Fire Trucks Upcoming Auctions

About Fire Trucks

A lot of kids grow up dreaming of becoming firefighters, and while some of that has to do with the potential fun of sliding down a firehouse pole (and living with a Dalmatian), it’s also because fire trucks themselves are so iconic. These medium- and heavy-duty trucks are known for their typical red-and-white color schemes, the long ladders attached to the top, and the hose lines attached to the sides. But not all fire trucks fit that mold, especially as technology has changed over the years.

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Freightliner Business Class M2 106 Fire Truck

Dedicated & Dual-Purpose Trucks

There are various types of fire and rescue trucks, and they often overlap each other by incorporating more than one function. The list includes pumper trucks (fire engines), water tender trucks (tankers), rescue trucks, and both self-propelled and tractor-drawn aerials (tillers). Aerials include hook-and-ladder trucks as well as trucks with telescopic or articulating boom arms and buckets. These allow firefighters to reach buildings’ upper stories to help people escape or to hose down a fire. Ladder trucks and boom trucks typically deploy outriggers for stability and safety during operation.

You’ll find quite a few new and used fire and rescue trucks for sale on TruckPaper.com. Some of them are purpose-built, custom trucks, while others are cab-and-chassis vehicles that have been upfitted with firefighting equipment. Commercial truck chassis may be outfitted with a simple water tank or full firefighting apparatus made by Ferrara, Pierce, Rosenbauer, and others. Some fire trucks have specialized features for use at airports, on forest logging roads, and in other applications.

Key components of various fire and rescue trucks include high- or medium-volume pumps, which can be mounted at the rear, side, or top of the truck; storage boxes for firefighting tools and equipment; stainless-steel or polypropylene water tanks; fire suppression foam tanks; drop-tank storage; gate valves; dump valves including electric versions; and, of course, a siren and flashing lights to let other drivers know an emergency vehicle is nearby. Fire trucks may also have bright LED work lights to illuminate a fire scene after dark, as well as auxiliary generator sets to power lights and other equipment without the need to run the truck’s engine.

Recent Developments

Because firefighters are exposed not only to the dangers of fires and collapsing buildings, but also to smoke that contains carcinogens and other harmful substances, fire trucks have begun to come with features to mitigate the danger. These include external storage where firefighters can bag their contaminated personal protective equipment (PPE) before they drive back to the fire station. Inside the cab, air filtration systems such as Rosenbauer’s CleanAir Re-circulation Air Scrubber work to protect the atmosphere the firefighters breathe on the ride home. CleanAir filters soot, volatile organic compounds, and other particulates out of the air inside the cab to safeguard the driver and crew.

Find The Right Fire Truck

Popular manufacturers of new and used fire and rescue trucks for sale on TruckPaper.com include E-One, Ford, Freightliner, International, Pierce, Spartan, and others.