Rescue Apparatus
Apparatus carrying extrication, technical rescue and specialized equipment rather than water. Essentially a mobile tool room with power on board.
A rescue carries what other apparatus has no room for: hydraulic extrication tools, cutting and lifting equipment, shoring, rope and confined-space gear, and the generator and lighting to run a scene. Some carry a pump; some do not.
For a fleet the defining feature is the electrical and hydraulic load rather than the chassis. A rescue is closer to a mobile workshop than a truck, so generators, power take-off systems, light towers, reels and compartment systems are much of what can fail and much of what needs servicing. Those systems, rather than the drivetrain, usually put one out of service.
Because rescues respond to a wide range of calls and carry expensive equipment, their inventory and equipment testing obligations are often heavier than the vehicle maintenance itself.
