When we see a passing fire truck, many of us do not think about the technical markings applied on board. However, it is the letters and numbers, such as AC, ACG or AZLThey carry critical information about the functional purpose of the equipment. For the layman it is just a code, but for the firefighter it is the passport of the car, which determines its tactical and technical capabilities in an emergency situation.
abbreviation AC It stands for "tank truck." This is the most massive and universal type of firefighting equipment that can be found in any village. The main task of such a car is not only to deliver a combat crew to the place of call, but also to bring with them a supply of fire extinguishing agent, most often water, as well as a foaming agent. Without this machine, extinguishing most fires would be impossible or extremely difficult.
In this article, we will discuss in detail what exactly fire-car It differs from other special equipment, how its tank and pump are arranged, and we will also consider the main modifications. You will understand why this type of equipment is the basis of the fire department and what requirements are imposed on it.
Decoding of the abbreviation ATS and its meaning
In the system of designations of fire equipment, adopted in Russia and CIS countries, each letter has a strictly defined meaning. AC This is the basic marking meaning “Cistern Car”. The first letter “A” indicates that the chassis is a car, not a tracked, rail or aircraft. The second letter "C" directly indicates the presence on board of the container for liquid.
It is important to understand that the presence of a tank is not an option, but a defining feature. If the chassis is installed only a pump and sleeves, but there is no water tank, it will be ATSN (Tank-tank pump) or simply a pump-sleeve car, although in modern classification pure ATS are rare. The main purpose of the classical AC is autonomous work in the fire without the need for immediate connection to an external water supply.
⚠️ Do not confuse the AQ with the AKA (AV). Although staircases may also have small water tanks, their primary purpose is to work high altitudes rather than delivering a large volume of fire extinguishing agent.
The numbers following the letters in the full model designation (e.g., ATS-4.0-40) also carry specific information. They indicate the volume of the tank in cubic meters and the pump performance in liters per second. This allows the dispatcher and the guard chief to instantly assess the vehicle’s firefighting life.
Design features of a fire tanker
Modern device fire-car is a complex engineering complex mounted on a special cross-country chassis. The main design elements are the tank, the pumping compartment, the compartment for fire-technical weapons and the crew cabin. All these components must work as a single mechanism in extreme conditions.
The tank is made of corrosion-resistant materials, most often stainless steel or special aluminum alloys, to withstand constant contact with water and chemical additives. Inside the tank, "wave breakers" are often installed - special partitions that extinguish the inertia of the liquid when braking sharply or turning the car, maintaining the stability of the car on the road.
Why is the shape of the tank important?
The shape of the tank (usually elliptical or square with rounded corners) is not chosen by chance. It allows you to use the chassis space as efficiently as possible and at the same time reduce the center of gravity of the car, which is critical for the safety of movement when fully loaded with water.
The pump room is the heart of the machine. There is a fire pump that creates the necessary pressure to supply water to the trunks. Modern pumps allow you to work in two modes: normal pressure (up to 40 atmospheres) and high pressure, which makes it possible to extinguish fires on the upper floors of buildings without using ladders.
- 🚒 Pumping unit: provides a water supply under pressure, can be centrifugal or piston.
- 🚒 Foam mixer: device for dosed mixing of foaming agent in the water stream.
- 🚒 Vacuum system: is necessary for the primary intake of water from open water bodies.
Main modifications and types of firefighters
Fire equipment is not universal for all situations, so there are many modifications of the basic system. tanker-vehicle. The choice of a specific type depends on the terrain, type of development and specialization of the unit. Understanding the differences helps to correctly assess the capabilities of the arrived on the call calculation.
The most common ATS for urban conditions. They have compact dimensions, a maneuverable chassis (often 4x2 or 4x4) and an average tank volume (2-5 cubic meters). For rural areas and forests, cross-country vehicles with the 6x6 wheel formula are used, equipped with large tanks (up to 10 cubic meters or more) and an additional foaming agent reserve.
Special attention should be paid to the airfield ATS. These are the most powerful machines capable of high speed and equipped with foam supply systems under great pressure. They are radically different from the standard urban “barrels” and are designed to extinguish aviation fuel.
| Type of ATS | Tank capacity (m3) | Pump performance (l/s) | Specificity of application |
|---|---|---|---|
| City lung | 2.0 - 3.0 | 30 - 40 | Narrow streets, small settlements |
| Urban primary | 4.0 - 5.0 | 40 - 60 | Multi-storey building, industry |
| Forest (Ural/KAMAZ) | 5.0 - 8.0 | 40 - 60 | Off-road, forest areas, remote villages |
| Aerodrome | 10.0 - 18.0 | 100+ | Aircraft fuel extinguishing, runways |
Technical characteristics and capabilities of the pump
The key element that turns a truck with a barrel of water into a fire-car, is a pump. Its characteristics determine how high and with what intensity the water will be supplied. Modern centrifugal pumps are capable of creating enough pressure to supply the jet to the height of a 10-storey house.
