If you haven't purchased a new fire apparatus in the last 10 or 15 years, you may be surprised when you look at the current generation of pumpers, aerials and rescues. There have been a lot of changes since the 1990s, and many of them involve new technology.

New technology allows fire apparatus to brake smoothly and stop in less distance under a variety of slippery road conditions. New technology also helps reduce firefighter injuries in the event of accidents, or it can even help prevent accidents before they happen. Technology lets firefighters put aerials into operation with fewer personnel and frees the pump operator to act as part of a rapid intervention team. It produces bodies that resist dents and corrosion and aerial cameras that let firefighters direct master streams through smoke.

Before you write the specifications for your next apparatus, here are some new products you may want to consider.

Safety features

A lot of technological development has been focused on making apparatus safer. Mandatory antilock braking systems and voluntary cab crash testing have gone a long way toward achieving this goal. Industry standards requiring totally enclosed seating positions with properly installed seatbelts for all personnel also made major contributions.

Several manufacturers have carried this emphasis on safety to the next level by using new technology to help protect firefighters during some of the more common types of apparatus accidents that might happen during normal emergency responses.

One type of accident is a side rollover, which can occur when an apparatus makes a sudden evasive maneuver or enters a turn at unsafe speeds. The rollover may be fast or slow and may cause the apparatus to land on its side or continue over onto its roof or beyond.

The Pierce Side Roll Protection system was developed to maximize both occupant restraint and survivable space within the cab. When changes in the vehicle's position and motion indicate that a rollover is imminent, a sensor triggers eight occupant protection devices. The exact point of activation is determined by a logic module that factors the rate and angle of roll to adjust the deployment timing — faster deployment for a fast roll, slower on a slow roll.

Once the system activates, seatbelts tighten, seats are dropped to their lowest position, and side airbags on the driver's and officer's positions are inflated. The combination of these actions, which take only a fraction of a second, reduces occupant movement, increases survivable space above the head and upper torso, and decreases the effects of side impacts. The side bags stay inflated for 10 seconds to provide protection during slow or multiple rollovers. Rear passengers have optimally placed sidewall padding in place of air bags.

Another example of side rollover protection is Ferrara's Complete Airbag Protection System, which provides several types of devices to protect up to six cab occupants. The driver and officer seating positions include side airbags, inflatable head cushions, seatbelt tensioners and seat suspension height adjusters. Rear seating positions have a variety of devices specifically designed to protect occupants of forward-facing, rear-facing and center seats.

Other manufacturers offer systems to help prevent rollovers by taking corrective action before the accident happens. This approach usually involves a combination of technologies to monitor side accelerations and control both the engine speeds and brake applications in response.

The E-ONE Roll Stability Control System monitors changes in vehicle conditions to sense unsafe side acceleration forces that could cause a rollover. As side forces approach a dangerous level, the system automatically reduces the engine speed and applies the vehicle brakes in a controlled manner until the forces are safe. It's a passive system, which means that it's always on and requires no driver input. Because it's automatic and relies on proven engine control and antilock brake technologies, the system can react faster than a human driver and can correct side roll conditions without abrupt — and potentially dangerous — speed changes.

To address the specific problem of tanker rollovers, KME developed its #1 Safety Tankers Program. Features include a lateral acceleration system that warns the driver of imminent danger and a Bendix ESP brake system to assist the driver in making the appropriate corrections. It also includes an occupant rollover protection system, seatbelt warning devices and special seats with head cushion protection. The tanker bodies are designed to provide low centers of gravity, minimal water surge and safe weight distribution to further aid vehicle stability.

Ride and handling

Developments in vehicle suspension technology are showing up on fire apparatus to improve occupant comfort, provide better vehicle control, and extend body and component life.

Several chassis manufacturers now offer independent front suspensions, including E-ONE, Ferrara, Pierce and Spartan. The suspensions are popular on many custom fire apparatus and are available with a variety of load ratings, wheel cuts and articulation ranges. Independent front suspensions can improve ride quality, decrease stopping distances, enhance vehicle control and simplify maintenance.

Rear suspensions also have improved, and several are designed specifically for fire apparatus service. For example, the Raydan Air Link tandem-axle suspension is available in a wide range of load ratings for use on larger aerials, rescues and tankers. It combines the smooth ride of an air suspension with the load equalization and axle articulation range of a walking beam suspension. According to the manufacturer, it provides the highest roll stability of any rear air suspension and is comparable to a heavy spring suspension. Rubber blocks inside the airbags limit axle travel to help keep the body from accidentally contacting the ground when aerial outriggers are retracted.

A few manufacturers offer integrated ride system packages that combine several components to improve ride, handling and safety at the same time. The E-ONE Enhanced Ride System uses an air-ride cab suspension, tapered leaf springs on the front axle, and tuned shocks and 17-inch disc brakes on both the front and rear axles. Each component is designed to work with the others to reduce vibration and shock while improving road feel and reducing stopping distances.

Aerial devices & controls

Some aerial manufacturers have borrowed technology originally developed for aircraft rescue and firefighting and are using it in municipal firefighting applications to allow faster, safer and more efficient attacks on a variety of fires.

Snozzle 50- and 65-foot elevating water towers have a midmount articulating and telescoping boom with a preplumbed waterway to a nozzle at the tip. The nozzle can be extended forward while the boom is in the stowed position to discharge directly in front of the apparatus like a roof monitor. When the boom is elevated, the nozzle can be positioned above and below grade in a full circle around the apparatus. The tip of the boom may be equipped with an optional high-intensity light and a color or infrared camera to give the operator a closer view of the fire scene — even through smoke. The master stream nozzle may be supplemented with a piercing nozzle that can penetrate roofs, walls and automobile exteriors to deliver over 250gpm in a 40-foot diameter spray pattern.

