The North Metro Fire Rescue District, Northglenn, Colo., recently purchased a fleet-services truck to provide a mobile base for apparatus maintenance, repair and refueling. The low-profile body is equipped with compartments on both sides, a diesel fuel tank and a fuel-dispensing pump with a 100-foot fuel hose reel. The vehicle has an NFPA-compliant warning light package, 4×4 drive and provisions for a snowplow attachment for operation in tough winter conditions. The open area behind the fuel tank provides plenty of room to carry parts and equipment and is easily accessible from the rear of the body.

EVT team members from Tampa (Fla.) Fire Rescue took an active part in designing the department's new shop truck and are justifiably proud of the results. The team wanted a small, maneuverable vehicle that could carry a lot of equipment. They selected a cab-forward chassis to minimize the wheelbase and maximize the body space. A crane at the rear of the body is equipped with hydraulic outriggers and allows the technicians to lift engines and other heavy components. A front-mounted winch is strong enough to pull a full-sized structure pumper out of Florida's treacherous “sugar sand” without a problem. A hydraulically driven air compressor feeds two air hose reels with high-volume air lines to allow use of 1-inch air impact wrenches.

The St. Louis Fire Department operates a fuel tanker to help keep its large fleet of vehicles on the road. It carries 1,500 gallons of diesel fuel and 1,000 gallons of unleaded gasoline in a split tank with separate dispensing pumps and hoses. Fuel tankers must meet specific design and construction standards to handle their flammable loads safely. They can provide day-to-day refueling services for vehicles stationed over a large area, as well as on-scene refueling at long-duration incidents. Mobile fuel dispensers can be especially useful during natural disasters, such as hurricanes and tornados, that may knock out power to normal fuel sources.

The Spalding County (Ga.) Fire Department designed and specified a new support-services unit that gives them a mobile service facility with a stand-up interior workspace. The van body has 49 square feet of open floor area with a total storage capacity of 564 cubic feet for equipment, tools, parts and supplies. The vehicle is equipped with electrical power, compressed air and a 1,000-pound crane in the rear of the body. The specs are based on the Georgia Department of Transportation's Highway Emergency Response Operator design and include such safety features as emergency warning lights and reflective striping.

North Metro

• GMC K-3500 4×4 chassis
• Snow plow provisions
• 100-gallon diesel fuel tank
• Fuel dispensing pump with hose reel
• NFPA warning light package

Tampa

• GMC W-5500 chassis
• Auto Crane Titan 38 with outriggers
• Air compressor with two air hose reels
• Front winch
• Quartz floodlights

Spalding County

• Ford F-550 chassis
• Stahl van body with built-in shelving
• Air compressor with air hose reel
• 3kw inverter
• 1,000-pound crane in rear of body

St. Louis

• Freightliner M2 chassis
• Almac fuel tanker body
• 1,500-gallon diesel tank
• 1,000-gallon gasoline tank
• Fuel dispensing pumps with hose reels