Life" hydraulic cutter/spreader, medical equipment, oxygen, etc. etc. Total weight is about 42,000 lbs (20,000 kilos). This is the engineer's toolbox.
Each person has a different backpack, depending on their duties. This is firefighter Sato's locker.
They fitted my wife with the oxygen bottle and tools that Firefighter Sato carries. She couldn't stand up straight.
Engineer Dorian said his suit, helmet and full pack can weigh 95 lbs.
Here's the "Jaws of Life" cutter / spreader.
Chain saws can cut through almost anything.
Chain saws can cut through almost anything.
After admiring the 130 decibel siren(s), we are invited inside.
It's a long way up. And crowded when you get there. It reminded me of the H1 Hummer - all engine tunnel.
Lots of gauges to watch!
Plenty of radios to talk with dispatcher, other trucks, unruly civilians, etc.
The captain sits over here and develops the strategy for fighting the fire and coordinating with other teams.
Two or three people can squeeze into the back. A normal team in San Diego has four members.
This morning they had just returned from a call, and took the time to wash the outside of their engine for us. No time to detail the interior, sorry. Next stop after our visit - the grocery store to buy Christmas Eve dinner ingredients.
Plenty of radios to talk with dispatcher, other trucks, unruly civilians, etc.
The captain sits over here and develops the strategy for fighting the fire and coordinating with other teams.
Two or three people can squeeze into the back. A normal team in San Diego has four members.
This morning they had just returned from a call, and took the time to wash the outside of their engine for us. No time to detail the interior, sorry. Next stop after our visit - the grocery store to buy Christmas Eve dinner ingredients.
Thanks very much to engine 27 and the guys and gals who are on duty today while the rest of us are opening presents and going to church.
Cazalea
Cazalea
PS - Michelin tires!
I take the last one was for me ;)
Very cool! Recently been to a firefighting museum here with our little one and she was over the moon to have gotten a junior firefighter helmet 
Also always found it fascinating, how traditional the US fire trucks look compared to their European counterparts - not that the technology is behind the times, just the looks tend to be more old school...
Thanks for another really cool post!
Also always found it fascinating, how traditional the US fire trucks look compared to their European counterparts - not that the technology is behind the times, just the looks tend to be more old school...
Thanks for another really cool post!
Cool. Thank you for this report and the pictures.
I have been a volunteer firefighter in Germany for over 30 years.
Cheers
Dean
Cheers
Dean
Would really be interesting to read a detailed comparison of the organisational and technical schemes ...
... over here, I see lots of what looks like highly specialized vehicles and crews, while in the U.S., the fire engines I saw appear to be all alike. But maybe my impression is wrong.
Marcus
Marcus
Thanks Caz !
pretty impressive stuff.
I remeber being on the scene of a traffic accident once. As the fire truck arrived i asked them if i could help out, they gave me very clear instructions for some easy stuff and thanked me afterwards, i felt like a real hero then .... Think i just turned 18
Bim
Great post....
with great images. Thanks for taking the time to do this! Cheers, Filip
Thanks a lot! Very cool post!
Had the chance to visit Engine 74 at Upper West Side some years ago and was welcomed with open arms too.
Thank you very much for taking the time to write it up in such detail for us! Lots of interesting details. As cool runnings wrote he has been in the voluntary fire brigade in Germany for 30 years (wow!) and it seems that I am the Purist who has taken the baton from him for six years now.
It is always very interesting to see how thongs are done in different countries. As with all things there is a not inly one truth in firefighting either.
A really worthwhile occupation that your wife and you picked for Christmas eve.
And to all those who are on duty during Christmas let's say as (at least) the New York firemen do: "Stay safe!".
Thanks a lot again and have a Merry Christmas!
Martin
Thank you very much for taking the time to write it up in such detail for us! Lots of interesting details. As cool runnings wrote he has been in the voluntary fire brigade in Germany for 30 years (wow!) and it seems that I am the Purist who has taken the baton from him for six years now.
It is always very interesting to see how thongs are done in different countries. As with all things there is a not inly one truth in firefighting either.
A really worthwhile occupation that your wife and you picked for Christmas eve.
And to all those who are on duty during Christmas let's say as (at least) the New York firemen do: "Stay safe!".
Thanks a lot again and have a Merry Christmas!
Martin
Wow thanks for this detailed tour of a fire engine truck!
Put on some larger wheels and you got a slamming ride!
AT
AT
