The Difference Between Municipal Fire Trucks and Airport Fire Trucks

Summary

Firefighters respond to a wide range of emergencies across every type of environment and the equipment they use must be able to meet the demands of each situation.Serving a vast array of communities, including urban, rural and airport settings, firefighters use different types of fire apparatus—all with unique configurations and attributes to complete the scenarios faced each day. This blog walks through several key differences between municipal and airport fire trucks. Types of Calls The most obvious difference between municipal fire apparatus and aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) vehicles are the types of emergency calls that they respond to. Municipal Fire Service Calls Municipal fire trucks are the most recognizable emergency firefighting vehicles. The type of fire apparatus a department needs is determined by the mission of the truck and the community it serves each day. Urban fire apparatus: Fire departments in urban areas may respond to emergencies on city streets that are narrow and require apparatus with superior maneuverability to navigate tight turns and corners. Oftentimes, fire stations in urban areas are historic with confined spaces, requiring more compact apparatus that will fit in the building while still providing modern firefighting capabilities. Suburban fire apparatus: As growth occurs outside of cities with the expansion of commercial and residential communities, fire departments need to keep a pulse of the continual progression of land use and building types to match services and apparatus accordingly. Rural fire apparatus: Rural firefighters may respond to a large number of motor vehicle accidents, particularly on remote roads, requiring ample compartmentation for first-aid and extraction equipment. Rural fire apparatus generally require larger water tanks to meet limited water supply events and for allowing times for greater distance in response time to building fires from other departments. Additionally, rural apparatus may be called ...