The Tools Of The Firefighting Trade

Firefighting is serious business. Firefighters have to run into collapsing buildings, brace intense heat, and avoid breathing in dangerous fumes. The dangers involved are immense. At the same time, extinguishing a fire is not just a matter of pouring large amounts of water. Indeed, firefighters have to understand the science of a fire in order to find the best way of stopping it. Effective firefighting is also an exercise of efficient coordination. Firefighters have to function as a team in order to perform well.

Combating fires is indeed very dangerous. Left unprotected, uninformed and uncoordinated, firefighters are sure to perish. Because of this, personnel are each provided with an array of useful accessories. Bringing all of these to the fire site is a task in itself. Therefore, fire trucks are designed to have various compartments and mounting points, making the necessary equipment available on-site.

To keep safe, firefighters have to wear special gear. At their disposal are various kinds of hard hats, protective coats, and gas masks. Some may dress up before leaving the station. Other times however, efficiency concerns may need firefighters gearing up in transit. Without the various compartments meant to hold all this protective gear, fire trucks may actually end up becoming liability to combating fires.

Firefighters also have a set of accessories useful in actually combating the fires. Hoses are usually what come to mind when thinking about the tools for firefighting. Fire trucks are equipped with sturdy hooks on which long and heavy hoses can be hung. To overcome obstacles like walls and collapsed ceilings, various axes, pikes, hooks and combinations of these ( sometimes called “Halligan bars”) can be used. Usually, these tools are mounted on the sides of the truck, making them easily accessible.

Good communication is essential for coordinating large teams of firefighters. For this, fire trucks are often outfitted with radio transmitters as well. Old models used to have a built-in intercom system. Though functioning, it proved to be too tedious. It usually required firefighters to handle portable handsets that had long wires connected to the base station. Not only did this limit the movement of the firefighter, it also proved to be a work hazard as well, with firefighters sometimes getting tangled in them. Nowadays, newer fire trucks are equipped with wireless communications systems. Firefighters are now seen wearing headphones with mouthpieces attached.
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