A Soft-Sided Haz-Mat Unit

A Soft-Sided Haz-Mat Unit

APPARATUS & EQUIPMENT

A novel design using the latest ergonomic systems from the transport industry.

All photos by author.

When the fire service in Auckland, New Zealand recognized the need for a special-purpose vehicle to handle both hazardous-materials actions and decontamination, we entered a process that has been followed by many different fire services throughout the world. The needs were broadly the same because the risk from haz mats is fairly international. We defined our needs and then looked at the way the problems have been solved in different services elsewhere.

Haz-mat units rarely need pumps, air compressors, generators, or other special-purpose firefighting equipment built onto the chassis. They are on other vehicles that will respond to the incident. The purpose of the hazmat unit is to carry special items needed only for haz-mat incidents. Thus it is really only a module or container filled with protective clothing, absorbents, neutralizing materials, transfer equipment, monitoring equipment, decontamination shelters, showers, and recording gear. Essentially it is a delivery vehicle that will park at the incident and allow firefighters to take anything and everything from it, and then put that equipment to work.

DRAWING FROM THE INTERNATIONAL SCENE

A brief glance at how other countries use their haz-mat units showed a range of solutions to these needs. The United Kingdom developed the dumpster module solution whereby all the necessary items are in a container that’s literally dumped (unloaded) at the incident. Ill is system definitely works, but we in New Zealand remained unconvinced about the economics of the prime movers and their logistics.

Doors unlatch from either end. A simple push and 80 percent of cargo space on that side is exposed within seconds.Doors open to provide dear access from ground level.The lever action secures and tensions the door effectively.

In the United States a large number of departments had a solution similar to Boston’s in which a beverage delivery truck was converted to suit that department’s haz-mat needs. These were among the first U.S. fire service vehicles to contain roller shutter doors, previously a European trademark. The full-height doors and lowloading capability of the beverage truck certainly performed the task, although roller shutters do have their problems if they are too wide and too high. They are excellent for the average equipment locker door but can be quite slow or stiff once they are required to access larger openings.

The Australian fire service had its own very simple solution: The Victorian State CFA simply built a range of nine-ton, two-axle chassis, vanbody units identical to commercial suburban delivery trucks. These have rear access doors with steps. They are simple and economical, yet they seem to suffer from the problem of all “walk-in” vehicles in that a central aisle of about one-third the vehicle width has to be maintained for crew access to each and every item.

RESEARCH TO REALITY

These thoughts were in our minds when we noticed a new type of vehicle on the roads, operated by our old friends —the beverage industry. These vehicles originated in Europe and consist of a truck body with a stepped, low loading deck; a rear panel (which can contain doors for rear access); and a roof. Each side is closed off by a horizontal sliding “concertina” door constructed of tensioned FVC with a patented load-restraint mechanism. The doors are accessible from either end, fold away to less than 20 percent of total cargo length, and give complete, uninhibited access to the contents of both sides. They close with a tensioning system that to most observers gives the panel face the appearance of being a solid metal sheet.

The drop floor is at axle-center height for low-load of heavy and frequently used items. The inflatable decon shelter is being removed.Bulk stocks of neutralizing, absorbing, and diking materials are easily accessible.Fittings, plugs, and general hardware are carried in bins that are accessible after stepping into the low-load area.Decontamination gear and showers are stored in boxes on the right-hand side of the unit.

We investigated this system thoroughly. Two different manufacturers offered competitive quotations. We devised a method to incorporate a stepped-floor design into the lowloading deck whereby we took the bottom track of the door past the wheels yet still made it possible to mend a puncture (a removable section of track was fitted). A standard commercial nine-ton chassis was purchased on the open market and the project received full approval.

The result has been a very satisfactory unit. It was built for an acceptable price because it was constructed totally within the competitive, standard commercial vehicle market. After we received it we painted it in our fleet colors and fitted beacons, sirens, and so forth at our own workshops. There was no real need for exceptional road performance, so the 140-lip motor and other systems of the vehicle are fully adequate.

What we have now is a unit that allows full and free access to any item within the vehicle. We are usually standing on the road when items are withdrawn so we are really only using a “curbside delivery vehicle.” We also have the ability for a crew member to enter the body and unload higher items from shelves. The storage policy was “heavy and important items low down, bulky and less frequently used items higher up.”

Another storage policy was to split the cargo by its uses. The left-hand side is “haz-mat action” and contains plugs, fittings, absorbents, neutralizers, protective clothing, transfer pumps, portable generators, and other action-related tools. The right-hand side contains air-supported (inflatable) shelter buildings, marshalling and control items, decontamination showers, soaps, detergents, temporary clothing, and full recording and monitoring items for the effective cleanup of 100 personnel.

As per the New Zealand Fire Service manning and response policy, the unit responds as a “satellite” to an engine company. This will usually be its home station pump crew but can be any other crew in the event of the “home” crew being engaged elsewhere.

Since its introduction more than two years ago, the vehicle has worked well at several incidents and found favor with staff for the ease of access to all equipment and good load-carrying capability.

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