A fire engine is a vehicle, usually a specially built or modified truck, that serves as firefighting apparatus, carrying firefighters, water and equipment to an emergency. Firefighting technology dates back centuries: Ctesibius of Alexandria is credited with inventing the first fire pump around the second century BC, Hans Hautsch built a compressed-air fire engine in 1650, and Philadelphia acquired a hand-pumped engine in 1719. Motorized fire engines first appeared in Paris in 1897 and had largely replaced horse-drawn engines by the early twentieth century. Modern fire engines carry specialized personnel and equipment for a wide range of incidents, from urban structure fires to wildland fires to aircraft emergencies, and increasingly incorporate thermal imaging cameras, onboard communication systems and apparatus tailored to their particular operating environment.
Facts
SignificanceEvolved from hand powered pumps and bucket brigade fed hand tubs into horse drawn and later self propelled steam and motorized apparatus, becoming the standard vehicle for carrying firefighters, water and equipment to emergencies. 1 Manufacturer or BuilderNo single manufacturer: fire engines are built by many specialized apparatus makers on commercial or purpose built truck chassis, customized for firefighting. 1 FAQs
Is a fire engine the same thing as a fire truck?
The terms depend mainly on geography and dialect and are often interchangeable.
Mostly the name differs by region. Fire engine is the usual term in British and Irish English and in Commonwealth countries, while fire truck is used in North America. The two terms can be used interchangeably for the broad range of vehicles involved in firefighting, although some fire departments use them for separate and specific types of vehicle.
Connections
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Fire Engine
WikipediaDesign and construction section: chassis basis sentence
Many fire engines are based on a commercial vehicle chassis that is further upgraded and customized for firefighting requirements.
History section: Richard Newsham fire engines sentence
By 1730, Richard Newsham, in London, had made successful fire engines.
History section: evolution to self propelled sentence
As the engines grew larger they became horse-drawn and later self-propelled by steam engines.
In Group: Special-Purpose Trucks, Lead sentence
A fire engine (or fire truck, also spelled firetruck) is a vehicle, usually a specially designed or modified truck, that functions as a firefighting apparatus.
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