Skip to main content

Wildland Firefighting Part 3

Wildland firefighting can be a very dangerous job and having the proper knowledge of safety is extremely important. To become a wildland firefighter, you will need to know the 10 Standard Firefighting Orders and the 18 Watch Out Situations. Knowing these orders and situations and wearing the proper PPE will keep you and your crew alive.


The proper PPE or Personal Protective Equipment for a wildland firefighter includes gloves, a helmet, goggles, a face and neck shroud (optional), Nomex jacket/ pants, a cotton undershirt to hold your sweat and keep you cool, wildland firefighter boots, a fire shelter, and a few more things that you would probably want to take on a hike.


Wildland firefighters use a variety of apparatuses to do their job. Type 1 fire engines are mostly used in structure firefighting but are also very helpful in wildland firefighting because they are equipped with large water tanks, and pumps, and can hold plenty of hose lines. However, because of their weight and size, they cannot always go through rough terrain. 



This is where type 3, 4 engines and 5, 6, and 7 engines come in, also known as the brush trucks.


The type 3 and the type 4 engines are very similar. They are 4-wheel drive and are designed to be able to maneuver through rough terrain. Type 3’s hold a minimum of 500 gallons of water, while type 4’s usually hold 750 gallons of water, which means they have a lower capacity for hoses. These trucks are special because they can move while pumping water, which makes fighting fire extremely efficient.



The type 5, 6, and 7 engines are basically heavy-duty pickup trucks with a lot of extra stuff. Type 5 is the heaviest and holds the most water (400 gallons), while type 7 is the lightest and holds the least amount of water (at least 50 gallons). Type 6 falls right in the middle, holding 150 gallons of water. 


Water tenders are extremely useful in wildland firefighting because they make it so the other engines don’t have to travel as far every time they have to fill up on water. 

Placer Hills Fire
 

Pierce Fire Trucks



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Wildland Firefighting Part 1

Firefighting is a unique profession with a wide range of responsibilities. You could be a volunteer, someone who performs daring rescues from helicopters, changes smoke detector batteries in homes, or clears brush with a McLeod to create firelines in remote areas. Firefighters of all types take on numerous exciting (or not-so-exciting) tasks regularly. While firefighting has a long history, wildland firefighting has become increasingly crucial in recent years (late 19th century to present) due to the threat wildfires pose to our homes, forests, and environment. In California alone, there were over 7,000 wildland fires this year. Wildland firefighting is essential for protecting people, wildlife, and our way of life from devastating forest fires. Becoming a wildland firefighter requires extensive training and physical endurance. These firefighters often trek to areas inaccessible by vehicles, carrying packs that weigh 50 lbs. or more, and create firelines. A fireline is a break in veget...
Post a Comment
Read more