A new alpine vehicle being trialled by CFA has had its first run at a large incident during the Ancona bushfire.
The vehicle has been specifically designed to suit Alpine conditions and is fitted with tracks in winter and wheels in summer.
CFA Operations Officer Paul Horton said that he he’d had favourable reports from brigade members about the vehicle’s performance.
“They said that fatigue levels were low due to the smaller hose,” he said.
“Water ‘punch’ was good when needed, however the finer spray capability also provided the ability to cool down an area without using much water.”
The vehicle, which is built to be lightweight and manoeuvrable, has a foam proportioning system and integrated 12L tank matched to the pump output.
Key specs for the 'Alpine Resort First Attack Vehicle' include:
- Cab chassis: Toyota Landcruiser Ute (4.5L Turbo charged) with first attack capabilities.
- Pump: integrated diesel engine driven High Pressure Pumping System (HPPS) at rated 25 l/min @ 20-35 bar and 300-litre useable Water Tank. Foam proportioning system and integrated 12L tank, matched to the pump output.
- Height: approx. 2405 mm with tracks on
- LED Emergency Response System.
The vehicle will undergo testing over the next one and a half years in both summer and winter conditions.
CFA members can download a fact sheet on Brigades Online here.
Author: CFA News