Upload a Picture
About this Site | Links | Random Pic | Advanced Search
Home | Latest Additions | Contributors
| Visitors
Fire Engine Photos
SFFD - Engine 21
San Francisco's Engine 21 is a 1999 3D Manufacturing pumper with 1250 gallon per minute pump and 500 gallon water tank. These apparatus were extremely popular with San Francisco driver/operators. An interesting note: The SFFD still manufacture their own wooden ground ladders and brass smooth bore nozzles. (Notice the brass intake valve just behind the crew cab.)
San Francisco's Engine 21 is a 1999 3D Manufacturing pumper with 1250 gallon per minute pump and 500 gallon water tank. These apparatus were extremely popular with San Francisco driver/operators. An interesting note: The SFFD still manufacture their own wooden ground ladders and brass smooth bore nozzles. (Notice the brass intake valve just behind the crew cab.)
This picture is in the following groups
San Francisco Fire Department, USA
San Francisco Fire Department, USA
Lou:
Very true about the crews liking these rigs. SFFD runs their equipment very hard and these have been bullet proof. They are also very, very fast.
FYI, my grand uncle worked in the ladder shop after retiring from the SFFD in the 1950's.
Added by TBone on 19 July 2011.
Very true about the crews liking these rigs. SFFD runs their equipment very hard and these have been bullet proof. They are also very, very fast.
FYI, my grand uncle worked in the ladder shop after retiring from the SFFD in the 1950's.
Added by TBone on 19 July 2011.
90 lb. brass Gleason Valve seating on the back corner of the rig is pretty special too, like though beautiful hand made ladders. Those Spartan engines are impressive.
Added by KAL on 18 August 2013.
Added by KAL on 18 August 2013.
I was under the impresion that the SFFD used wooden Ground ladders as a preventitave measure to save Fire-Fighters getting electric shocks when siting ladders because of all the overhead (domastic) electric power lines in the San Francisco area, wheres most city's now have underground electric cables.
Added by Chris Stone on 18 August 2013.
Added by Chris Stone on 18 August 2013.
Wood ladders are still used by several fire departments in the West, as well as SFFD. The combination of overhead power lines and the high risk of earthquakes makes the use of non-conductive wooden ladders a much safer choice than using alloy ones. Perhaps this may change in the future, with some of the modern lightweight non-conductive composite materials now available for ladder construction.
The high-pressure hydrant system and the emergency fire boat and pump relay "mobile hydrant" system in San Francisco both employ Bay water, which is salt water. Brass is more resistant to salt, and is still used for this reason, as the earthquake emergency plan calls for SFFD equipment to pump salt water continuously for up to seven days if needed. A scary thought!
Added by Rob Johnson on 18 August 2013.
The high-pressure hydrant system and the emergency fire boat and pump relay "mobile hydrant" system in San Francisco both employ Bay water, which is salt water. Brass is more resistant to salt, and is still used for this reason, as the earthquake emergency plan calls for SFFD equipment to pump salt water continuously for up to seven days if needed. A scary thought!
Added by Rob Johnson on 18 August 2013.
The Gleason Valves are pressure reducing valves that allow the high pressure hydrant pressure to be lowered to a normal firefighting pressure. And thus not needing a pumper in a earthquake if it comes down to that.
Added by Les Davis on 20 August 2013.
Added by Les Davis on 20 August 2013.
Spartan
Added by Sebastian Valenzuela on 19 August 2007.