Apparatus
Left to right: Patrol 5, Engine 10, Truck 5, Engine 2, Rescue 3, Battalion 3 (1999)
First line engine companies are equipped for deployment as stand alone resources and are
divided into two (2) basic catagories: Urban and Wildland-Urban Interface. Company inventory
is based on respective target hazards and topography. In addition, all engine companies carry
EMS/Paramedic equipment, large diameter hose, PTO-driven generators,
Class-A foam systems, and the basic NFPA 1901 tool and equipment
inventory.
Urban engine companies are equipped with high-rise bundles and 2-1/2" (64mm) high-flow pre-connect
attack lines. Wildland-Urban Interface engine companies and four-wheel drive Type 3
units typically carry a full range of brush hand tools, chain saws, rope rescue kits, and
500gpm (18900 l/m) pumps.
All major rescue and structural responses include quint trucks and/or rescue companies that
carry salvage equipment, smoke fans, Hurst Tool rams, cutters and spreaders, air bags, torches,
heavy forcible entry tools, gas-powered saws, and rope rescue equipment.
Most apparatus are shown at the station where they are assigned. Pages of
historic apparatus photos shows vehicles that are no longer with
the department. Antiques still owned and maintained by the department are shown at their
respective stations. Note that several of the antiques are marked with their original department
names, prior to that department merging with the Santa Clara County Fire Department.
Vehicle Types
As in any profession, specific terms mean specific things. Although the terms "fire engine" and "fire truck"
are often used to describe any vehicle used by firefighters, they actually have specific and different
definitions. Below are definitions of the vehicles used by County Fire.
Engine |
The primary vehicle used by fire departments. It has water in a booster tank, a pump, hoses, and ground ladders. In
this department, all Engines are also equipped with medical gear and are staffed with three personnel:
a Captain, a firefighter/engineer, and a firefighter/engineer/paramedic. |
Truck |
Trucks have lots of ground ladders, as well as a large aerial ladder. Trucks also carry rescue gear. In
this department, trucks also have medical gear. If a truck carries ground and aerial ladders, and also has a pump, hose and
a booster tank (as do all of the trucks in this department) it is referred to as a "quint". In this department, Trucks
are staffed with a Captain, two FF/E's and a FF/E/P. |
Rescue |
A Rescue is similar to a Truck, but does not carry the large aerial ladder. It is similar to an Engine,
but carries all of the rescue and extrication gear that a Truck carries, as well as the extra firefighter. Rescues are
staffed with a Captain, two FF/E's and a FF/E/P. |
Type 3 Engine |
Although called an Engine, and having all of a standard Engine's capabilities, Type 3's are intended for
wildland firefighting. They have 4-wheel drive, tall suspensions, and meet all of the specifications listed below. |
Patrol |
A Patrol is a smaller, all-wheel drive vehicle designed for fighting wildland fires. It has a pump
(smaller than an engine's), hose, and wildland firefighting tools, and off-road driving capabilities, with a high
ground clearance. Patrols usually have "pump and roll" capability,
meaning that they can both pump water and drive at the same time, something that most Engines cannot do. Patrols are
staffed with two FF/E's. In this department, Patrols are usually paired up with Trucks during wildland fire season, so
two of the Truck's personnel will drive the Patrol, and both vehicles will respond together. |
Hazmat |
A Hazmat vehicle is used to respond to HAZardous MATerials incidents. It is basically a truck filled
with all of the tools and supplies required for these situations. Hazmat trucks do not normally carry water, hose, or
ladders. in this department, the Hazmat vehicle is also used to supply breathing air bottles at fires. The Hazmat is
staffed by a Captain, two FF/E's and a FF/E/P, all with specialized Hazmat training. |
Battalion |
A Battalion vehicle is used to transport a Chief, and as a command center. It is normally staffed by
a Battalion Chief. In this department, the Chiefs do their own driving, and do not have a driver or chauffeur. Battalions
have lots of communications and computer gear to help coordinate incidents. The safety officer drives a vehicle very
similar to a Battalion vehicle. |
USAR |
Urban Search And Rescue vehicles are similar to Hazmat vehicles, except that the supplies and equipment
that they carry are for major disasters such as earthquakes, floods, and mass-casualty incidents. In this department,
USARs are special-call vehicles that would be staffed by personnel at the station where they are stored. |
BS |
A Breathing Support vehicle carries spare SCBA bottles to replenish supplies at incidents or training
events where many bottles have been used. It also carries an on-board refilling station so that empty bottles can be refilled on the spot. |
Tender |
A Tender is a vehicle designed to carry and deliver large amounts of water where hydrants or other
water supplies are not available. Often called "tankers", especially on the east coast, here in the west they are called
Tenders to avoid confusion with aerial tankers, planes that drop water on wildland fires. Although Tenders usually have
larger water tanks than engines and a means to deliver the water quickly, some Tenders carry hose and pumps as well. In
this department, certain Engines have been redesignated as Tenders if their primary task is water delivery, without any
mechanical modifications. |
Hose Wagon |
A Hose Wagon is a vehicle used to carry hose. The only Hose Wagon in this department is an antique. |
Apparatus Color
With some minor exceptions, most of Santa Clara County's apparatus are painted white, with white
retroflective striping and black retroflective numbers. The
apparatus that are red or lime green are either from stations recently acquired
by the department as it expanded to merge with several local community's departments, or owned
by the state's
Office of Emergency Services (OES) and loaned to the department indefinitely.
