Fire Engines Photos

What exactly is a "welfare pod"? This is something we do not seem to have in the US, unless it has a different name, but US fire departments don't use demountables very much in any case. I have also searched around for a German or Dutch equivalent, as they both love special purpose modules carried on multi-purpose transporters like this MAN, but have not come up with anything which translates in to a welfare pod.

Added by Rob Johnson on 12 December 2012.

The welfare pod is basically a rest area for firefighters at large, or protracted incidents. There are male and female toilet facilities at the rear of the pod, and the front section is a rest area with seating and facilities for hot and cold drinks etc. Lothian and Borders, Central Scotland, Tayside and Strathclyde all have them as do several English brigades. The L&B pod is identical to the CSFRS one.

Added by D.cruickshank on 12 December 2012.

Thank you.

The German and Dutch equivalent modules translate as "rest centers", and are rather commonplace, having been around for many years. They would seem to have very similar specifications to this Scottish unit (but presumably no single malts).

Some larger US fire departments use pensioned-off old city buses for this purpose, retrofitted with the necessary plumbing, refridgerators, microwave ovens, and oxygen systems to rejuvenate tired firefighters. There are also similar vehicles operated here by the Red Cross and Salvation Army.

Trucks which are dedicated to cooling and rehydrating firefighters at incidents are also found in many cities with very high summer temperatures, such as Phoenix, where temperatures can exceed 40 degrees.

Added by Rob Johnson on 13 December 2012.

I think we'd call it a "rehab" unit in the US.

Added by Michael Feldman on 14 December 2012.

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