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By UFA Battalion Chief Wade Watkins
In Riverton on any given day, your local firefighters are ready to respond to emergencies twenty-four hours a day, and these incidents have a wide range of challenges to address. The key to effectively addressing these challenging situations is having well-trained firefighters with the right tools to do the job.
The community often sees fire engines, but have you ever stopped to think about all of the things that these machines do? Fire engines are amazing pieces of equipment that allow firefighters to perform their jobs and get to emergency scenes quickly. The important thing to know about a fire engine is that it is a combination of a personnel carrier, toolbox, water tanker and first aid kit. All four components are essential to fighting fires and responding to emergency medical service (EMS) calls.
The goal is to show up on the emergency scene ready to go to work on resolving whatever the problem is. The primary function of any fire engine is to get the firefighters to the incident safely. Secondly carry water and tools to the fire scene and on average; each fire engine carries 750 gallons. This water is an extremely valuable resource to address the dangers of a quickly growing fire, as fire doubles in size every minute. A typical modern fire engine will carry tools for a wide range of firefighting tasks, with common equipment including a pump, a water tank, hoses, ground ladders, hand tools, self-contained breathing apparatuses and medical supplies.
Most importantly, the team to make the magic happen. Teamwork is a major part of any successful emergency incident. As each task on the fire or EMS, call depends on someone else completing another related task or tasks.
Firefighters are always happy to talk to members of the community about the incredible equipment serving in Riverton. So next time you see them in the community. Please do not hesitate to ask them questions.