1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184 
FIRE-FIGHTING
Page 106
Page 107
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
in all its aspects
pRACTICALLY every town and city in the country makes use to-day of efficient fire-fighting appliances, almost universally selfpropelled. Obviously the risk is greatest in centres in which the largest numbers of people are gathered, but there are many districts which, for various reasons, are but weakly defended against one of the oldest and most terrible forms of calamity which can affect human beings and their property.
To-day there are many types of fire pump and escape ladder which are eminently suitable for use in country districts; generally speaking the reason for lack of protection is financial.
It cannot be pleaded that lack of suitable appliances is at the root of failure adequately to protect any specified area. The types of four-wheeled machine available for regular brigades are many and are capable of really high-speed work over made roads and, by reason of their pneumatic tyres, can traverse indifferent surfaces. The advent of the rigid sixwheeled chassis, with four-wheel or sixwheel drive, has enormously increased the effective range of motor fire pumps and ladders. .
From the point of view of speed modern fire-engine chassis, which commonly resemble high-Powered coach chassis, can offer all that can be used with safety, even under the special firebrigade conditions, which are in various ways of a privileged nature.
D36 in our issue dated December 16th, 1930. In addition to complete standard machines most of the makers of firefighting equipment can mount pumps and other apparatus upon commercialvehicle chassis of suitable design.
`Trailer pumps also are in great demand in rural areas ; these can be man-handled or hauled over longer distances by many kinds of vehicle. This often means that the cost of the trailer outfit is the sole capital charge, the towing unit being hired or borrowed.
It has been found practicable to run such trailers up t6 45 m.p.h., and their output ranges up to 400 gallons per minute; therefore it will be appre
elated that they are capable of really serious work. Yet another handy machine is the portable pump which can be transported in a lorry or van; also it can be carried by firemen or wheeled on a detachable undercarriage.
Turning now to future developments, there is no doubt that the rigid sixwheeler will play a large part in combating fires; its mobility over fields, lanes and even through ponds means much to firemen in rural districts. Multi-wheeled trailers are certain to find employment in cases in which even 25 cwt. may be liable to sink in very soft ground. It must not be overlooked that such mobile pumps can, where it is allowable to do so, be hired out for pumping water out of wells, buildings or low-lying fields.
To haul trailer mipliances it is probable that greater use will be made
in the country of the. pneumatic-tyred, highspeed tractor ; we refer here to the type which can, by a rapidly effected adjustment to each wheel, be made into a real crosscountry type. The power take-off and winch of such a machine could be employed to good purpose, in the latter case for hauling trailer pumps or escapes over obstacles.
Yet a more important use would be the traction of large-capacity watertank trailers. Owing to the shortage of water many a house is burned out which might otherwise be saved. If two or three tank trailers were used by a brigade, a tractor could keep them in steady circulation during fire-pump work.
These trailers might be of the multiwheeled or track-mounted variety, thus ensuring ability to carry heavy weights over inferior surfaces ; it would be necessary to have a small engine and suction pump on each tank so that the trailer could be self-contained. While the tractor was travelling with one full tank, the empty one would be undergoing replenishment at the nearest water-supply source.
To counteract the water-shortage problem greater use will have to be made of chemical extinguishers carried by motor vehicles. Large-capacity chemical plants are now available ; their mounting upon fast six-wheeled chassis is but a matter of time. The smaller patterns are invaluable for firstaid duties.