TRUCK COMPANY OPERATIONS

Truck Company 69 prides itself on a longstanding history of aggressive truck company work. The basic job of a Truck Company is to search for and rescue any occupants who may be trapped inside a fire building and to provide functions that “support” the job of the engine company. Below is a brief description of some of the basic functions a good truck company must be able to perform:

Forcible Entry -

The truck company forces entry into the building so that crews may enter to search and advance hoselines. This may include breaking through doors with advanced locking systems, cutting through metal garage doors, removing iron security bars from doors or windows, or generally overcoming whatever system is in place to keep people out.

Ventilation –

A burning fire produces superheated smoke and gases, as well as tremendous heat. In addition to the obvious hazard this leaves for any civilians who may be trapped inside, it also hampers the extinguishment efforts of the advancing hose team. Ventilation is the release of these combustion byproducts through by opening an exit path. It can be accomplished through window or door openings (horizontal ventilation) or by cutting a hole in the roof or other area of the building. Since the fire will travel to this new source of oxygen, crews must ventilate close to the fire and in a way that will draw the fire away from the un-burnt area and any trapped occupants.

Laddering –

Truck companies place ground or apparatus mounted ladders to windows or the roof of a building to provide entry and exit points for firefighters and for the removal of any trapped occupants.

Overhaul –

After extinguishing the main body of fire, crews must probes into a building’s crevices to insure that the fire has not spread from room to room or floor to floor. This may mean removing layers of drywall, flooring, and ceilings. Overhaul must often be accomplished while the rooms are still heavily charged with heat and smoke and under poor visibility. This is typically a very demanding work.

Salvage –

The Lima Fire Company’s mission is to protect life and property and salvage operations are directed at saving property. As early as is possible in the fire, crews will enter the floors, rooms, and buildings surrounding an area of fire and take measures to prevent any further, unnecessary loss of belongings. Furniture, clothing and personal items are placed together and covered with thick tarps to protect them from smoke and water damage. Items of great personal importance such as family photos or important documents are placed in boxes and brought outside to the owner. Crews will also take efforts to channel any excess water away from the undamaged portion of a structure. Ventilation efforts (discussed above) also greatly assist salvage operations by removing smoke and other byproducts of combustion.

This list is by no means inclusive. Truck companies are frequently called upon to assist in other assorted duties. Our members are trained in rope rescue and have been called upon to remove injured persons from roof tops or other elevated places, to descend steep cliffs to reach the injured, and to provide the police with access to a roof or window while in pursuit of suspects. If you want to hear a good fire service story, your best bet is to ask a “truckie”.

For more information on our equipment, please see Truck 69’s page. If you are interested in learning more about our operations or procedures, or if you have any suggestions, please contact one of our fire officers.