Fire Department Vehicles

SJFD's Type 1 Fire Engine 27 driving in the hillside.

We're an "all-risk" fire department with the trained personnel and equipment necessary to keep our community safe. To help us accomplish our mission, we operate highly-specialized apparatus that are designed to handle a wide variety of emergencies.

Click on the tabs below to learn more about each type of vehicle in the San José Fire Department.

Type 1 Fire Engine

A cut-out image of an SJFD Type 1 Fire Engine.

Quantity: 33 (includes 8 dedicated Type 1 strike team engines that assist in the state mutual aid system)
Staffing: Every Type 1 fire engine is staffed with a fire captain, fire engineer, firefighter EMT, and firefighter paramedic.
Description: The Type 1 fire engine is our most common apparatus because of its versatility. It can respond to fires, medical emergencies, vehicle rescues, land rescues, water rescues, hazardous materials incidents, active shooter events, service calls, and much more. Most notably, it excels at fighting fires. When responding to a fire, it's typically assigned to fire suppression (i.e., putting out the fire). Furthermore, our Type 1 fire engines are one of a kind because they supersede the National Wildfire Coordinating Group Type 1 performance and cache standard.
Video: https://youtu.be/I0k29a2TyM4

Fire Truck

A cut-out image of an SJFD fire truck.

Quantity: 9
Staffing: Every fire truck (also known as an aerial ladder truck) is staffed with a fire captain, fire engineer, tiller engineer or firefighter EMT, and firefighter paramedic.
Description: Our fire trucks can respond to structure fires, vehicle rescues, land rescues, water rescues, hazardous materials incidents, active shooter events, downed wires, and more. Most notably, they excel in responding to urban incidents. For example, their 100-foot aerial ladders allow for quick access to skyscrapers in Downtown San José. When assigned to a fire, fire trucks typically focus on search and rescue, ventilation (opening a hole in a structure to allow heat and smoke to escape), forcible entry, securing utilities, and overhaul of the fire (searching for hidden fire extensions).
Video: https://youtu.be/m2rISQ_8c74

Squad

A cut-out image of an SJFD squad rig.

Quantity: 3
Staffing: Every squad is staffed with a fire engineer and firefighter paramedic.
Description: Squads (also known as rescue medics) are outfitted with two self-contained breathing apparatuses, basic firefighting hand tools, and a full set of Santa Clara County approved advanced life support medical equipment. Squads are tasked with responding to low-priority medical aids, certain high-priority medical emergencies, all first-alarm fires (confirmed structure fires), hazardous materials incidents, active shooter events, downed wires, and service calls. They are also responsible for driving and operating SJFD's air units and command van. When responding to a fire, a squad will typically meet up with a fire truck crew to help them with their objectives.
Video: https://youtu.be/Vujlv22hRjQ

Chief's Buggy

A cut-out image of an SJFD Chief Buggy.

Quantity: 6 (one for each of the six battalions in San José).
Staffing: Each chief's buggy is staffed with one battalion chief.
Description: The chief's buggy is outfitted with a state-of-the-art command center, in addition to standard firefighting personal protective equipment. It typically responds to calls where multiple units are responding, such as confirmed structure fires, large vegetation fires, rescues, hazardous materials incidents, multiple-patient incidents, and active shooter events. When a battalion chief arrives on scene, they will typically take over as incident command (the first fire captain to arrive at an incident is typically the initial incident commander). In this role, they are responsible for coming up with strategies and tactics to mitigate the incident.
Video: https://youtu.be/3K8S9cVg3FQ

Med 30 Rig

A cut-out image of an SJFD Med 30 rig.

Quantity: 1
Staffing: The Med 30 rig is staffed by a fire captain with a paramedic license who operates as an EMS field coordinator.
Description: The Med 30 rig is the busiest single resource that we have. Day-to-day operations include logistical medical support for the field firefighter EMTs and firefighter paramedics. When at an incident, which is typically a structure fire or an incident with with multiple patients, Med 30 provides logistical support to the incident commander (e.g., Red Cross liaison, rehab coordinator, and medical coordinator) to ensure that patients are taken care of. Accordingly, this rig is outfitted with rehab equipment for firefighters, a field amputation kit, a command post setup, and other specialty equipment.
Video: https://youtu.be/bi3yFAazQJY

HazMat Rig

A cut-out image of SJFD's Hazardous Incident Respond Team apparatus.

Quantity: 1
Staffing: Our hazardous materials (HazMat) apparatus is crossed staffed by Truck 29's crew.
Description: Our HazMat rig is equipped to handle all types of hazardous material incidents in Santa Clara County, such as gas leaks, fuel leaks, and drug labs. It's a self-functioning unit with it's own generator, pop-out command post, weather station, and laboratory. Furthermore, our HazMat rig is a certified Type 1 Cal OES (California Governor's Office of Emergency Services) HazMat Unit, which means that it can respond to hazardous materials emergencies anywhere within the state upon request.
Video: https://youtu.be/n6uCfcdIQcc

Command Van

A cut-out image of SJFD's command van.

Quantity: 1
Staffing: The command van is staffed by a squad crew, which consists of a fire engineer and firefighter paramedic.
Description: The command van functions as a command post for large incidents. Its advanced communication systems, ample work space, and mobility help support command staff with planning and logistical needs. You will typically see the command van respond to incidents that have long operational periods, such as wildland fires, high-rise fires, gas leaks, and hazardous materials incidents.
Video: https://youtu.be/KvtlbgkmecQ

Foam Unit

A cut-out image of SJFD's foam rig.