The pump performance is measured in liters per second. The standard value for the main AC is 40 l / s. This means that the machine can simultaneously feed water to several barrels. For example, one carriage barrel consumes about 20-30 liters per second, so one AC can provide two such powerful installations or four conventional hand barrels.
⚠️ Note: The operation of the pump on the "dry" (without water) is strictly prohibited. This leads to overheating of seals and destruction of mechanical parts in a matter of seconds.
An important characteristic is also the suction height. The fire pump should be able to suck water from an open source (river, pond, well) from a depth of 7 meters. To do this, a vacuum system is used, which creates a vacuum in the pump body, raising water up the sleeves.
The pump performance of 40 l / s is the gold standard, allowing you to effectively extinguish fires in residential buildings of medium-rise.
Fire and technical weapons in the ATS
The water in the tank will not extinguish the fire if it is not delivered to the hearth. Therefore fire-car equipped with a whole arsenal of equipment placed in special compartments (penalties) on the sides of the body. The package is strictly regulated by the table of position.
First of all, these are fire hoses - flexible pipelines through which water is supplied. A standard AC can have up to 1,200 meters of pressure hoses with a diameter of 66 mm and several hundred meters of sleeves with a diameter of 51 mm for internal work. Also, the presence of branches, connecting heads and trunks is required.
- 🧯 Foam barrels: for the generation of air-mechanical foam during extinguishing of petroleum products.
- 🪓 Emergency rescue tool: axes, scraps, benzoresis, hydraulic scissors.
- 🔦 Lighting equipment: floodlights, lights, signal beacons for work in the dark.
A special place is occupied by equipment for working with foam. The AC includes canisters with a foaming agent and devices for mixing it with water. Foam is necessary for extinguishing combustible liquids, as it blocks the access of oxygen and cools the surface.
Procedure for filling and servicing tanker vehicles
Readiness fire-car The departure depends on regular and quality service. After each return to the garage, the car is refueled. The process includes filling the tank with clean water, foaming powder, fueling and checking life support systems.
Water intake can be carried out in several ways: from the hydrant through the pressure-suction sleeves, from an open reservoir using a suction line or by gravity from the water supply network. The filling speed of a tank with a volume of 4000 liters is an average of 5-7 minutes with a good pressure in the network.
☑️ Daily inspection of the ATS
Maintenance includes lubrication of pump nodes, checking the tightness of joints, washing the tank (especially after using seawater or chemicals) and testing the vacuum system. Neglect of these procedures can lead to failure of the equipment at the most critical moment.
In winter, after each trip, water must be completely drained from the pump and sleeve line to avoid freezing and rupturing the pipes.
Differences between ATS and other types of fire equipment
There is often confusion between the different acronyms on the sides of fire engines. Understanding the difference between AC, AR (car sleeve) and AL (Advanced) is important for a proper assessment of the situation. ATS is a “workhorse” that brings water and foam.
The sleeve car (AR) has no water tank or it is very small. Its main task is to deliver a huge number of sleeves (up to 4 km) to supply water from a remote source to the site of a fire or to pump water from one AC to another. Al is designed to lift people and supply water to height, combining the functions of a ladder and a carriage trunk.
⚠️ Attention: ATS is not designed to lift people to height with a carriage trunk, unless it is equipped with a special cranked staircase or arrow.
Thus, the ATS is the basic element of any fire garrison. This is where most fires begin to be extinguished until specialized machines are on the way. The versatility, reliability and reserve of fire extinguishing agent make it indispensable.
Why do the ATC sometimes write “Ogonek” or other names?
These are the so-called "names" of cars that are given by units for the convenience of radio communication and morale. Officially, the car is still listed as AC-4.0-40 on the basis of KAMAZ. Such names help the dispatcher to identify a particular machine on the air faster.
Can the ATC work without connecting to an external water supply?
Yeah, that's her main advantage. Thanks to the tank and the system of water intake from open water bodies, the AC is completely autonomous. Water from the tank is consumed first, and in parallel can be drawn from an external source for continuous supply.
What type of foaming agent is used in modern ATS?
Most often used synthetic foaming agents of the type AFF (film-forming) or protein. They are more environmentally friendly than old compounds and have a high multiplicity, which allows you to effectively cover large areas of combustion of fuel.