Firefighting apparatus with improved hose deployment and reloading

A fire-fighting apparatus comprising:

• a self-propelled, power-operated vehicle having interior surfaces defining a hose container receiving space,
• a hose container constructed and arranged to receive a length of hose therein;
• a mounting assembly mounting said hose container on said vehicle for supported movement between (a) a retracted, hose containing position wherein said hose container is retracted within the hose container receiving space of said vehicle and (b) an extended, hose loading position wherein said hose container extends outwardly from said hose container receiving space and is supported thereat;
• a power-operated moving system associated with said hose container, said moving system being constructed and arranged to move said hose container between the retracted, hose containing position thereof and the extended, hose loading position thereof;
• said hose container having an open top and an open end, said hose container being constructed and arranged such that (a) a hose deploying operation can be performed by connecting a free end of a hose stored in said container to a fluid supply and then moving said vehicle under power away from said fluid supply so that the hose deploys from the open end of said container and (b) a hose reloading operation can thereafter be performed by operating said power-operated moving system so as to move said hose container to said hose loading position thereof and then moving said vehicle under power towards the hose free end while a firefighter walks alongside said container and accesses said container through the open top thereof to aid in reloading the deployed length of hose into said container through the open end thereof.