Quantity: 1
Staffing: The foam unit is crossed staffed by Fire Engine 29's fire captain and fire engineer.
Description: Our foam unit is used for hazardous materials incidents that require large amounts of foam, such as tanker truck spills and aircraft fires. Foam is effective at extinguishing fires that involve large amounts of hydrocarbons (e.g., gasoline) or polar solvents (e.g., ethanol). It creates an impenetrable blanket that suppresses flammable vapors and deprives the fire of oxygen. The foam unit carries different types of foam solutions for different types of fires; however, it needs to connect to a Type 1 fire engine in order to operate.
Video: https://youtu.be/IXT5W4TzKmg

Air Unit

A cut-out image of an SJFD air unit rig.

Quantity: 2
Staffing: Each air unit is staffed by a squad crew, which consists of a fire engineer and firefighter paramedic.
Description: The air unit is a logistical piece of equipment that helps replenish air bottles at major incidents (all two-alarm fires or greater). This in turn helps extend firefighting operations and keep our personnel safe. Each air unit can carry up to 56 fresh air bottles and is also equipped with a refill station. The refill station uses a compressor to break down ambient air and put it in a bottle.
Video: https://youtu.be/H09ztuT0Ho8

Type 6 Engine

A cut-out image of an SJFD Type 6 brush patrol.

Quantity: 6 (3 year round, 3 seasonal)
Staffing: Type 6 engines are staffed with a fire engineer and firefighter paramedic.
Description: Our Type 6 engines (also known as brush patrols) excel at fighting wildland fires because they can get into places that the Type 1 and Type 3 engines can't get to because of ground clearance. Accordingly, these engines typically focus on mobile attack operations (also known as pump and roll). This is where a firefighter walks with—and uses—a hose while a fire engineer follows the firefighter in the rig. When it's not fighting wildland fires, Type 6 engines attach to Type 1 engines and respond to all the same calls.
Video: https://youtu.be/KZBxbpq4PYk

Water Tender

A cut-out of an SJFD water tender.

Quantity: 3
Staffing: The water tender is staffed with a fire engineer and firefighter paramedic that are split from their respective Type 1 engine companies.
Description: The water tender functions as a mobile fire hydrant to supply water to firefighting apparatus. It carries an incredible 2,000 gallons of water and responds to incidents where water supplies are limited, such as wildland fires, mobile home fires, and freeway vehicle fires (i.e., there are no fire hydrants on a freeway).
Video: https://youtu.be/an_BFgcvUg0

Type 3 Engine

A cut-out image of an SJFD Type 3 engine.

Quantity: 2
Staffing: The Type 3 engine is cross staffed with the Type 1 engine crew from the same station, which includes a fire captain, fire engineer, firefighter EMT, and firefighter paramedic.
Description: The Type 3 engine is equipped to respond to medical calls, structure fires, and vegetation fires; however, it excels at fighting fires in our wildland-urban interface. With a 500-gallon tank, robust off-road capabilities, and its ability to perform mobile attack, it extends our ability to go off road and place firefighters on the front lines of vegetation fires. The Type 3 engine can also provide structure protection in wildland environments. This is where a rig positions itself between a vegetation fire and neighborhood or other structure, attacking the fire as it approaches.
Video: https://youtu.be/HMZcHYmsJD4

Crash Rig

A cut-out image of SJFD's Crash Rig Bravo.

Quantity: 4 (3 frontline rigs, 1 reserve rig)
Staffing: Engine 20 Alpha is staffed with fire engineer and fire captain. Engine 20 Bravo and Engine 20 Charlie are both staffed with a fire engineer and firefighter.
Description: We have four crash rigs (also known as aircraft rescue and firefighting rigs, or AARF) at Fire Station 20 that are well equipped to handle any emergency at Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport. The three front line rigs work in tandem with each other and with the control tower to quickly mitigate incidents within the boundary of the airport. Each crash rig carries different types and quantities of extinguishing agents (water, foam, and Purple-K) so it can be prepared for the different types of fires that could occur at the airport (e.g., jet fuel fire).
Video: https://youtu.be/yqPnmUDAuAE

US&R A and B

A cut-out image of SJFD's US&R A rig.

Quantity: 1
Staffing: US&R 34 A and B are staffed with a fire captain, two fire engineers, and a firefighter paramedic split between the two apparatus.
Description: There is one urban search and rescue (US&R) company in San José, which is made up of US&R 34 A and B. They respond to all regular incidents, such as medical emergencies, traffic accidents, hazardous material incidents, and structure fires, but they specialize in building collapses, water rescues, confined-space rescue, and high-and-low-angle rope rescues. When responding to a fire, they are typically assigned to forcible entry, vertical ventilation, overhauls, and search and rescue. Additionally, US&R 34 A and B are both certified Type 1 Cal OES USAR apparatuses, which means that they can respond to emergencies anywhere within the state upon request.
USAR A Video: https://youtu.be/oJIJT_gRvQI
USAR B Video: https://youtu.be/DYLt95NaABE

US&R E

A cut-out image of SJFD's US&R E rig.

Quantity: 1
Staffing: US&R E is cross staffed with a fire engineer and either a firefighter or fire captain from US&R 34 A and B.
Description: US&R E is a powerful hauler that functions as a secondary support for US&R A and B. It can deliver a significant amount of supplies to support urban search and rescue operations such as structural collapse, water rescue, and trench rescue. It can both carry equipment on the 22-foot-long bed and haul one of the US&R company's many trailers that are full of specialized equipment. For example, it can carry lumber for shoring operations (shoring is the construction of a temporary structure to temporarily support an unsafe structure like a collapsed home). It also has extensive off-road capabilities.
USAR A Video: https://youtu.be/TZOd8nd4Y5A

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