00:27This is a production of WGBH.
01:53Seagrave fire apparatus is assembled today the way it has always been, by hand.
01:58That's right.
02:00Although Seagrave's facility does include automated machines, human workers still carefully handcraft many of the parts of their trucks and
02:08engines.
02:10However, that doesn't mean that there haven't been significant changes over time to various techniques and available technology.
02:43You may have noticed that we've been making a distinction between fire engines...
02:49and fire trucks.
02:51That's because engines and trucks are two different types of fire apparatus.
02:57Fire engines, or pumpers, primarily do the job that their name implies, mechanically pumping water or a chemical extinguisher through
03:06a hose to put out a fire.
03:10Most are fitted with a tank on board, allowing them to carry up to 1,000 gallons of water and
03:1620 gallons of chemical foam and to fight a fire immediately on arrival.
03:21Other engines, meanwhile, rely on external connections to a fire hydrant, lake or other water source.
03:32Pumpers have powerful engines and can reach speeds of 65 to 70 miles per hour, making them among the fastest
03:40firefighting vehicles on the road.
03:43Fire trucks, meanwhile, do not always have a water tank and pump, but instead carry ladders, tools for breaking into
03:50burning structures, and specialized rescue equipment.
03:53Fire trucks are also experimental and people can track their own system.
