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Truck Update
the type 3 prototype –
Back to the future
Firefighters are starting to evaluate the prototype rear-mounted Type 3 heavy-pumping
appliance – with Christchurch crews given the first opportunity to test it out.
The prototype, with the pump
mounted on the rear instead of in
the middle of the chassis, was
commissioned because the Fire
Service has had difficulty managing
the weight restrictions on the
front axle of the chassis of the midmount
pump. National Advisor
Operations, John Sutherland, says
New Zealand has a 6,000 kg weight
limit on the front axle. “To meet
requirements, we’ve had to remove
some components or transfer them
to the back of the truck.”
The rear-mount is used by European
and Australian fire services and
has greater load-carrying capability
and more locker space, including
large through-lockers, than the midmount.
The New Zealand prototype
has a major modification. “We’ve
moved the delivery outlets and feeder
inlets out to either side of the body to
give the pump operator more clear
and safer working space in front of
the pump panel,” said John.
Plenty of room in the side lockers of the rear mount.
10 Issue No. 60
The prototype will spend six months
being tested in Christchurch,
Auckland, and Wellington and
feedback will contribute to the
specification of the next evolution.
John says Christchurch City Station
did the fit out of the prototype in less
than a week. “I was just stunned by
how quickly the appliance was
commissioned,” he said.
Christchurch City Station Officer,
Steve Warner, has been taking part in
the evaluation and says so far it has
gone well and the crews are happy
with the changed configuration
and performance.
“We’re using it as the first running
appliance out of the station, which is
one of the busiest appliances in the
country. The additional locker space
is very useful and lets us lay out the
equipment in ways that make it more
accessible. The pump is good to use
and the driving is the same as the
current Scanias,” he said.
The major difference is that crews
now have to site the appliance past
the fire and with its rear toward the
fire – so the pump operator is better
protected from traffic. This also
gives better access to the deliveries.
“For some situations, this is better
protection than the mid-mount –
which left the operator more exposed
if the fire was on the right hand side
of the road.”
There’s a sense of déjà vu for Steve.
“Back when I first joined the Fire
Service we used rear-mount appliances
and over the years changed to the
American-designed mid-mounts.”
He says the extra locker space would
be particularly useful in its PRT
(pump rescue tender) configuration –
allowing much more weight to be
carried than the mid-mount appliance
can tolerate.
John Sutherland says the final
assessment and design should be
known by the end of the year.
Rear mount showing the inlets and outlets.