Hobbies And Interests
Design
A number of different fire truck designs are available, and the best way to start building an apparatus is to find a style of truck to model it on. Doing an image search for fire trucks will bring up several options. Some areas require special equipment, such as snow tools or a winch in order to best serve their terrain; some departments need a special truck for fighting car fires or rescuing farm animals. Decide what kind of Lego Fire Engine you would like, and find pictures of it and its features.
Scale and Wheelbase
With a design in mind, the first stage of building is the wheelbase. You will need to choose a length and width that the vehicle will be, ideally by choosing several flat plates to build on. A decent size for a Ladder Truck piloted by a crew of Minifigs (Lego People) might be two 6-by-10 plates. A larger or smaller scale can be used, but this is your choice.
Key Details
Building the frame and chassis of the vehicle is the easy part. Loading it with things that make it ooze the essence of a fire engine is a bit more difficult. Most fire engines have at least a hose, a pump and storage for equipment---some also have ladders. Look through the photos you've collected and your collection for pieces that could match these things.
Crew
What good is a fire truck without a crew? With an expertly crafted fire truck ready to roll out, spend a few minutes putting together---in the literal sense---a crew of well-trained firemen. Once the crew and truck are assembled, your Lego city will be safe from fire!