BELOW ARE SOME OF THE TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT THAT THE FIREFIGHTERS OF UPPER GWYNEDD USE!!

     The nozzle is attached to the hose that we bring into buildings with us. 

    There are a variety of nozzles used in the fire service.  Some nozzles can

                           flow up to 1000 gallons per minute, while others are as little as 50 gallons

                           per minute.  Below is a picture of what's called an "automatic" nozzle, which

                           normally can flow up to 350 gallons per minute.

     The ladder is used to get to areas where we cannot reach.  Lengths range

    from 6 feet all the way up to 100 feet.  There are 2 types of ladders:  ground

                          ladders and aerial ladders.  Ground ladders commonly extend up to 35 feet in

                          length, and can be carried by the firefighters.  Aerial ladders are attached and carried

                          by the fire truck.  These ladders move with hydraulics, and most extend to about

                          100 feet.  Below are pictures of a ground ladder on the left, and an aerial ladder on right.

     SCBA, or self-contained breathing apparatus, allows the firefighter to breath in

    environments that are depleted of Oxygen.  The SCBA is mostly used to enter

                           buildings that are filled with smoke.  They can also be used in areas where there

                           are chemicals that are hazardous.  Our SCBA's allow the firefighter to have about

                           45 minutes of breathing air before being refilled.  The masks for the SCBA also have

                           small lights in them to let the firefighter know how much air is left for them.  Below are

                           pictures of the SCBA on the left, and the mask with the lights on the right.

  Firefighters use various different types of hand tools to do their job.  The HALLIGAN

  BAR is used to gain entry into buildings through doors, windows, and other means.  It is

                           used mostly as a prying tool to force the closed area open.  The AXE is paired up with the

                           halligan bar bar to make what's called a marriage.  The axe is used to hit the halligan bar

                           into a doorjam for example, then is can be pried open.  The axe is also used to chop into

                           roofs, doors, walls, and anything that a firefighter has to get through to get to the other side.

                           HOOKS are used to pull down ceilings and walls both inside and outside of the building.

                           Hooks range from 2 feet in length for small closets to 8 feet in length for tall ceilings.  Listed

                           below from left to right are the Halligan Bar, Axe, and Hook!

  Commonly referred to as the Jaws of Life, Extrication tools are hydraulic tools that 

  exhibit an extremely high amount of pressure to cut, spread, or ram objects apart.  The

  "O" TOOL or CUTTER can cut through mangled metal or objects so that it can be removed from

  the area.  "O" cutters can have forces near 200,000 pounds per square inch, and can cut some

                           some of the hardest objects known to man.  The SPREADER is used to move things away from

                           an object.  In a car for example, we can use the Spreader to pry open a door to free someone

                           trapped inside.  The RAM is a tool that puts all its pressure to one centralized place.  Ram's can

                           extend from 21 inches all the way up to 50 inches in one tool.  Rams are primarily used to

                           push a dash away from an occupant in a vehicle that has been in an accident.  Below from

                           left to right are pictures of the "O" Cutter, Spreader, and Ram.

       The Thermal Imaging Camera, referred to as TIC, is a vital piece of equipment to any firefighter.

      The TIC is a tool that enables the user to locate people in a smoky building, find out where the

                           fire is exactly at, and basically allows a firefighter to "See" inside a smoke and fire filled

                           environment.  A TIC actually shows the differences in heat vs. cold.  A human inside a burning

                           building shows up because they are actually cooler than the temperature of the fire.  It can also

                           show if something of a different temperature has recently been there, but is not there now.  Below

                           are the 2 types of TIC's that the firefighter's use.

       In the fire service, we use a variety of different saws to complete the task at hand.  The most

     common that we use are the CHAIN SAW and K-12 SAW.  Chain saws are used mostly for

                          cutting holes in roofs and anything that is made of wood material.  K-12 saws can also be used

                           on roofs, but these big saws can cut metal and concrete as well.  The K-12 is used to cut open

                           gates so we can get access, and also for heavy metal garage doors to name a few things.  A

                           SAWZALL is primarily used to cut metals that have been crushed or damaged.  The small size

                           of the Sawzall allows the firefighter to get into tight spots in order to get the job done.  Below

                           are pictures of the Chain saw on the left, the K-12 saw in the middle, and Sawzall on the right.