Fire Engines Photos

These are variously described as rope or line rescue tenders in the UK and US, designed to accommodate specialized crews who carry out rescues in cliff, building, trench and structure collapse, as well as tunnel rescue operations. They are not quite the same as American high rise tenders, which carry specialized high pressure hoses, long lasting BA sets, large ventilation fans, salvage sheets and other items needed for fires in skyscrapers.

They may also be called to rescue the proverbial stranded cats in trees, although it seems that is not as common as the general public tend to believe….

Added by Rob Johnson on 17 July 2023.

Another very necessary item carried on high rise tenders in the US which I forgot to mention is a very large suction cup glass cutter. This enables firefighters to cut holes in windows for ventilation, without the risk of glass falling from the building - which could of course be fatal to anyone in the street below.

High rise buildings typically have either fixed windows or windows with a very limited opening for safety, so cutting a large hole in the plate glass is the only option to achieve adequate ventilation .

While high pressure hoses which can handle up to 600 PSI are standard on FDNY’s eight three stage high pressure pumpers, other cities mostly use two or three pumpers in line to achieve the high pressures needed to feed high rise dry risers, and these depend on high pressure hoses carried on their high rise tenders.

These are of course only needed in the event of a building’s built in fire pumps failing, but such failures can sometimes occur - and fire departments have to be able to cope.

Added by Rob Johnson on 19 July 2023.

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