A water tender is a type of firefighting apparatus that specialises in the transport of

water Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as ...

from a water source to a fire scene.Pelastusajoneuvojen yleisopas: säiliöauto
(A general guide for rescue vehicles: water tender) (In Finnish). Ministry of the Interior, Finland. Retrieved on April the 28th, 2007 Water tenders are capable of drafting water from a

stream A stream is a continuous body of surface water flowing within the bed and banks of a channel. Depending on its location or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to by a variety of local or regional names. Long large streams ...

lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...

hydrant A hydrant is an outlet from a fluid main often consisting of an upright pipe with a valve attached, from which fluid (e.g. water or fuel) can be tapped. Depending on the fluid involved, the term may refer to: * Fire hydrant for firefighting water ...

. This class of apparatus does not necessarily have enough pumping capacity to power large

hose A hose is a flexible hollow tube designed to carry fluids from one location to another. Hoses are also sometimes called '' pipes'' (the word ''pipe'' usually refers to a rigid tube, whereas a hose is usually a flexible one), or more generally ...

lines (like a

fire engine A fire engine (also known in some places as a fire truck or fire lorry) is a road vehicle (usually a truck) that functions as a firefighting apparatus. The primary purposes of a fire engine include transporting firefighters and water to a ...

), though it utilizes a smaller

pump A pump is a device that moves fluids (liquids or gases), or sometimes slurries, by mechanical action, typically converted from electrical energy into hydraulic energy. Pumps can be classified into three major groups according to the method they ...

to draft from bodies of water. Water tenders are used when there is no working

fire hydrant A fire hydrant, waterplug, or firecock (archaic) is a connection point by which firefighters can tap into a water supply. It is a component of active fire protection. Underground fire hydrants have been used in Europe and Asia since at least t ...

within reach of other fire equipment, potentially supplying the

(s) with a very rapid connection. Most water tenders are designed to carry heavy water payloads of or more; in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

, is the minimum requirement according to

National Fire Protection Association The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is an international nonprofit organization devoted to eliminating death, injury, property and economic loss due to fire, electrical and related hazards. As of 2018, the NFPA claims to have 50,000 mem ...

standards. Typically water tenders support engines and/or trucks like aerials during fires and hazardous material incidents. Some water tenders carry fire fighting equipment and crew much like an engine. These water tenders are able to operate relatively independently. Some water tenders actually combine a

and water tender. This kind of unit may have seats for up to six

firefighter A firefighter is a first responder and rescuer extensively trained in firefighting, primarily to extinguish hazardous fires that threaten life, property, and the environment as well as to rescue people and in some cases or jurisdictions als ...

s, a water tank of more than , and basic equipment for firefighting and rescue.''Pelastustieto'' (in Finnish) This configuration may be found, for example, in

rural In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry typically are de ...

areas, where a

(with rescue equipment) and water tender are supported by a combined

/water tender unit in overlapping fires or

accidents An accident is an unintended, normally unwanted event that was not directly caused by humans. The term ''accident'' implies that nobody should be blamed, but the event may have been caused by unrecognized or unaddressed risks. Most researcher ...

. Numerous wildland water tenders have remotely controlled nozzles mounted on the front bumper to allow them to drive alongside a fire or smoldering area and efficiently wet it down without the crew leaving the rig. Very light water tenders are sometimes used in

wildfires A wildfire, forest fire, bushfire, wildland fire or rural fire is an unplanned, uncontrolled and unpredictable fire in an area of combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identif ...

. For example, a small tank of can be carried by a cross-country vehicle to extinguish smoldering stubs on rough terrain. A water tender typically carries some fire fighting equipment. There are various national standards and recommendations on equipment to be carried on water tenders.NFPA 1901 Standard for Automotive Fire Apparatus, Chapter 7: Mobile Water Supply Fire Apparatus. 2003 edition. National Fire Protection Association. Some water tenders may carry various kinds of

s and spray nozzles for use in forest, building, or industrial fires, as well as a portable water tank. In addition, tools like

axe An axe ( sometimes ax in American English; see spelling differences) is an implement that has been used for millennia to shape, split and cut wood, to harvest timber, as a weapon, and as a ceremonial or heraldic symbol. The axe has ma ...

flashlight A flashlight (American English, US, Canadian English, Canada) or torch (British English, UK, Australian English, Australia) is a portable hand-held electric lamp. Formerly, the light source typically was a miniature incandescent light bulb, b ...

fire extinguishers A fire extinguisher is a handheld active fire protection device usually filled with a dry or wet chemical used to extinguish or control small fires, often in emergencies. It is not intended for use on an out-of-control fire, such as one which ha ...

, a

self-contained breathing apparatus A self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), sometimes referred to as a compressed air breathing apparatus (CABA) or simply breathing apparatus (BA), is a device worn to provide breathable air in an atmosphere that is immediately dangerous to ...

, a

first aid kit A first aid kit or medical kit is a collection of supplies and equipment used to give immediate medical treatment, primarily to treat injuries and other mild or moderate medical conditions. There is a wide variation in the contents of first aid ...

, adapters, and a hydrant wrench may be required. Some tenders carry also foaming agents, and extinguishing powders or gases. Examples of specialised water tenders include airport crash tenders and wildland water tenders. An Australian water tender can range from a standard fire engine, with a larger-than-usual capacity (usually called a tanker), to a water tender equipped with specialty equipment such as fixed monitors and long-throw foam nozzles (usually called a Bulk Water Carrier). Several areas also own converted semi-trailer fuel tankers, capable of holding many thousands of litres of petrol, foam or other retardant. These are most often used in severe HazMat situations, such as oil refinery fires or fuel tanker accidents, where a large and continuous volume of water is needed.

Gallery of water tenders

File:TLF 15 Daimler Benz.JPG, Old German water tender type TLF 15 /

Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz (), commonly referred to as Mercedes and sometimes as Benz, is a German luxury and commercial vehicle automotive brand established in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG (a Mercedes-Benz Group subsidiary established in 2019) is headquarte ...

LF 3500/42 File:TLF24-50.JPG, Water tender of

Hofgeismar Hofgeismar () is a town in the district of Kassel, in northern Hesse, Germany. It is located 25 km north of Kassel on the German Timber-Frame Road. In 1978 and in 2015, the town hosted the 18th '' Hessentag'' state festival. History The fi ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

File:Watertender01.jpg, A

US Forest Service The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The Forest Service manages of land. Major divisions of the agency in ...

water tender File:Tankautospuit.JPG, A Dutch water tender from

Dodewaard Dodewaard is a village in the Dutch province of Gelderland. It is a part of the municipality of Neder-Betuwe, and lies about 7 km south of Wageningen. Dodewaard was a separate municipality until 2002, when it became a part of Kesteren. Bef ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Water Tender Fire service vehicles

Gallery of water tenders

See also

References