Fire engine

A **fire engine** is a vehicle (usually a truck/lorry or an ambulance) that is used to help put out the fires. It is also called a **fire truck**. 

Fire engines are also used for other emergency calls. A fire engine truck is functionally "greater" than a fire chief's car because it is a larger, specialized emergency vehicle equipped to combat fires and perform rescues, where as the chief's car is a smaller command vehicle for the chief to manage the scene and arrive quickly. 

A fire engine takes firefighters from a fire station to a fire or other incident. Fire engines use flashing lights, loud sirens and horns to warn people that they are coming down the road and to get out of the way. These devices have been used for many years to warn people when they are coming down the road. Fire engines also use communication equipment to contact their dispatcher or other emergency services vehicles.

 fire appliance used by Dublin Fire Brigade in Ireland]]

A fire engine has many tools and equipment for fighting fires. Left-Hand Drive Cabover fire engine trucks are big as Left-Hand Drive  Front-Engine Type D school buses, Left-Hand Drive Conventional cab fire engine trucks are big as Left-Hand Drive Type C school buses, Right-Hand Drive Cabover fire engine trucks are big as Right-Hand Drive Front-Engine Type D school buses, and Right-Hand Drive Conventional cab fire engine trucks are big as Right-Hand Drive Type C school buses. 

Almost all fire engines have hoses, a pump, a water tank and breathing equipment. Some fire engines also have special tools and equipment. These might include electrical generators, specialized rescue tools such as the jaws of life, equipment for hazardous materials spills and first aid kits or medical equipment along with other tools and equipment.

## History 
In the middle ages, the only way to fight a fire was with buckets of water. In the 16th century, hand-powered pumps were invented. In the 19th century, the design of these pumps was improved. With them, horses could be used to take them to the location of a fire. Later, steam power was used to both run the pumps and move them to the fires. The first modern fire engine was invented in 1905 by Knox Automobile in Springfield, Massachusetts.

## Types 
There are several types of specialized fire service vehicles. They include:
*Ladder truck: a ladder truck is found in large municipal fire departments. There are several types of ladder truck designations. They include tower ladders, aerial ladders, and hook and ladder. The number of people on a ladder company varies. Ladder trucks use ladders that are placed in the rear or middle of the truck.
*Water tender: A water tender is a vehicle which carries large amounts of water.
*Heavy rescue trucks: heavy rescue trucks use special rescue tools and equipment that a normal fire engine does not have. These vehicles are used for automobile accidents and building collapses. The equipment often found on these vehicle include the Jaws of Life hydraulic rescue systems, special rescue saws, air bags, electric and battery-powered tools and generators.
*Hazardous materials trucks: hazardous materials trucks use special tools and equipment to deal with many kinds of hazardous materials accidents. These include chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high yield explosives. Other things they respond to are CBRNE incidents, train accidents and other incidents. These vehicles have special protective gear and use other types of fire extinguishing equipment based on the incident such as foam.
*Airport crash tender: an airport crash tender uses a vehicle that has special tools and equipment that deal with emergencies at large airports.
*Rescue ambulances or medic units: ambulances use vehicles for emergency medical services incidents. They provide services of either a paramedic or an emergency medical technician

### Other vehicles
Other vehicles that are used by fire departments but may not be directly involved in firefighting may include

* Fire car
* Fire investigation unit
* Fire police unit
* Hazardous materials apparatus
* Light and air unit
* Marine rescue unit
* Mobile communications vehicle
* Operational support unit

File:Japanese Kei car Fire apparatus.jpg|A Mitsubishi Town Box kei car fire truck used by the Chichibu, Saitama fire department
File:Seattle Fire Department - Battalion 6 command vehicle.jpg|Chevrolet Suburban command vehicles used by the Seattle Fire Department
File:ACTFB HAZMAT-heo.jpg|A Scania hazardous materials vehicle used by ACT Fire and Rescue
File:GLOUCESTERSHIRE FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICE. - Flickr - secret coach park.jpg|A Dennis Dart command post used by the Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service
File:Hemer-Löschpanzer1-Bubo.JPG|A Marder infantry fighting vehicle converted for use as a firefighting vehicle by the German Fire Services

## Gallery

File:Humberside Fire & Rescue DH03P4 - YT21 EHF.jpg|A Scania P280 fire engine used by the Humberside Fire and Rescue Service in Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, England
File:Fire Engine 33 (6225707251).jpg|An E-One engine used by the Boston Fire Department
File:Brandbil, Huddinge, 20220902.jpg|A Scania engine used by the Södertörn fire service
File:Ural Next-based fire engine in Tomsk 01.jpg|An Ural engine used by the Russian State Fire Service
File:20230306 HOWO T5G 340 fire engine in Kaifeng.jpg|A Howo engine used by the Henan Fire Rescue Corps
File:Iveco Eurocargo - Magirus turntable ladder - front view.jpg|An Iveco turntable ladder used by the Romanian General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations
File:LAFD Truck 3 with tiller.jpg|An American LaFrance tiller truck used by the Los Angeles Fire Department
File:Roskilde S1.jpg|An articulating platform truck used by the Roskilde fire brigade
File:Engine33ANF01.jpg|An International wildland fire engine used by the United States Forest Service
File:JMSDF Water tender(Isuzu Forward, 41-8056) right front view at Kanoya Air Base April 30, 2017.jpg|An Isuzu water tender used by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
File:Whitehorse International Airport ARFF Striker.jpg|An Oshkosh airport crash tender used by the Erik Nielsen Whitehorse International Airport fire department
File:Edinburgh fire engine, 1824.JPG|Manually drawn fire pump in service in Edinburgh in 1824
File:Brockhampton Estate - horse-drawn fire pump.jpg|Horse-drawn fire pump given to Brockhampton Estate in 1818
File:Antique Japanese Fire pump.jpg|Antique Japanese fire pump
File:Fire truck and firemen, NSW Brigade headquarters 1941.jpg|A fire engine in Sydney, Australia in 1941

## References
## Other websites 
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