The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts The Stovebolt Volunteer Fire Department Fire guys -- How do trucks/engines get numbered?

Is there a convention for assigning numbers to apparatus? It seems that the apparatus in these parts are numbered in a coordinated fashion through the region -- i.e., Engine 23 is from Mechanicsville and Engine 51 is, as we all know, from 2049 East 223rd Street (between Wilmington and Alameda Streets) in Carson, California.

In our local VFD, the numbers have carried over -- when an apparatus was retired, the number was given to the replacement I.e., Engine 21 is a retired/restored parade truck that still resides in the fire house, but "New 21" is a modern truck that responds to calls. Is this the norm?

Thanks,
John

John,

In St. Louis County, the apparatus are numbered with 4-digit codes that read as follows:

First 2 digits: Municipality
3rd digit: House #
4th digit: apparatus type, where:

1=standard triple combination pumper,
4=rescue pumper
7=ambulance
9=Reserve Apparatus
(can't remember the rest!)

So, apparatus 3924 is the Rescue Pumper in Ladue, MO's house #2.

Not all the municipalities have reserve apparatus.

NOW, in the CITY of St. Louis, it's a little more traditional, with Engines numbered after their engine house (roughly 1 through 40, some houses/engines no longer exist), and the (four) Hook and Ladders carrying their own numbers. Rescue units are 1 and 2. 5 Battalion Chiefs are 801 through 805 corresponding to their districts, each district from 4 to 7-ish fire houses. The coolest is the Chief. He's just called "CFD", for "Chief of Fire Department".

By-the-way, when the front-line apparatus is out of service in the city, the floating reserve will fill in, and, I think, be numbered in the hundreds, ie: a 1 added to the replaced engine number. Engine 22 becomes 122.

Every Fire Fighter in the city carries a radio, and each of the (usually) 4 spots on an engine is given a letter code, so that Engine 22's Captain, when he's out of the truck/on the fireground, becomes "22-A".

Pretty cool stuff. I'm trying to figure out how to initiate Radio Service with my "Fleet". Just haven't figured out how to operate a Vigilante Fire Service.

-Michael

In my department, the engines and trucks are numbered according to the station they are assigned 1-12. When the 1st out unit is down for maintenance a reserve unit is used it has magnetic numbers applied to identify what station it is working for that time period. This is for Eugene Fire. I started working at a rural dept where the numbers identified the type of unit like mentioned above.
219= Station 2 (CGFdept) 1st out ambulance
211= Station 2 (CGFdept) 1st out pumper
321= Station 3 (JCFdept) 2nd out pumper
The first number signified which departments had been around the longest, in most cases.

On our dept the numbering system is pretty basic. We have 3 pumpers numbered 1, 2, and 3. One being the newest and 3 being the oldest. Our tankers are 1 and 2 our rescue truck doesn't have a number and our quick response (grass rig) is QR. Our ambulances our numbered in order of how we have bought them. Every member has a number depending on seniority and another set of numbers according to rank i.e. cheif is 600 and then down the line from there.
As you can tell we our a small volunteer dept. 30 members in a town of 3500.

In my old department we went from straight unit numbers with no meaning to the new system of station/response. Engine 11 is first out engine from station 1, Engine 12 2nd out, Eng 21,31, etc. Rescue units same system. Ladder and Haz Mat are just L 1, L 2 and Haz Mat 1. Reserve units change to unit they replace. There will always be an Eng 11,21,31,41,51,61 on the CAD

If we are going to number our rigs here in the SBVF I would like to have #2. It's already on my truck!

Is 6 and 7/8ths already taken?

-Michael

In my area: First is the house number: example- station #2 would have Engine 2(for fire station#2) as first unit and second unit would be Engine 22 then Ladder 2 and so forth.

On my regular job, I'm the capt on E19 and it is the single piece out of station 19.

Mine is Eng. Co. 1 on my rig but that should really go for senior member of firebolt section so if we number just give me one and I will add it on my windshield. (by the way firetrailer is numbered 1/2 )

John, In St. Marys County, Company Engines such as 21, 23, 12, 61, 43, 31, 91 Are class"A" Pumpers, Anything unit ending with a "4" such as Engine 24, 44, 224, 14, 54, 74 is designated as a Pumper Tanker. Engines ending with a "2" such as 222, or 62, or 42, 92 are Rescue Pumpers. All special services are designated with the Company number such as Squad 2, Squad 5, Squad 7, Tanker 2, Tanker 4, Truck 1, Truck 3, Tower 9, Water supply 5, or Boat 5, Boat 6, Boat 4, or even Raft 1. If there were any Mini Pumpers left in the county, They ended with a 5, We at Company 2 used to have Engine 25. Brush trucks, Jeeps, Utilities, Command units, and Marine Support units all end with the company designation.