John Morris & Sons Limited of Cross Lane, Salford, Manchester, Lancashire, were manufacturers of all kinds of fire fighting equipment from fire engines, manual then motorised, fire retardant foams, and electrical fire alarms, down to firemen's axes and fire buckets. [1]
John Morris & Sons Limited is now a dormant subsidiary of Schneider Electric Limited, manufacturers of industrial safety systems.
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The business was founded in Salford by John Morris by 1877. After he retired in 1905 his three sons – John, James and Fred – incorporated a limited liability company, John Morris and Sons Limited. This company remains in existence but dormant. Part of its former business is continued by a division of Schneider Electric industrial safety systems.
John Morris senior invented and patented his Morris instantaneous coupling for fire hoses in 1876. (1876: Hose-Coupling, No.175,232). Not only was coupling instantaneous but the water flow was much less restricted. It became a British Standard coupling (BS 336) at the time of the Second World War, and is now known as British Instantaneous. [2]
John Morris (Firesnow) Limited was incorporated in May 1921 to take over the business of fire engineer previously carried on under the name James Morris in Albert Square, Manchester. [3]
Managing director John Morris junior invented a compound in a froth-forming liquid charged with carbonic acid gas which when sprayed on a fire prevents combustion by excluding oxygen.
It was demonstrated to interested parties in May 1920. [4] In 1952 a new Firesnow factory was built in Stockport Cheshire.
John Morris (Firesnow) Limited 00174760 was liquidated in 1971 and dissolved. [5]
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At Salford Fire Engine Works, Manchester 5, John Morris and Sons manufactured:
A long established maker of horse-drawn fire-engines, John Morris and Sons came a little late to the manufacture of motor vehicles. [6]
John Morris and Sons' first motor driven "first-aid motor fire engine" was built in 1905 for Cape Town's Metropolitan Fire Service. [7] It was fitted with a 30–40 h.p. Belsize engine and provided accommodation for six firemen. [8]
The first motor-driven fire-pump built by John Morris and Sons was for the Bury Town Council. It was built in 1909 after Morris and Sons had already turned out from its works a large number of motor-driven first-aid engines, tenders, and fire-escapes. [9]
Their Ajax petrol-propelled motor pump was fitted with a 70 b.h.p. engine which drove a special form of turbine pump which, it was claimed by the makers, had advantages over similar existing apparatus of other makes as well as over various types of reciprocating pump which were also being offered. The pump was extremely compact, leaving room for considerable first-aid plant including a 50-ft. sliding-carriage escape, a 30-gallon chemical tank complete with reel and hose, and stowage capacity for 2,000 ft. of hose and all the other standard equipment suitable for such a turnout. The capacity of the standard pump offered by this maker was rated at 350 gallons per minute although an alternative 450-gallon pattern was also available. [10]
Manchester Corporation acquired its first self-propelled units in 1911 including a John Morris motor pump of 500-gallon capacity. The John Morris pump had a Belsize engine. Two more John Morris 400–500-gallon motor pumps and a John Morris motor hose-carriage were added in 1913 and the next year four more John Morris motor pumps were added, one with a long-stroke engine. The war diverted production but a three-ton Belsize chassis was equipped by John Morris and Sons with a 350-gallon pump in 1917. It was joined in 1919 by another John Morris four-cylinder 500-gallon motor pump, this time fitted with a long-stroke engine enabling pumping capacity to be lifted to 500–600 gallons of water per minute. A similar unit was supplied the next year. [11]
In 1952, John Morris and Sons offered a 100-foot turntable pump escape on a Leyland Beaver haulage-type chassis. It incorporated a device providing automatic compensation for road camber and gradient and an automatic cut-out when the escape reached the safety limit of extension at a given angle of elevation. The hydraulic escape ladder reached full height in 18–20 seconds. In an emergency, the ladder could be operated manually. There was a two-way loudspeaker telephone. The Coventry-Climax pump had a capacity of 350–500 g.p.m. The usual compartment behind the driver's cab seated a crew of four, and at the sides and rear of the platform were lockers for storing hose, monitor branches, unions, tools and other equipment. The escape stopped instantly if the ladder met any obstruction while being moved. [12]
Siebe Gorman, manufacturers of diving and breathing apparatus, bought John Morris and Sons for cash in January 1970. [13] Siebe Gorman merged with BTR in 1999 to form Invensys, which became part of Schneider Electric in 2013.[ citation needed ]
A fire engine or fire truck is a vehicle, usually a specially-designed or modified truck, that functions as a firefighting apparatus. The primary purposes of a fire engine include transporting firefighters and water to an incident as well as carrying equipment for firefighting operations in a fire drill. Some fire engines have specialized functions, such as wildfire suppression and aircraft rescue and firefighting, and may also carry equipment for technical rescue.
