Small Crash-Fire Units Tested by Air Force
Small response vehicles that can do double duty as fire suppression and rescue units are being tested by the United States Air Force. The tests seek to determine whether such smaller—and less expensive—trucks could replace some of the larger trucks now used by the Air Force for fire fighting and rescue work.
The relatively light weight of the vehicles being tested allows rapid response to extinguish fires and rescue trapped victims, and four-wheel drive capability provides accessibility to areas off roads or runways. In addition, the USAF wants the vehicle to be able to discharge aqueous film-forming foam, halogenated extinguishing agent and dry chemical.
The directorate of fire protection of the Air Force Civil Engineering Center at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida is conducting the vehicle tests.
A lightweight fire fighting truck, commented Major Birney Pease, fire protection director for the center, can easily be transported by air and off-the-road capability “should work well in a combat’ environment.”
