Captain - Craig Dwyer

1st Lieutenant - Jim Cornell

2nd Lieutenant - Bob Tutino

So just what does a Ladder Company do at a fire?

Unlike an Engine Company, a Ladder Company normally does not directly attack the fire itself. They are responsible for removing heat, smoke and gases by opening up "venting points" in a building. They are also responsible for the security of exits of a building on fire.

This is done, as an example, by cutting holes in the roofs of buildings as the hot and smoky cases will rise to the roof area.

All of this must be very carefully orchestrated with the firefighters of the Engine company.

So you can see that communication between the Engine and Hook & Ladder firefighters is essential. Ladder companies are also known as "truck", "hook-and-ladder", "aerial" or "snorkel" companies.

These descriptions do not even hint at the importance, the required planning and training required for an effective Ladder company. Here's a few points about Ladder companies:

• Ladder company work is required at every fire.

• Their prime assignment is to ventilate a fire building. This removes the dangerous and possibly explosive gases in a confined building area. An unvented fire building can be a very dangerous place to be, just waiting for the right set of circumstances to explode in a "back draft" situation.

• Sometimes personnel from a Ladder Company must forcibly enter a building using a variety of methods and tools.

Ladder Company operations usually are in conjunction with Engine Company operations, but sometimes events at a fire scene make that difficult.

Like the Engine Company they must rescue any victims.

Whenever practical they must protect adjoining exposures, such as nearby buildings and vehicles.

They must assist in extinguishing the fire and then overhaul the building to ensure that there are no remaining "hot spots" that could rekindle the fire.

As they also work in a hostile environment, Ladder Company personal must also use self protection air bottles in order to be able to breathe.

Click here to see what the what the traditional Engine company does at a fire.