Aerial appliances are specialised fire trucks equipped with large, extendable ladders or platforms that can reach high places. They are used for various tasks, including:
These appliances are particularly useful in scenarios where access to elevated areas is needed, such as in tall buildings or difficult terrain.
Aerial appliances aren't usually used for firefighting in high-rise buildings where people live because firefighters use the fire safety measures and equipment inside the building. If aerial appliances are sent to an incident. they are not used until we know that any people still inside the building are out of the way of the jets of water. The hoses can pump 2,400 litres of water a minute - that's seven baths full of water every 60 seconds.
Turntable ladders are our aerial appliances: specialised fire engines equipped with a large, ladder mounted on a turntable, allowing for 360-degree movement.
At the Brigade we have 32m ladders that can, in good conditions, reach up to approximately the tenth floor of a typical high-rise building, and 64m ladders, which reach roughly twenty floors up. Turntable ladders have a cage at the top where firefighters can direct a hose from or reach people that need to be rescued.
Our ladders are strategically based across the city, allowing them to respond to emergencies as quickly as possible.
Our 32m ladders can be found at the following stations:
Our 64m ladders are located at the following locations in London: