Fire Callsign Types
Below is a table of appliance callsign suffix against appliance type. Typical examples of appliance callsigns may be:
- 'Avalon 414' being Avalon Station (41), Appliance Callsign 4 (HEM with Pump)
- 'Auckland 2014' being Auckland City Station (20), Appliance Callsign 14 (Command Unit)
- 'Upper Hutt Rural 9475' being Upper Hutt Rural Fire Force (94), Appliance Callsign 75 (Rural Tanker).
Callsigns when written are often abbreviated with the first four letters of the station name followed by the appliance callsign, for example, Auckland 2014 is often abbreviated as 'AUCK2014'. When heard on the radio, stations may ommit the the Station Name all together ('2014'). This can risk confusion, as station numbers are repeated several times across New Zealand.
Type | Description |
---|---|
1 | Pump |
2 | Pump |
3 | Pump |
4 | Hydraulic Elevating Monitor (HEM) with Pump |
5 | Hydraulic Elevating Platform (HEP ) (Snorkel) |
6 | Turntable Ladder |
7 | Pump Rescue Tender (PRT) |
8 | Heavy Rescue (HRT) or Technical Rescue |
9 | Light Rescue Tender |
10 | Four Wheel Drive / Rural Unit |
11 | Tanker |
12 | Hose Layer |
13 | Foam Tender |
14 | Command Unit |
15 | BA Tender |
16 | HAZMAT & Decontamination Unit |
17 | Salvage Tender |
18 | HAZMAT / Command UnitNote 1 |
19 | Courier/Van |
20 | LRV (Light Response Vehicle) |
21 | Bulldozer |
22 | Flat-Deck Truck |
23 | Sea Rescue Unit |
24 | CAFS(compressed air foam system) 4x4 |
25 | Smoke Chaser |
26 | Fire Police or Operational Support |
27 | Helicopter |
28 | General Purpose Truck (Tip, Curtainsider, etc) |
29 | Brigade Van or other Support Vehicle |
30 | Rural Trailer Unit |
31 | RFO (Rural Fire Officer) |
32 | Pump (HAZMAT Capable) |
33 | Medical Co-responder Unit |
35 | Pump Technical Rescue (PTR) (Technical Rescue + Pump)Note 2 |
36 | Helicopter Support Unit/Trailer? |
38 | Rural Tanker (Operated by an Urban Brigade) |
40 | FSO (Fire Safety Officer) |
41 | FSO (Fire Safety Officer) |
42 | FSO (Fire Safety Officer) |
43 | FSO (Fire Safety Officer) |
44 | FSO (Fire Safety Officer) |
45 | FSO (Fire Safety Officer) |
51 | Relief Pump |
52 | Relief Pump |
53 | Relief Pump |
60 | Tanker 2 |
61 | Tanker 3 |
62 | Tanker 4 |
63 | Tanker 5 |
70 | Rural Pump |
71 | First Rural Pump |
72 | Second Rural Pump |
73 | Rural Pump |
74 | Rural Pump |
75 | First Rural Tanker |
76 | Second Rural Tanker |
77 | Rural Tanker |
78 | Rural Tanker |
79 | Rural Tanker |
80 | Rural Command Unit |
Note 1: Until 2010 the '18' suffix designated a Canteen Appliance. The only appliance to have held the '18' suffix in recent years was 'Balmoral 6118' operated by the Auckland Fire Police Unit; this appliance changed callsign to 'Auckland Fire Police 8' in the early 2000s. In 2010 the suffix was redesignated for new combination Hazardous Materials / Command and Control units being rolled out across New Zealand.
Note 2: Previous generations of Scanning Enthusiast websites have indicated that the callsign suffix '35' once designated a Technical Liason Officer (TLO). This role is now known as a 'Hazardous Substances Advisor' (HSA) and the callsign suffix had not been used for several years prior to the commissioning of the first '35' appliance.
It should be noted that whilst the above table is generally true, there are exceptions to the rule in some areas.