Los Gatos started the trend towards white apparatus in the late 1950s or early 1960s. The decision to switch
from the traditional red to white was for two reasons. First, the red paint at the time required much higher
maintenance. Second, red is much less visible at night. When Los Gatos merged with County Fire in 1970, new
County Fire rigs were purchased in white using the same logic, as until then County also had had red apparatus.
Since then, there have been numerous technical improvement in apparatus visibility and vehicle paint quality:
paints no longer fade as quickly in the strong California sun, and retroflective striping and modern warning
lighting provide much better nighttime visibility. At this point, however, County Fire apparatus are still
white because it has become traditional for the department.
Emergency Response Fleet
Station
| Assignment
| Year
| Make
| Pump: gpm (l/m)
|
Cupertino
| Truck 1
| 2003
| Ferrara
| 1500 (5680)
|
| Engine 1
| 2007
| KME
| 1250 (4730)
|
| Engine 301
| 2009
| Placer/International Type 3 4x4
| 500 (1890)
|
| OES Engine 289
| 2001
| HME/Westates
| 1250 (4730)
|
| Engine 20
| 1949
| Van Pelt/Kenworth
| 1250 (4730)
|
Seven Springs
| Engine 2
| 2000
| KME
| 1250 (4730)
|
| Hazmat 2
| 2004
| KME
| n/a
|
| Breathing Support 2
| 2005
| KME
| n/a
|
| Battalion 2
| 2008
| Ford F250 XLT Superduty 4x4
| n/a
|
| Utility 6
| 2008
| Ford F550 Super Duty Flatbed Stakeside
| n/a
|
| Reserve Hazmat 2
| 1988
| Paoletti/Ford
| n/a
|
| Reserve Engine 102
| 1988
| KME
| 1500 (5680)
|
Los Gatos
| Engine 3
| 2003
| KME
| 1250 (4730)
|
| Rescue 3
| 2007
| KME
| 1250 (4730)
|
| Battalion 3
| 2010
| Ford F250 XLT Super Duty 4x4
| n/a
|
Redwood
| Engine 4
| 2001
| HME/Westates 4x4
| 1250 (4730)
|
| Reserve Engine 104
| 1985
| Van Pelt/Duplex
| 750 (2840)
|
Winchester
| Truck 5
| 2002
| KME
| 1500 (5680)
|
| Engine 305
| 2009
| Placer/International Type 3 4x4
| 500 (1890)
|
| USAR 5
| 2003
| Ford F-550 4x4
| n/a
|
Shannon
| Engine 6
| 1992
| Hi-Tech/Spartan
| 1500 (5680)
|
| Engine 306
| 1991
| Westmark/International 4x4
| 500 (1895)
|
| Hose Wagon
| 1936
| Dodge Brothers/Hedberg
| n/a
|
Monta Vista
| Engine 7
| 1992
| Hi-Tech/Spartan
| 1500 (5680)
|
| Engine 307
| 1997
| KME/International 4x4
| 500 (1895)
|
Quito
| Engine 8
| 2003
| KME
| 1250 (4730)
|
| Engine 108
| 2000
| KME
| 1250 (4730)
|
| Patrol 408
| 2002
| Ford F550/Ferrara
| 500 (1890)
|
West Valley
| Engine 9
| 2001
| KME
| 1250 (4730)
|
| reserve Battalion
| 2001
| Ford Excursion
| n/a
|
Sunnyoaks
| Engine 10
| 2010
| KME
| 1250 (4730)
|
| Reserve Engine 110
| 2000
| KME
| 1250 (4730)
|
Campbell
| Engine 11
| 2001
| KME
| 1250 (4730)
|
| Squad 1
| 1962
| GMC/Van Pelt
| 250 (945)
|
El Toro
| Engine 12
| 2008
| KME Predator SS
| 1250 (4730)
|
| Truck 112
| 1992
| Smeal/Spartan
| 1500 (5680)
|
| Battalion 12
| 2001
| Ford Excursion 4x4
| n/a
|
| Engine 412
| 2002
| KME/Ford F550 4x4
| 125 (475)
|
| Reserve Engine 112
| 1992
| Pierce/Arrow
| 1500 (5680)
|
Dunne Hill
| Engine 13
| 2007
| KME
| 1250 (4730)
|
| Engine 313
| 2009
| Placer/International Type 3 4x4
| 500 (1890)
|
| Morgan Hill Engine 1
| 1926
| Seagrave
| ?
