The team members of the Engine Company are charged with one, big job: douse a fire with water as quickly as possible. Be it from outside the building, inside with the flames, or from high atop a truck-mounted “bucket” their hoses blast powerful jets of water right into the heart of the fire.
Engine Officer
The main jobs of the Officer at the fire scene are to keep track of his company and lead them into the fire. The Officer has to make sure that the new Firefighters, "Probies", are teamed up with more experienced Firefighters.
Engine Chauffeur
The Engine Chauffeur is in charge of driving the fire engine and controlling the water pump. All of the other firefighters are counting on the engine to deliver water they need to put out the fire.
Control Position
Firefighters in the Door/Control position work with the Chauffeur to hook the hoses up to the hydrant and Engine. The Door/Control is also responsible for estimating how many lengths of hose it will take to get the water from the Engine to the fire, and to keep the hose free of knots and kinks.
Nozzle
At the scene of a fire the first job of the firefighter in the Nozzle position is to ensure the nozzle is hooked up to the first length of hose. When the team is in place, the Nozzle position advances the hose into the burning building.
Backup
When the water is turned on, the hose is very heavy and difficult to control. The Backup Firefighter is positioned like a human brace behind the shoulder of the firefighter in the Nozzle position. The Backup firefighter becomes the main "push" of the hose line and helps to alleviate most of the weight and pressure for the Nozzle firefighter.