The Los Angeles Fire Department provides firefighting services as well as technical rescue services, hazardous materials services and emergency medical services to the citizens of the city of Los Angeles, California, United States. The LAFD is responsible for approximately four million people who live in the agency's 471 square miles (1,220 km2) jurisdiction. The Los Angeles Fire Department was founded in 1886 and is the third largest municipal fire department in the United States, after the New York City Fire Department and the Chicago Fire Department. The department is sometimes also referred to as the Los Angeles City Fire Department or "LA City Fire" to distinguish it from the Los Angeles County Fire Department, which serves unincorporated areas and, via contracts, other incorporated municipalities within Los Angeles County without their own fire departments. The department is currently under the command of Chief Kristin Crowley.
Firefighting jargon includes a diverse lexicon of both common and idiosyncratic terms. One problem that exists in trying to create a list such as this is that much of the terminology used by a particular department is specifically defined in their particular standing operating procedures, such that two departments may have completely different terms for the same thing. For example, depending on whom one asks, a safety team may be referred to as a standby, a RIT or RIG or RIC, or a FAST. Furthermore, a department may change a definition within its SOP, such that one year it may be RIT, and the next RIG or RIC.
This is a glossary of firefighting equipment.
Established in 1901, Belsize Motors was based in Clayton, Manchester, England. The company was founded by Marshall & Company and took its name from their Belsize works, where they had built bicycles.
A wildland fire engine or brush truck is a fire engine specifically designed to assist in fighting wildfires by transporting firefighters to the scene and providing them with access to the fire, along with water or other equipment. There are multiple types of wildfire apparatus which are used in different scenarios. According to the U.S. National Fire Protection Association, if the apparatus will be used primarily for outdoor and wildland responses, then it is to be considered a wildland fire apparatus and must conform to NFPA 1906.
A wildland water tender is a specialized vehicle capable of bringing water, foam, or dry chemicals to fire trucks in the field that are engaged on the fireline. Water tenders have a large truck mounted tank that carries a minimum 1,000 gallons and up to 4,000 gallons of water. These vehicles are specifically designed for fire fighting often with four-wheel drive, rugged suspension and high wheel clearance for mountainous dirt road conditions. According to the National Fire Protection Association, if the apparatus will be used primarily for outdoor and wildland responses, then it is to be considered a wildland fire apparatus and must conform to NFPA 1906.
The National Rail Museum in Chanakyapuri, New Delhi, displays exhibits on the history of rail transport in India. The museum was inaugurated on 1 February 1977. The museum spans over an area of over 4.4 hectares and the indoor gallery comprises an octagonal building which houses six display galleries and a large open area is laid out to simulate the atmosphere of a railway yard. It is open every day except Mondays and national holidays.
The Worsley Hotel Fire was a major arson fire at the Worsley Hotel in Maida Vale, London on 13 December 1974. It killed seven people, including a probationary firefighter.
