Early fire ladders were mostly manually operated to reach the heights of buildings to rescue people or put out fires. With the advent of the first industrial hydraulic lifting platform in 1846, aerial rescue work was improved by allowing faster and higher heights to be reached. In December 1997, the Fire Services Department (FSD) introduced the Snorkel hydraulic lift truck, which is mainly used for fire-fighting and outdoor rescue operations. With the increasing complexity of roads in the neighbourhood and the ageing of the vehicles, the Snorkels were gradually retired from service. In 2008, FSD procured a batch of new hydraulic platform lift trucks, which are mainly used for aerial fire-fighting and rescue operations. The new trucks are equipped with Scania chassis, with 3 compartments and 6 storage compartments on both sides of the trucks, which can be operated independently or in conjunction with other fire-fighting appliances, e.g. as pumps to connect to the water supply. The new vehicle is also equipped with front and rear telescopic boom lifts, which can be raised more quickly than the previous two folding telescopic lifts, and the cage can also be extended close to the window sill, which makes it very suitable for use in Hong Kong.
