Air Force’s New Crash Truck Packs 2400-GPM Foam or Water Capability

Air Force’s New Crash Truck Packs 2400-GPM Foam or Water Capability

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SKIP KORSON

Public Affairs Division

A 651/2-ton green monster that spouts not flames but enough water to fill a standard-sized swimming pool or fill the needs of a family of four for a month.

That’s one way of describing the latest addition to the Air Force’s fire fighting equipment inventory. But, best of all, according to fire fighting veterans at Robins Air Force Base, the P-15—not to be confused with the Air Force’s top supersonic fighter, the F-15—is capable of fulfilling an awesome mission.

“We haven’t had to use the P-15 to extinguish an actual fire, but we know it’s capable of doing a tremendous job quickly and efficiently should the need arise,” says Paul Smith of Bonaire, Ga., a crew chief at the crash station on the base flight line where the lime-green “monster” is assigned.

Speaking from 15 years’ experience in fire fighting, Smith verbally applauds the giant which required two 30-ton cranes for its unloading upon arrival at the base in January 1979.

As of December 14,1979, 29 of the 53 enormous (75,180 pounds empty) crash fire fighting trucks ordered by the Air Force had been delivered to bases throughout the country, including Alaska. A special travel team of instructors from Chanute Air Force Base in Illinois, has trained men at the various installations to operate the heavy vehicle.

Capability of P-15

Smith promptly deals with questions casting doubt upon the P-15’s capability. “Some say its size makes it slower to respond. It accelerates to 50 mph in 48 seconds, which is just as quick, if not quicker, than any other equipment.”

Concerning charges the heavy P-15 breaks through pavement, Smith replies, “During testing at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, it was driven successfully on a Florida highway. Its eight wheels distribute its weight evenly. In fact, the P-15 is air transportable in the C-5 aircraft and can be deployed worldwide.”

The P-15 is also designed for unimproved surfaces or, on a limited basis, off-road terrain, Smith points out.

“Its primary purpose is to combat fires under all weather conditions, involving large-frame aircraft such as the B-52, the KC-135 tanker (refueling aircraft), the C-5, C-141—and we have them all here except the C-5. By discharging a blanket of foam agent on a crash site, it can extinguish a fire within seconds of its arrival on the scene.”

Continuing, Smith said, “It can discharge water or a combination of water and foam at the rate of 1200 gpm from each of its turrets. We can reduce each turret’s discharge to 600 gpm or we can discharge 95 gpm from the hand line.”

Carries 515 gallons of AFFF

In addition to its 6100-gallon water capacity, the truck carries 515 gallons of aqueous film-forming foam—which Smith terms as sufficient for a second run if necessary. “It only takes five minutes to restock our truck with the full capacity of water.”

All fire fighting equipment is selfcontained, he says, within the body of the truck. While it is moving on level ground, it can discharge up to 97 percent of its storage capacity, Smith reveals. “While moving in any direction on a 20 percent slope, we can discharge up to 85 percent of its storage capacity. In a typical fire fighting situation, one or both turrents would be discharging at full capacity while the truck maneuvered into position.”

Position is vital with the P-15, according to Smith, who explaines that the P-15 employs a “drive around concept” to fight aircraft fires.

“It provides us with great visibility too,” Smith added. “It is almost as though we were aiming a gun at the fire. We get a clear picture of the whole area which enables us to apply our foam agent more sparingly for greatest effectiveness.”

George Moore, who commutes from Warwick, Ga., to his job as a crew chief at the crash station at Robins, echoes Smith’s words about the P-15. Five years as a Navy fire fighter preceded Moore’s six years at Robins. With this background, he frankly admits he’s impressed with the green monster which could cover a football field completely with its foam—“the goal posts and some of the seats, too.”

Powered by two diesels

Moore describes the P-15 as actually two vehicles placed back to back capable of moving and pumping at the same time, using either half or both. He noted that the P-15 is powered by two turbocharged and supercharged diesel engines capable of transferring almost 1(XK) hp to its eight pulling wheels. Just one wheel completely dwarfs an average-sized motor vehicle.

The P-15’s three-man crew consists of the driver, the front turret operator and the rear turret operator. Moore says that hydraulic assists permit each turret cage to swing in any direction with a reach of 250 feet.

On the whole, Moore feels that “we can handle any major fire better than we could before with other equipment. Normally, we have a certain amount of overkill in that we can’t always efficiently use all of the foam the pumps are capable of putting out—1200 gpm from each. However, we will be glad to have this capability if we ever have to extinguish a C-5 or KC-10 fire.”

Smith also talks about the large

quantity of fire extinguishing agent available for the crew to use on fire or large fuel spills. The blanket of foam will cut down fumes, prevent them from igniting and spreading.

Smith recalled an incident off-base a few years ago when a larger tanker truck overturned, spilling several thousand gallons of fuel. “We went out then and sprayed our foam. Then, it was safe to travel through the spill.”

Gross weight of the P-15 is 130,860 pounds. Its overall length is 542 inches. The height is 1631/4 inches and it’s 122 inches wide. A life-cycle cost analysis has shown that the P-15 will lower the cost of fire protection in the future through savings in personnel and maintenance.

Moore perhaps sums up the average fire fighter’s views on the P-15’s cost this way, “Expensive? Yes, but what is the price of a human life? Our pilots and flight crews can breathe a little easier when they see this monster lumbering across the field toward them.”

Chief Miller adds, “We constantly train with regular flight crew members on the various aircraft when we conduct our egress exercises with the P-15. Their good comments back up Moore’s statement.”

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