Clayton’s First Responder on Wheels Saves Lives
When most people picture a fire truck, they are probably thinking of the fire engine. It is the truck that races out first with red lights flashing, sirens blaring, and crew members ready to act fast.
Every fire station in Clayton has a fire engine because every fire department must have one. Serving as the department’s front-line truck, the fire engine carries water, hoses, tools, and gear to fight fires immediately. Designed for one main job, its purpose is to put water on fire as quickly as possible.
Fire Captain Joel Shanks knows this truck inside and out. “The engine is the workhorse of the department,” he said. “When we arrive on scene, we secure a hydrant, stretch hand lines, and go straight to work knocking down the flames. That’s what we train for.”
The fire engine at Fire Station One (325 West Horne Street), added in 2024, is the newest in Clayton’s fleet. It carries 750 gallons of water and has a pump that can move up to 2,000 gallons per minute. In short, it is built to get water where it is needed quickly. Long hoses can be hooked to a hydrant to feed water into the truck. Then, firefighters connect hand lines and nozzles to spray water onto flames.
A panel on the side of the engine is filled with knobs and valves, each one controlling a specific hose or outlet. Among them are smaller lines, such as the booster hose, which is typically used for smaller incidents like brush fires.
While the engine is primarily built for fire suppression, it also responds to much more. It goes to medical calls, fire alarms, car accidents, and more. “If there is a call, the engine is almost always going,” said Shanks. That is because all Clayton firefighters are also trained Emergency Medical Technicians, or EMTs. They can give aid to people before an ambulance arrives.
It is important to remember that while a fire engine is a fire truck, not all fire trucks are fire engines. The word “fire truck” is a general term that can include ladder trucks and rescue trucks too. But the fire engine is the one you will see most often.
Because the engine is usually first on the scene, firefighters must be ready to act immediately. When a call comes in, firefighters have just 90 seconds to suit up, get into the truck, and hit the road. Even while riding to the scene, they are already planning what to do when they get there. “We read notes on the iPad, listen to the dispatcher, and think about what tools we will need,” said Shanks.
Once they arrive, they size up the scene, report what they see to other units, and get to work. If it is a fire, the engine crew connects to a water source, pulls a hand line, and starts putting out flames.
This fast action is why every second counts and why every fire engine matters.
Remember, when you see a fire engine with lights and sirens, please pull to the right and let it pass. That one move could help save a life.
