Fire Houses... number of engines... firefighters?

Model Railroader Prototype information for the modeler
1

I have two Busch … I think you call them “pumpers”… the posh ones with flashing lights (great fun [:)]).
I’ve been wondering whether fire houses always have a pumper and a ladder (one of those big, long bendy things) or… what? What is the “usual” sort of provision?
Then again you often seem to combine fire and ambulance… do they use the same house?
It might help to add that I’m looking at west of Chicago (not Chicago itself… I know that their equipment is unusual collours).
Aso H0
Does anyone do good H0 firecrew going about their ordinary dutiees? …or any suggestions for sets to modify please?

Thanks in advance for help[:p][:p]

2

What kind of buildings are in the town on your layout? You only need ladder trucks if you have 3+ story buildings.

As for firefighters going about their daily routine, any figures will do. Firefighters wear civilian clothes until they need to put on their bunker gear. Typical civilian firefighter uniforms consist of t-shirts and work pants (usually dark blue or black).

Modern fire departments have ambulances, but that concept didn’t occur until the 70’s or 80’s. Old fire departments were just that - fire departments. Ambulances were at the hospitals of the area.

3

In Chicago, the trend is to consolidated multi-truck firehouses, except in neighborhood areas where the grade crossings force a single-truck house to remain in place so the area is still protected even if grade crossings are blocked.
As far as colors, Chicago fire trucks are red with black cab roofs and upper cab sides. Some suburbs, Dixmoor and Robbins come to mind, had white trucks in the 1960’s. There are a few suburbs that now paint their fire trucks lime green or yellow to increase visibility.
Also, Memorial Day, Independence Day and other holiday parades in the suburbs through at least the 1960’s were often led by fire trucks from the home town and several surrounding suburbs.

4

Fire stations can be manned anyway you want them. One or more engines only, an engine and a truck company, and an ambulance, rescue or squad truck can also be stationed there. An ambulance can sometimes be found quartered in a fire house that no longer houses fire equipment because of budget cutbacks. It would be unusual to find a truck company stationed by itself, but not unheard of. A Chief or Battalion Chief’s car can also be found in some houses, as well as utility vehicles.

As to having a truck company only if your town has 3+ storied buildings, that wouldn’t be necessarily true. Have a tank farm or a very large one story warehouse or manufacturing plant, a truck company would be nice. And a truck might be stationed in a small town comprised of one story buildings if it was in a central, geographical location.

While you might find a lot of fire fighters hanging around a station, this would normally indicate a volunteer department. If a paid department , you are not going to see a lot of people per rig.

While true that fire fighters wear civilian clothing until bunker suits are put on, this would normally apply only to volunteer fire fighters, paid departments will normally be required to wear work uniforms as stated by “ezielinski.”

Hope this is of some help.

Tom

5

The recently built urban firehalls in my fast-growing home town have bays for four vehicles, doors almost always closed, and large concrete apron driveways, a good truck length from bay door to sidewalk line. (doors are closed to preserve air conditioning - daytime temperatures over 100F/39C are usual from late May to late September.)

The trucks, when I have seen them, are mainly white, with lots of informational stenciling in red, blue and black. 'North Las Vegas Fire Department" and the truck number are stenciled on the door in red-bordered gold.

Can’t say what the “duty not involving fire” uniform is here, but in Nashville, TN, fire department personnel wear navy blue, jacket (in season), blouse and slacks, with black shoes or short boots. American Flag on shoulders, department seal on left blouse (and jacket) pocket and nametag over right pocket.

A usual scene, when drought conditions permit, is to pull a truck onto the apron and wash it. You could model ‘just finished’ - lots of water on the concrete, people coiling up the wash hoses, somebody using a squeegee on the windshield…

Hope this helps

Chuck (whose daughter is a Nashville fire fighter-paramedic)

6

With the exception of Philadelphia, the vast majority of fire companies in my area are volunteer. The ambulance corps are often affliated with, but housed seperate from the fire companies

My company (Station 63, Liberty Steam Co. 1) has two engines, a tower, a bru***ruck, and a traffic control truck. Station 63 paints it’s equipment yellow.

My old company (Station 47, Lionville Co. 1) has two engines, a tower, a rescue truck (Lionville responded to a lot of traffic accidents) a bru***ruck, a traffic control truck, and a rescue boat. Station 47’s equipment is red with white roofs.

Some of our other companies:
Stations 61 & 72 Kimberton (now includes Spring - Ford Heavy Rescue and Spring City Ambulance), two engines, a tower, a tanker, a command vehicle, a bru***ruck, three traffic trucks, two rescue trucks, a mass casualty unit, and HAZMAT unit and two rescue boats. Station 61’s equipement is red with white roofs, and Station 72’s equipment is lime green.

Stations, 65, 66, 67 Phoenixville. I don’t have the equipment list handy, but Station 65’s equipement is lime green, 66’s is red and white, and 67 is the ambulance company.

Station 85 Friendship. Again I don’t have the equipement list handy, but 85’s equipment is white.

Most volunteers wear a uniform while “on-duty”. Usually, navy blue or dark gray work pants, and a company T-shirt, sweat shirt or jacket, sometimes the offices will wear a polo shirt.

Nick

7

Here’s a page with photos and info of some of the fire trucks where I live.

http://www.pleasanthillsfire.org/phvfcapparatus.html

8

Thankyou Gentlemen!

I should have noted 1980s for my model. Your information is brilliant though.

I like the “just cleaned truck” idea. that’s the sort of detail that makes a model.

When did Hazmat vehicles start please? What sort of vehicle if 1980s?

Any ideas for modelling hoses… both in use and flat/being rolled or folded… which is more usual please - rolled or folded on a tray?

Thanks again [:)][:)][:)]

9

You would normally find hose folded accordian style in a hose bed. This allows both supply lines and hand lines to play out easily without problems. Rolled hose would more likely only be found on storeage racks.

The only thing I can think of for modeling hose in a bed would be thick cloth or paper cut into appropriate widths. Some type of cord or string might be acceptable for hose laid and charged.

Tom

10

As a former police/fire reporter in the late 70s and early 80s in Ontario…

A standard neighborhood station had one pumper (sometimes called engine in the US) and one aerial (ladder). One station which housed the district chief would have a chief’s wagon, usually a van, later a minivan, somes a fire dept version of a patrol car. The district chief would command about three stations (depending on local policy). Or it could be the station with district chief would have other specialized equipment. (I don’t remember seeing hazmat units in those days, I do remember rescue wagons)

Stations in rural areas where there were few or no hydrants would also have a tanker that was always filled with water. It would take care of initial response while a pumper would find a local source of water if possible (a stream, lake, river etc)

For the 1980s, I would recommend a mixture of styles… since the equipment is usually maintained to a high standard it was not unsual in those days to see the “modern’” pumpers alongside pumpers and aerials going back to the early 50s.

The pumper would usually respond by itself to a medical emergency or car accident along with police and ambulance. To a confirmed “working fire” or an alarm where it was better to be safe than sorry a “full response” would be the pumper and aerial from the local station, the pumper from the nearest neighboring station and the district chief.

It was the 70s and 80s that many departments began to change the paint scheme from the traditional red to yellow or white or some combination, based on studies that yellow or white engines were easier to see at night. Not all departments adopted the policy, which is why you see some departments with red equipment event today

Robin

11

Not all fire departments have red trucks–I’ve seen many different colors over the years. For example, Castle Shannon (just outside of Pittsburgh) has had dark green trucks for years; Mount Royal’s are blue, etc.

12

There were follow on studies that showed the Technicolor fire engines distracted drivers. As a result many departments returned to the traditional red. (Of the 60 or so fire companies in my county, most have red equipment, while a minority use yellow, lime green or white.)

Kimberton’s HAZMAT unit is a trailer towed by one of brush or traffic trucks. I don’t recall HAZMAT being a really big deal until the late 80s or early 90s.

