Quick Answer
Description
Written by retired Los Angeles City Fire Department Battalion Chief John Mittendorf, Truck Company Operations (Second Edition) is an authoritative operational reference from Fire Engineering Books designed to instill tactical discipline and technical proficiency across fireground support missions. Organized across 18 detailed chapters, the volume opens with fundamental operational principles—including the author's renowned 'Ten Commandments of Truck Company Operations'—and thoroughly explores apparatus response, maneuverability, and strategic positioning. Mittendorf places significant emphasis on proactive size-up methodologies, guiding readers through the technical disciplines of reading smoke indicators and identifying architectural features across varied building construction types before committing teams to dangerous interior or roof positions.
The text systematically details core fireground tasks, providing step-by-step guidance on conventional and specialized forcible entry, elevator extrication, portable ladder deployments, interior search and rescue, salvage, overhaul, and multi-system utility control across electrical, gas, and domestic water infrastructure. Four comprehensive chapters are dedicated exclusively to ventilation, examining aerodynamic principles, pressurized tactics, ventilation equipment, and precise cutting sequences for both traditional heavy timber and modern engineered lightweight roofs. Supported by review questions and field-tested tactical illustrations, this second edition serves as an essential manual for operating crews seeking to coordinate ventilation and forcible entry with active engine company hose lines.
Institutional Use
Truck Company Operations is a foundational curriculum adoption and training manual across public safety institutions:
- Fire Training Academies: Serves as a standard textbook for dedicated truck company training courses, teaching recruits fundamental laddering, forcible entry, utility shut-off, and roof ventilation techniques.
- Collegiate Fire Science Programs: Adopted in associate and bachelor's degree courses focused on fireground strategy, tactics, and building construction safety.
- Promotional Testing Authorities: Regularly designated by municipal civil service commissions and fire department assessment centers as a core reference text for promotional examinations to driver/engineer, lieutenant, and captain ranks.
- Departmental In-Service Training: Consulted by training bureaus and command staff to develop standard operating guidelines (SOGs) for apparatus positioning, structural size-up, and coordinated fireground operations.
Product Details
| ISBN-13 | 9781593702182 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10 | 1593702183 |
| Edition | 2nd Edition |
| Authors | John Mittendorf |
| Publisher | Fire Engineering Books |
| Publication date | 2010-10-20 |
| Format | Hardcover |
| Page count | 482 pages |
| Language | English |
| Category | Fire & Emergency Services |
| List price | $54.99 / copy |
| Min. order | 5 copies |
| Condition | New |
Table of Contents
- Chapter 1: Truck Company Basics
- Chapter 2: Certification, Response, and Placement Considerations
- Chapter 3: Apparatus
- Chapter 4: Reading a Building
- Chapter 5: Reading Smoke
- Chapter 6: Forcible Entry
- Chapter 7: Elevator Extrication
- Chapter 8: Ground Ladders
- Chapter 9: Search and Rescue
- Chapter 10: Overhaul
- Chapter 11: Salvage
- Chapter 12: Electrical Utilities
- Chapter 13: Gas Utilities
- Chapter 14: Water Utilities
- Chapter 15: Ventilation Principles
- Chapter 16: Pressurized Ventilation
- Chapter 17: Ventilation Rules and Equipment
- Chapter 18: Roof Ventilation Techniques for Conventional and Lightweight Construction
Key Topics
- The Ten Commandments of truck company operations
- Apparatus response, positioning, and tactical fireground placement
- Building construction analysis and structural behavior under fire conditions
- Reading smoke to assess fire location, volume, and spread potential
- Forcible entry tools and entry techniques
- Elevator and escalator rescue operations
- Ground ladder selection, carrying, and raising techniques
- Coordinated primary and secondary search and rescue operations
- Fireground salvage and overhaul procedures
- Utility control and mitigation (gas, electrical, and water systems)
- Ventilation mechanics, pressurized ventilation, and equipment
- Tactical roof ventilation cuts for conventional and lightweight construction
Who This Is For
- Fire academy cadets and recruit firefighter training programs
- College fire science and emergency management degree candidates
- Active truck company firefighters and engine company cross-trained crews
- Fire company officers preparing for promotional examinations (driver/operator, lieutenant, captain)
- Municipal and regional fire rescue training divisions and instructors
Institutional & Bulk Ordering
- Minimum order: 5 copies, with tiered pricing at higher quantities
- Purchase orders and Net-30 terms accepted for qualifying institutions
- Tax-exempt certificates accepted for qualifying accounts
- Free worldwide shipping, no sales tax
Edition & Identifier Check
Always confirm this exact ISBN-13 and edition (9781593702182) against your syllabus or procurement request before ordering — editions of this title are not interchangeable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What edition is this volume, and how does it differ from the earlier version?
A: This is the Second Edition of Truck Company Operations, published by Fire Engineering Books. Authored by retired LACoFD Battalion Chief John Mittendorf, it features a complete rewrite expanding the text into 18 chapters, incorporating extensive updates on reading buildings, reading smoke, apparatus capabilities, and lightweight construction ventilation.
Q: What physical format and page length correspond to ISBN 9781593702182?
A: ISBN 9781593702182 corresponds to the official Hardback edition, comprising text, diagrams, photographs, and chapter review questions.
Q: How is this text utilized in civil service and fire promotional testing?
A: The text is widely selected by fire department training bureaus and civil service examination boards as an official study source for firefighter promotional exams, particularly for driver/engineer, company officer, and truck company assignment evaluations.
Q: Does the book cover lightweight construction roof ventilation?
A: Yes. Chapter 18 is specifically devoted to roof ventilation techniques, detailing precise cutting sequences and structural safety guidelines for both conventional construction and modern engineered lightweight roof systems.
Q: What is the minimum order quantity for this title?
A: The minimum order is 5 copies. Tiered pricing applies at 5, 10, and 25 copies; orders of 100 or more copies are quoted directly by email.
Q: Is this the correct edition for my program or syllabus?
A: This listing is ISBN 9781593702182 (ISBN-10 1593702183). Please confirm this exact identifier and edition against your syllabus or procurement request before ordering, as editions of this title are not interchangeable.
Q: Do you accept purchase orders and offer Net-30 terms?
A: Yes. Purchase orders and Net-30 terms are accepted for qualifying institutions, and tax-exempt certificates are accepted at checkout.
Q: Do you ship internationally?
A: Yes, Global Academic Supply offers free worldwide shipping with no sales tax on qualifying orders.