The fire engine is the basic component of an emergency fire response. It is referred to as a "triple-combination pumper" because it has a fire pump, water tank and fire hose. The urban/structural engine is designed for stationary pumping at a water source, normally, a fire hydrant (see brush engine).
The pump is capable of delivering 1,500 GPM (gallons per minute) of water through the hoselines. The engines have a built-in 500-gallon water tank and fire hose of varying sizes and configurations ready to deploy for immediate use.
A built-in foam system can treat the water for specific firefighting applications such as a fire involving flammable liquids. A built-in monitor, or water cannon, is designed to direct very large quantities of water onto a fire and is capable of delivering 1,000 GPM of water to help suppress large fires.
Engines also carry basic ground ladders (10-, 14-, 24- or 35-foot), EMS (emergency medical service) equipment and various tools and equipment to perform firefighting tasks and provide safety for the firefighters.
All firefighters are seated inside the air-conditioned cab and have hearing protection. For safety reasons, firefighters no longer ride in outside "jump-seats" or on the tailboard.
The newer vehicles in the fleet are designated as first-run engines and always staffed at the fire station (see reserve engine).
At large incidents, engines may operate together as a "strike team." A strike team is made up of five engines with the same capabilities (structure protection, wildland, etc.) and a leader in a command vehicle. The strike team responds and works together as a cohesive unit within the Incident Command System (ICS). When a strike team of engines, either structural or brush, are sent out of the county, one of the engines will be a Medic unit for the safety of the Firefighters on the assignment.
At times, a strike team can be made up of units from different agencies.
Staffing: Normal staffing on an engine is three people: a Fire Captain in charge of the crew, a Fire Engineer who drives the apparatus and operates the pump and a Firefighter. Staffing may be increased when emergency or potential emergency conditions warrant.
Radio designation:
Engine + station number.
i.e.: Engine 55.
For variations on the basic engine, see the links below.