Aerial appliance

The London Fire Brigade defines aerial appliances as specialised fire engines or trucks equipped with large, extendable ladders or platforms that can reach high places. They are used for various tasks, including: Firefighting: Delivering water from above to douse fires. As such might be defined in three categories; aerial ladder appliances (installed directly on fire engines or on a separate trailer attached to an engine), elevated platform appliances and elevated water appliances.

Such appliances are used for a number of different tasks, including:

• Firefighting: Delivering water from above to douse fires.
• Rescue Operations: Reaching and rescuing people trapped at high elevations.
• Observation: Providing a vantage point for assessing fire scenes or other situations.
• Lighting: Illuminating areas during emergencies, especially in low visibility conditions.

These appliances are particularly useful in scenarios where access to elevated areas is needed, such as in tall buildings or difficult terrain. As such the term was also referred to in the Phase 2 final report of the Grenfell tragedy enquiry.

Planning Gateway One - Glossary, published on the Planning Portal, defines a high-reach or aerial fire appliance as a: ‘Fire service vehicle with an integrated ladder/platform system allowing access for firefighters and the delivery of water at heights in excess of those capable by removable ladders.’

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings

• Accountable Person.
• Building Safety Act 2022.
• Building Safety Regulator.
• Construction fire safety responsibility and competence matrix.
• Dry riser.
• Emergency services.
• Fire.
• Fire and rescue service.
• Fire authority.
• Fire damper.
• Fire detection and alarm systems.
• Fire fatalities in Scotland.
• Fire protection engineering.
• Fire safety design.
• Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022.
• Firefighting lift.
• Firefighting route.
• Grenfell Tower tragedy.
• Higher Risk Buildings.
• Independent Grenfell Tower Inquiry.
• Joint fire code.
• Smoke detector.
• The causes of false fire alarms in buildings.
• The Fire Safety Act 2021.
• The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
• Wet riser.

[edit] External references

• Civil Contingencies Act 2004.
• Efficiency, effectiveness and productivity.
• Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004.
• Fire and Rescue national framework.
• Fire and Rescue Service (Emergencies)(England) Order 2007.
• Fire Futures report: government response (Department for Communities and Local Government, 2011).
• Localism and accountability.
• National interests.
• Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
• Role of the Fire and Rescue Service.