Like Pumpers, there are a large variety ladder and aerial trucks in the fire service today.  Today's ladder and aerials are longer to reach higher up then the ladders that our forefathers used.  They are no longer made of wood but are made of steel and treated aluminum.  This gives them the strength they need to get to those high places.

There are two basic types of modern aerial fire trucks,  the aerial ladder and the aerial platform.  Aerial ladders are just what it says, they are ladders that can reach high up into the air.  Their design is basically the same as they were when they were first invented. They have sliding ladder sections that are attached to each other and pulled

A more recent invention is the aerial platform.  This fire truck has a large telescoping boom that extends out with a basket or "bucket" attacked to its tip. As the boom raises, the bucket is kept level so the firefighters will not fall out.  These aerial platforms usually have a water pipe built into them so