Playmobil City Fire Department brush firefighting units on the job.

[Bill Blackhurst]

Hi Tim!
I'm glad you like the large brush firefighting units B1, B2, & B3! They are from set #3191 Dinosaur Expedition theme. I really liked the front brush guard, & winch, with the roof cable guide system that comes standard on that vehicle. Plus it comes already red so painting was not needed  ! It also comes with the grey flat load platform so it was an easy conversion to a firefighting piece of equipment! The custom water tanker striping is red automotive vinyl pinstripe as we call it. 1/16" & 1/8" double roll. I get it from automotive paint stores. The numbers & letters I have found in a hobby shop all different sizes & colors. The letter, & numbers come on sheets sizes 1/4" up to 2". I am using the Gothic style. I have even labeled all of my fire department's units with their respective district, station, vehicle type, custom numbering system like the brush firefighting units B3. The first number in the vehicles unit number is the district. Playmobil City Fire Department is so large that it has been divided into 2 individual districts known as 1 & 2.
An apparatus with the first number that is a 1 comes from district 1, the second number is the assigned station number, stations 1 through 4. the last number is the apparatus type. 1,2,3, is for engine/pumpers, 4 is for tower ladders, 5 is for straight ladders no platform, 6 is for medium duty rescue, 7 is for heavy rescue. 8 is for SUV trucks that pull trailers & have special duties, but these vehicles have a forth number in the unit ID because there may be multiples of this type of vehicle assigned to one station. Examples; E111 is an engine from district 1, station 1, engine 1, E212 is an engine from district 2, station 1, engine 2, TL114 is a Tower Ladder from district 1, station 1, vehicle type 4, tower ladder with a rescue platform. T1 is a water tanker from district 1. B3 is a brush fire firefighting apparatus these types of vehicles are not assigned to any particular station or district.  1181 is a SUV from district 1, station 1, vehicle type 8, unit number 1,  1182 is a SUV from district 1, station 1, vehicle type 8, unit number 2.   Sorry, I seem to be rambling.... if you have any questions or need me to get something for you let me know, I will gladly do whatever I can!
Best Wishes,
Bill

[Gepetto]

Thanks for the numbering explanation Bill, some seem obvious but I could not figure out the 'B' prefix and I didn't think about the districts, so much to learn! I really am enjoying learning about Fire and Rescue operations, especially the similarity and differences in other locales and countries. Thank you to everyone for sharing their interest and expertise with us!



Gepetto

[Tim_w]

Hello Bill,

Thank you very much indeed for the explanation on the numbering of your fire vehicles. I found it very interesting indeed. Is this numbering system unique to your Playmo fire service or did you base it on a real life fire service. I know over here in the UK different fire brigades use different numbering systems and abbreviations for appliances. It can get quite confusing because vehicles in different regions can have different abbreviations but ultimately do the same job .
I really do like the numbers you use on your vehicles. I have been meaning to add stickers to my fire engines for some time now but haven't got round to it. One of the main things i would like to do is add the station names. I have done quite a lot of work (on paper and in my head) when it comes down to my Playmo fire stations and where they fit in as a whole

Kindest Regards  Tim 

[Bill Blackhurst]

Hello Gepetto & Tim!

Thank you both for the positive reviews!

The numbering system I have started using on my apparatus is a combination of actuality, & made up. As you said about the UK Tim, it depends on individual departments, counties, mutual aide agreements, etc, & it can get really confusing, especially for dispatchers trying to keep track of multiple vehicles on a large scale operation if from different areas. Years ago, when I was a firefighter, all of the department's in the county I lived in, were starting to be dispatched by a central dispatch bureau. The bureau chief started a county wide numbering system similar to mine, but it included all 16 fire departments. The one big problem was each department had engines 1,2,3. The chief wanted to number each departments engines like I do mine for example, company 12's engine 1 would be  121.
It made sense, but the problem back then was engines had 24 karat gold leaf lettering on them. Put on by hand, swirled by brushes, & covered with varnish. It was an art that today has been lost due to vinyl stickers or decals. The cost of changing all of the engines numbering was outrageous, which caused a lot of tension between the departments, & the bureau.

I look forward to seeing your creations that you are working out in your head, Tim  !

[Jimbo]

Great set up, Bill.  The white water truck is very nice, (as is the rest of the vehicles!)
Thanks for sharing.

Best regards,
Jimbo

[Bill Blackhurst]

Great set up, Bill.  The white water truck is very nice, (as is the rest of the vehicles!)
Thanks for sharing.
Best regards,
Jimbo

Thanks again Jimbo!

[leefert]

Nice work Bill!