The M970 Semi-Trailer Refueler is a 5,000-U.S.-gallon fuel dispensing tanker designed for under/overwing refueling of aircraft. It is equipped with a filter/separator, recirculation system and two refueling systems, one for underwing and one for overwing servicing. The tanker is designed to be towed by a 5-ton, 6x6 truck tractor or similar vehicle equipped with a fifth wheel. The M970 can be loaded through the bottom or through the top fill openings. A ladder is provided at the front of the semitrailer for access to the top manhole, and a 4-cylinder diesel engine and pump assembly provides self load/unload capability. The body of the refueler is a 5,000-U.S.-gallon, single compartment, stainless steel tank. The chassis is of welded steel construction and is equipped with full floating tandem axles and a manually operated landing gear. There has been talk of retiring the M970, but a suitable off-road replacement has not been found. The Marine Corps also uses R-9 and R-10 tankers, but they are not capable of off road use. The M970 is a part of the "United States Marine Corps Maintenance Center - Albany, Georgia, USA - An Integrated Enterprise Scheduling Case Study" which is working to upgrade the Semitrailer for future use.
A muster is an event pertaining to fire/rescue services. It is held in a central area such as a park and has many activities for fire department members and sometimes other community members. A muster typically revolves around a firematic competition between fire companies from around the surrounding area. Other attractions include a flea market, live music, food, demonstrations, apparatus judging, vehicle shows and contests.
Mather & Platt is the name of several large engineering firms in Europe, South Africa and Asia that are subsidiaries of Wilo SE, Germany or were founded by former employees. The original company was founded in the Newton Heath area of Manchester, England, where it was a major employer. That firm continues as a food processing and packaging business, trading as M & P Engineering in Trafford Park, Manchester.
Flexible suction hose, not to be confused with hard suction hose in U.S., is a specific type of fire hose used in drafting operations, when a fire engine uses a vacuum to draw water from a portable water tank, pool, or other static water source. It is built to withstand vacuum, rather than pressure, abrasion, and heat. Conversely, hard suction is capable of withstanding up to 200 PSIG, as well as vacuum. In the United States, it is standard equipment according to the National Fire Protection Association standards for fire engines. It is used in both structural and wildland firefighting throughout the world, and is made in various diameters and connection types.
The Dennis Sabre is a purpose-built fire engine produced by Dennis Specialist Vehicles of Guildford, Surrey, England from 1995 to 2007. It was the last full-size fire appliance produced by the company before its closure in 2007.
Pyronaut is a specialised form of fireboat known as a fire-float. It was built in 1934 by Charles Hill & Sons Ltd., Albion Dock Bristol, Yard No. 208. Registered number 333833. She is owned by Bristol Museums and based at M Shed in Bristol's Floating Harbour.
Fire services in the United Kingdom use a variety of fire appliances, which perform a wide range of general and specialised roles and fit into several distinct categories. Contemporary fire appliances carry a multitude of equipment and firefighting media to deal with different types of emergencies ranging from fires, rescues, vehicle extrication, floods, salvage, casualty and trauma care.
The St. John's Fire District as established in 1959 pursuant with Legislative Act 369 to provide fire protection and associated services. Operating from seven strategically located stations, the District provides fire, rescue, and emergency medical services. The District is managed by a Commission composed of nine individuals.
The Yonkers Fire Department (YFD) provides fire protection and emergency medical services to the city of Yonkers, New York, United States.
An electric fire engine is a fire engine that is powered by an electric motor—essentially, an electric vehicle designed and used for firefighting. Electric fire engines were first proposed in the 19th century to replace the steam pumpers used for firefighting. The electric motor was claimed to be simpler, cleaner, and faster in operation, would save money, and require less maintenance than the steam fire engine. Though production of most electric-powered fire engines ended in the early 20th century when they were superseded by diesel-powered fire engines, they have seen a revival in the 21st century, with fire engine manufacturers such as Rosenbauer and Pierce Manufacturing designing their own electric fire engines.
The Penrith Museum of Fire is an Australian firefighting museum that contains heritage-listed former operating and stored for preservation fire service vehicles located in Penrith, Sydney, Australia. The provenance of the firefighting vehicles date from 1841 to 1998. The fleet of vehicles was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 25 February 2013.