|
El Monte
| Rescue 14
| 2007
| KME
| 1250 (4730)
|
| Truck 14
| 1996
| Smeal/HME
| 1500 (5680)
|
| Engine 314
| 2009
| Placer/International Type 3 4x4
| 500 (1890)
|
| Battalion 2
| 2008
| Ford F250 crewcab pickup
| n/a
|
Los Altos
| Engine 15
| 2005
| KME
| 1250 (4730)
|
| Reserve Engine 115
| 2008
| KME Predator SS
| 1250 (4730)
|
| Los Altos Engine 1
| 1928
| Ford Model A
| ?
|
Loyola
| Engine 16
| 2010
| KME Predator
| 1250 (4730)
|
| Reserve Engine 116
| 1992
| Spartan/Hi-Tech
| 1500 (5680)
|
Saratoga
| Engine 17
| 2008
| KME
| 1250 (4730)
|
| Rescue 17
| 2010
| KME
| 1250 (4730)
|
| Engine 317
| 2009
| Placer/International 4x4
| 500 (1890)
|
| Engine 30
| 1990
| Hi-Tech Spartan
| 1500 (5680)
|
| Engine 117
| 1992
| Hi-Tech/Spartan
| 1500 (5680)
|
National Wildfire Coordinating Group Apparatus Classifications
Structural
| Type
| Pump
| Tank
| Hose
| Ladders
| Master
Stream
| Min.
Personnel
|
| 1
| 1000+ gpm @ 150psi
(3790+ l/m @ 1030kPa)
| 400+ gal
(1515+ l)
| 1200' (366m) @ 2.5" (6.4cm),
400' (122m) @ 1.5" (3.8cm)
| 48'
(14.5m)
| 500gpm (1895 l/m)
| 4
|
| 2
| 250+ gpm @ 150psi
(9945+ l/m @ 1030kPa)
| 400+ gal
(1515+ l)
| 1000' (305m) @ 2.5" (6.4cm),
500' (152m) @ 1.5" (3.8cm)
| 48'
(14.5m)
|
| 3
|
Wildland
| Type
| Pump
| Tank
| Hose
| Min.
Personnel
|
| 3
| 150 gpm @ 250psi
(570 l/m @ 1720kPa)
| 500+ gal
(1895+ l)
| 500' (152m) @ 1.5" (3.8cm),
500' @ 1" (2.5cm)
| 2
|
| 4
| 50 gpm @ 100psi
(190 l/m @ 685kPa)
| 750+ gal
(2840+ l)
| 300' (91m) @ 1.5" (3.8cm),
300' @ 1" (2.5cm)
| 2
|
| 5
| 50gpm @ 100psi
(190 l/m @ 685kPa)
| 400-700gal
(1515-2655 l)
| 300' (91m) @ 1.5" (3.8cm),
300' @ 1" (2.5cm)
| 2
|
| 6
| 30gpm @ 100psi
(115 l/m @ 685kPa)
| 150-400gal
(570-1515 l)
| 300' (91m) @ 1.5" (3.8cm),
300' 1" (2.5cm)
| 2
|
| 7
| 10gpm @ 100psi
(38 l/m @ 685kPa)
| 50-200gal
(190-760 l)
| 200' (61m) @ 1" (2.5cm)
| 2
|
Tender
| Type
| Pump
| Tank
| Offload
Capacity
| Max Refill
Time
|
| 1
| 300+ gpm
(1140+ l/m)
| 5000+ gal
(18950+ l)
| 300+ gal
(1140+ l)
| 30 min
|
| 2
| 200+ gpm
(760+ l/m)
| 2500+ gal
(9475+ l)
| 200+ gal
(760+ l)
| 20 min
|
| 3
| 200+ gpm
(760+ l/m)
| 1000+ gal
(3790+ l)
| 200+ gal
(760+ l)
| 15 min
|
|
