Several manufacturers now offer apparatus with pumps and pump control panels mounted at the rear of the body. Departments that select the rear pump option often find that it improves performance, efficiency and safety. If you haven't considered this configuration before, maybe it's time to stand back and take a look at some of the advantages.

Rear-mounted pumps can be powered by several types of drives, depending on the size of the pump and the customer's preference. Larger rear-mounted pumps used on engines and aerials usually are run off a driveshaft that extends to the rear of the body from a transmission power takeoff. This arrangement allows the pump to be engaged and operated while the apparatus is either moving or stationary, but the pump flow and volume will vary with the speed of the vehicle during mobile pump-and-roll operations. Split-driveline power takeoffs also are available on some larger pumps, but generally are more expensive and take up more room. They do not allow mobile pumping.

Smaller rear-mounted pumps used on quick-attack and wildland engines usually are run directly off a separate engine. This arrangement adds cost and weight to the engine, but allows the flow and pressure to be controlled independent of the vehicle speed. It also allows greater flexibility in locating the pump within the body.

On structure pumpers, mounting the pump at the rear of the apparatus offers a long list of advantages. First, it improves pump performance because it allows more direct plumbing to the pump. Instead of drawing water in from suction ports on the sides of the apparatus and then forcing it to flow around a sharp right-angle into the pump inlet, rear pumps bring the water straight in from the back of the apparatus with shorter plumbing and fewer turns. The rear pump position also improves the hose layout. Instead of breaking the supply line from a hydrant and dragging the hose in a big loop around to the sides, firefighters simply have to break the line at the rear of the apparatus and make the connections there. Connecting a high-flow attack line is equally direct and easy. Not only does it take less time to make connections at the back, but it also clears the areas along the sides of the apparatus to allow easier access to compartments.

Other advantages of rear pumps on structure pumpers include a better position for the pump operator with less noise from the engine as well as better visibility around the apparatus, rather than just along one side. Depending on the pump panel location, a rear pump also can move the operator to a more protected location away from traffic. Finally, installing the pump at the back of the apparatus, behind the rear axle, usually allows the axle to be moved forward for a shorter wheelbase and better vehicle maneuverability.

On rescue pumpers, where departments need to maximize compartment space, mounting the pump at the rear helps in several other ways. The most significant is that it allows the compartments to be extended all the way to the front of the body to give a more flexible layout as well as provide space for large, transverse compartments ahead of the water tank. If the pump panel is spread across the rear of the body, instead of along one side or the other, it also can result in more compartment space, because much of the space behind side-mount pump panels is wasted. Finally, moving the pump away from the middle of the apparatus gives more room for PTO-driven hydraulic pumps and electric generators and allows hydraulic hose reels and electric cable reels to be mounted closer to the power source.

On apparatus with rear-mounted aerials, a rear pump offers many of the same advantages as is does on pumpers and rescue pumpers, plus it results in shorter, more direct plumbing to pre-plumbed waterways on aerial devices. Moving the pump panel to either side or straight to the rear also makes it easier to control both the pump and aerial simultaneously and gives the operator better line-of-sight control of the aerial position without climbing onto the apparatus.

On brush trucks, a rear pump location keeps the operator out of narrow roadways and provides a better view along both sides of the apparatus to spot shifting fire conditions. With a rear-mounted hose reel coupled directly to the pump, the hoseline deploys to the rear, away from the rear tires during moving attacks. The firefighter with the nozzle can move back and forth to both sides of the apparatus without dragging the hose over the top of the body.

Whether you need a pumper, rescue pumper, aerial or brush truck, a rear pump can have many advantages. It can make pump connections easier and faster, keep hoselines out of the way, give the pump operator a better working position, provide more efficient compartment space for equipment and lots more.