How to Build a Fire Engine

Think you can't build your own fire engine? Check out this ATV model and think again.

The imposing modern fire engine often obscures how deceptively easy it is to put together a working vehicle for fighting fires. After all, the earliest fire engines were just pumps with hoses mounted on wheels, a litter, or in a cart or wagon. Building your own fire engine need not involve much more than retrofitting a truck or jeep to do the same thing.

Things You'll Need

• Jeep or pick-up for retrofitting
• High volume water pump
• Two sets of hose
• First aid kit
• Ladder

Instructions

1. 

   Measure your cargo bed. As a practical matter, if you are building your own fire engine instead of buying one, it likely means you are retrofitting an existing vehicle. The key piece of equipment for a fire engine is the water pump, but you need to leave enough space in the cargo area for a lot of hose too. Keep both these factors in mind when you go to Step 2. Civilian vehicles that could work for this kind of duty are pick-up trucks, large jeeps, and possibly large ATVs.

2. Go shopping for your pump. A good example of a firefighting, high-volume pump is the Davey 5290BE. Remember what Step 1 said about space? If you choose this pump, you will need to have enough space leftover to at least store sufficient lengths of hose to attach to a water source and to run out for fire fighting, plus back-ups, and probably need leftover space for other tools and supplies to boot. If you cannot match a pump and its gear to your space, you will either need to get a smaller pump or a bigger vehicle.

3. Collect your other tools and articles. At a minimum, a fire engine should have a tough, stable ladder; axe, shovel, crowbar, pick, and sledgehammer; fire-resistant rope; a large, high capacity first aid kit; tool kit for working with hydrants, exterior faucets, the pump, and your own vehicle.

4. Bolt things into place. You will need to bolt your pump into place, and it is likely that you will have to put clasps on the outside of the vehicle to carry the ladder, and perhaps even the longer tools such as the axe. You may or may not want to add storage containers for stowing the tool box and first aid kit, or keeping extra fuel for the pump safely out of reach of sparks.

5. Decide if you need to add a siren. As you are building a private fire engine, a siren may or may not be appropriate for your intended purpose.

Resources

• Davey 5290BE Fire Fighting Pump
• Comfortdelgro, manufacturer of the Singapore Civil Defence Force "Red Rhino" Fire Engine