Nick

13

Great help again [^]
The reason that I have been given here for fire appliances being painted other colours than red (many of ours are now a deep pink - almost all of them have a reflective yellow, blue, yellow stripe) is that red is the most difficult colour for eyes to focus on and the brain to judge distance… which with a fast moving 7ton plus truck is not a good idea.

I love the pride you take in your volunteer forces. Great job [^][^]

14

THe 80’s may have also been the time the ambulances changed into the truck/minivan type from the old Cadillac limos. Many of the plastic models would have to be modifued to accomodate a 2nd or 3rd truck. Yet, you may still find some old single unit brick fire house still in operation. THe neighbors just don’t want their unit moved to the big firehouse.

15

Here in Oshkosh, WI the OFD units are a very bright red with white reflective tape markings for vehicle # and contents of the outside access boxes. They did have a HAZMAT unit as early as the mid '80’s because of the industry in the area. You could use something like a Soda/beer truck to model that because it was/is larger than the standard Ford/Pierce ambulance. Each station had an 2 engines and ambulances. Chief’s house had the same plus Command Suburban, Aerial, and Water Rescue.

16

Yet, you may still find some old single unit brick fire house still in operation. THe neighbors just don’t want their unit moved to the big firehouse.

Inside the Pittsburgh city limits, there are still a few smaller fire departments for that reason–residents wanted their emergency services close by. Some of the older facilities in some areas now serve other uses, while others have been enlarged. A few have even been closed recently because of the city’s current financial woes.

17

Here In QLD Aus, Our Fire Engines used to be Red with Yellow stripes, but are now, Red bottom half and White top half and have Tons of Flashing lights which is a nice site!, Not really relevant to you, but still… [:D] I’m going to have a Fire House in my town now…

James

18

Ok I can relate that our neighboring FD has an old soda delivery truck for a haz mat vehicle, while across the river they have a custom job ( tractor with crew cab and a hackney type trailer) In 1985 we had an old bread truck for the department I was a cadet on.
Like stated before most FD’s have a standard response. A still alarm will bring in maybe a single unit maybe an engine and a ladder, with a squad on specials. Our dept rolls an engine with resque to car accidents ( resque first) two engines and said resque to fires.Also our 104’ tower is to be delivered in Sept. we have 2 three story buildings however we also have some large commercial buildings currently here and a new ordinance that took the 70 foot limit for height away( look out things are going up.)
In Illinois west of Chicago in the 80’s they had what is called the MABAS or mutual aid box alarm system. This was started in that neck of the woods in the 60’s and now runs into Missouri and Iowa ( we have Davenport on a few of our alarm cards) so you could also toss in the Chicago pumpers and ladders coming over for the big one or a training exercise. Just dont forget to paint a green light and red light on said units.
I like the just washed scene as well. When I was growing up Sundays and saturdays were wash days for the department I am on now. I remember seeing the lime green rigs ( still had a red engine in our house until 1999)with the older red ones getting prettied up.Its the time to check over everything as well. Dont forget to have the little boy standing by asking the million questions that firefighters never tire of answering.
As to colors like stated my first fd is all yellow getting rid of red over the years, my other department is opposite now going back to red after being yellow. Also go for a black fire truck just for fun ( I have seen two ,white tops with a gold stripe and metallic black) Nowadays any color of the rainbow will work. Heck Baltimore had orange rigs!

19

In my town we have 2 fire stations. the first main station has just about everything, 2 ambulences, a ladder truck, i believe 2 pumper trucks, a tanker truck and an old truck they have for show. The other station which is much cmaller has one pumper truck and shares an ambulence with the other station.
I know its not the exact scale of HO, but a company called code 3 makes a lot of fire trucks, that are highly detailed, i know some of them are from chicago and the surrounding area.

20

In my town we have 2 fire stations. the first main station has just about everything, 2 ambulences, a ladder truck, i believe 2 pumper trucks, a tanker truck and an old truck they have for show. The other station which is much cmaller has one pumper truck and shares an ambulence with the other station.
I know its not the exact scale of HO, but a company called code 3 makes a lot of fire trucks, that are highly detailed, i know some of them are from chicago and the surrounding area.