What is a fire tiller?
What is a fire tiller?
A fire department’s tiller truck is also known as a hook-and-ladder truck in the U.S. A tiller truck is also known as a hook-and-ladder truck in the US. The tiller truck uses a driver perched high on the rear of the trailer to operate special steering gear that allows the trailer to navigate tight streets.
How does a fire truck tiller work?
Tillers are trucks in which a firefighter at the back is able to steer the rear wheels, enabling the vehicle to make a sharper turn than it would otherwise be able to navigate.
How long is a fire tiller?
A standard fire truck is typically around 10 feet wide and runs around 40 feet long (though a tiller truck can be closer to 60 feet long). That’s a substantial footprint and in order for firefighters to work with it – you really need an additional 8 feet of space between the truck and where they are working.
What is a tiller ladder?
In the United States, a tiller truck, also known as a tractor-drawn aerial, tiller ladder, or hook-and-ladder truck, is a specialized turntable ladder mounted on a semi-trailer truck. Unlike a commercial semi, the trailer and tractor are permanently combined and special tools are required to separate them.
Why do fire trucks have 2 steering wheels?
The driver in the back of the apparatus steers the back wheels, and that’s it. It is designed like this so that the front and rear may be steered separately, allowing for turns to be made in smaller spaces, like on small city streets.
What is a tower ladder?
Not all elevated platforms are the same. In fact, many firefighters confuse the terms “tower ladder” and “ladder tower.” To be clear, a ladder tower (photo 1) is an aerial device with side rails designed for safe climbing and which is attached to a platform or bucket. The ladder is there only for emergency escape.
How long is a tiller ladder?
Another important point that eventually tipped the scales in favor of the tiller: Compared to a classic aerial ladder with the same ladder length of 100 ft (30.5 m), the tiller height is lower and fits into the existing fire station.
What do the 3 bullets mean?
honor, and country
The three bullets represent the three volleys fired and the three words duty, honor, and country.
Why do they call fire trucks engines?
Generically, a “truck” could be almost any vehicle used by the fire department, but the term has become specialized over the years. Originally, “engine” referred exclusively to “pump”, the important tool for getting water to a fire. Today, “fire engines” are those vehicles of the fire department that pump water.
