A fire engine is a vehicle, usually a specially built or modified truck, that serves as firefighting apparatus, carrying firefighters, water and equipment to an emergency. Firefighting technology dates back centuries: Ctesibius of Alexandria is credited with inventing the first fire pump around the second century BC, Hans Hautsch built a compressed-air fire engine in 1650, and Philadelphia acquired a hand-pumped engine in 1719. Motorized fire engines first appeared in Paris in 1897 and had largely replaced horse-drawn engines by the early twentieth century. Modern fire engines carry specialized personnel and equipment for a wide range of incidents, from urban structure fires to wildland fires to aircraft emergencies, and increasingly incorporate thermal imaging cameras, onboard communication systems and apparatus tailored to their particular operating environment.
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