Special function firefighting vehicles, whether manually or electromechanically operated, manned or unmanned vehicles and aircrafts that are common today abounds. Some of these special function firefighting vehicles are discussed here.
HAND OPERATED TROLLEY (TWO-WHEELED) OR TRICYCLE-BASED FIREFIGHTING EQUIPMENT: Many gas-based, and liquid-based fire suppression equipment like water fire extinguishers, foam fire extinguishers, chemical powder fire extinguishers, and carbon dioxide fire extinguishers are mounted on manually operated trolleys (two wheeled) for relatively shorter distances, and in most cases discharged with nozzles via hoses. Some forms of mobile foam equipment consist of compressed air pressure cylinders with foam discharge nozzle and hose; often mounted on tricycles.
VEHICLE DRAGGED TWO / FOUR WHEELED FIREFIGHTING EQUIPMENT OR TOTE: Lager capacities of fire extinguishants are mounted on electro-mechanically operated skids to traveling over some distance with hoses on hose reels, inductors and branch pipes for discharge of foam fire extinguishers. Other mobile fire extinguishers come in the form of mobile foam units that are often dragged along a vehicle with the aid of an anchor or hook. These include foam trailer, and foam tote, which may come as single tote units, dual tote units, or triple tote units. Totes are drum or tank mounted.
TRAILER BASED FOUR-WHEELED FIREFIGHTING EQUIPMENT: These come with four tires for carrying higher volumes of fire extinguishing fluids, and anchored to a heavy-duty vehicle for faster movement to a relatively long distance for operation. These are fabricated with fire pumps, multiple hose couplings or connectors, and long-range fire sprays or water cannons for utilizing water, and or foam from storage tanks dragged by the vehicle. Some trailers are fire monitor mounted tires, while some have two tires and additional props for support and stability.
LAND-BASED FIREFIGHTING VEHICLES: These include Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Vehicles that are mounted on truck chassis with 4 by 4, 6 by 6, or 8 by 8 drives required for fast intervention in accordance with NFPA 1900 – Standard for Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Vehicles, Automotive Fire Apparatus, Wildland Fire Apparatus, and Automotive Ambulances has foam and water tank, fire monitors of long coverage range, and fire pumps of up to 10,000 liters per minute and operating pressure of 10 bars. This serves as good options in airport runways.
AIR-BASED FIREFIGHTING VEHICLES: Firefighting aircrafts are useful for working higher altitude or floors such as in cases of difficulty in accessing fire locations by firefighters due to high exposure fire and for proper coverage as in fire outbreaks in tall structures, high-rise buildings, large areas, and wildfires. This category of firefighting vehicles is either unmanned firefighting vehicles, or manned firefighting vehicles. The guiding codes are basically; NFPA 2400 – Standard for Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) Used for Public Safety Operations, and NFPA 1900 – Standard for Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Vehicles, Automotive Fire Apparatus, Wildland Fire Apparatus, and Automotive Ambulances. UNMANNED FIREFIGHTING AIRCRAFTS are basically the drone technologies that are equipped with fire detection sensors and fire extinguishing equipment for automatic fire detection, whether ultraviolet, infrared, or carbon monoxide flame, and or smoke sensors, and to suppress fire. Other firefighting drones are remotely controlled for discharge of fire extinguishing fluids at specific targets. Manned Firefighting Aircrafts are operated by pilots who transport firefighters onboard to a firefighting location. MANNED FIREFIGHTING AIRCRAFTS are heavy lift helicopters (chinooks), hawks, and jets that are equipped with firefighting equipment, and fire extinguishants and good for large area operation.
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