Speaking of aerials, many modern aerial control systems could not exist without the development of multiplex electrical system technology. These simplified wiring systems greatly reduce the size and complexity of vehicle wiring harnesses, as well as allow the rapid transmission of complex information.

For example, multiplex electrical systems facilitate the interlocking sequence of events necessary to put an aerial device into operation quickly and safely with the reduced staffing found in many departments. They ensure the outriggers are fully extended and the feet are exerting the proper pressure on the ground. If the aerial has an automatic leveling device, the system then adjusts the height of the outriggers on the downhill side to bring the aerial turntable to the horizontal. Once those operations are complete, the system connects power to the aerial hydraulic pump to allow elevation. If the aerial is short-jacked, without fully extending the outriggers on one side, the multiplex electrical system automatically limits rotation of the aerial to the fully extended side. Without multiplexing technology, these functions would require a maze of wires and a control box filled with switches and relays.

Multiplex electrical systems also are used to control antilock brake systems, instrument and pump panel displays, engine and transmission controls, and other components and systems found on fire apparatus today.

Information systems

Information systems on apparatus used to consist of a well-worn map and a spiral notebook stuffed in the glovebox. While printed materials are useful, the computer age has allowed progressive departments to access much more information with greater speed and accuracy.

One example is E-ONE's new Vehicle Information Control, which mounts inside the cab on the center console. The system uses Microsoft Windows and includes a 10-inch color monitor with a touch-screen menu and a full-function computer with 256MB of RAM and a 20GB hard drive. It comes standard with Global Positioning System software and has four video camera inputs. Because the system runs on Windows, departments can install a wide variety of useful software to store information such as building plans, hazardous materials safety sheets, topographic maps, maintenance records and much more. With an optional modem, vehicle technicians can perform diagnostics from remote locations to analyze problems in the field. With an antenna and satellite link the onboard computer can access Web-based sources of information or tap into live video feeds.

Foam and other materials

You already know the advantages of foam systems, but do you know the advantages of high-pressure foam? With high-pressure foam technology, a single firefighter can deliver a 100gpm Class A or Class B foam stream with the touch of a button to attack a fire up to 125 feet away.

Rosenbauer introduced the Fix Mix High-Pressure Foam System as part of its NH Series of normal-pressure/high-pressure pumps. Running off the high-pressure side of the pump, the system uses water pressure to accurately proportion and inject foam in ratios from 0.5% to 6% depending on the application. The high-pressure gives the stream additional reach and acts to aerate and expand the foam solution as it leaves the nozzle. The simplicity of the system allows rapid actuation with a minimum of personnel. Rosenbauer has installed the system on one of its Tech Drive 06 tour trucks.

Advances in materials technology are also finding their way onto fire apparatus. New materials are turning up in many places, including high-strength, non-metallic apparatus bodies with integral compartments and water tanks.

Pro Poly of America and W.S. Darley & Co. jointly own PolyBilt, which offers a complete line of apparatus bodies for pumper, rescue and tanker applications. The bodies, including the tanks, outer shells and compartments, are made from a combination of polyethylene and polypropylene resins that are formed into sheets and then cut, bent and extrusion welded. The resulting structure is strong and has excellent resistance to dents and corrosion. Polybilt has found that many of its rural tanker customers buy the polymer tanks and bodies because they are an economical design that can withstand tough use and harsh weather conditions.

Technology in the future

The use of new technology will continue to be an important part of fire apparatus design. Some of the products that are currently under development will be available in the coming year, while others are several years away.

Perhaps the most talked-about new products are the upcoming 2007 engines with their requirements for new fuels, lubricants and exhaust emissions control devices. The impact on fire apparatus will include changes in cooling systems to handle higher heat rejection from the engines, as well as changes in the exhaust systems to handle the new emissions-reduction components. The electronic engine controls also are expected to change to adjust operating parameters while maintaining satisfactory power, torque and fuel economy. A second set of engine changes is scheduled for 2010 to meet further reductions in emission levels.

Other new products may include more widespread use of apparatus tracking and telemetry systems similar to those found on many automobiles. These systems would give dispatchers constant updates on the location of every apparatus in a department to allow more efficient assignments to incoming emergency calls. They also would provide the ability to transmit video links or other information to the apparatus concerning traffic conditions en-route or developing conditions at the scene.

Changes in materials may produce lighter and stronger aerials made from titanium or other high-strength alloys. Titanium is significantly stronger than steel but at half the weight. It retains its strength under high temperatures and is extremely corrosion-resistant. When these lightweight aerials are stowed in the travel position, their reduced weight would have the added benefit of lowering the overall vehicle center of gravity for improved side stability.

New Technology Needs New Maintenance

New technology can make fire apparatus safer, more versatile and more efficient. Those benefits have a price, however, and part of the price is a new set of maintenance procedures. Here are some tips to help you make new technology work for you instead of against you.

Manuals

The old expression “when in doubt, read the instructions” certainly applies to products involving new technology. Start with the operations manual to make sure the people who use the product know the proper precautions and sequence of operations. Ensure that all controls are properly labeled and all warning signs are visible. Also obtain the appropriate maintenance manuals, troubleshooting guides, wiring diagrams and other service literature to help your shop personnel maintain the product and fix problems if they happen. Add any required periodic maintenance to your written apparatus preventive maintenance schedule.

Training

In addition to obtaining and reading the manuals, you should enroll your operators and maintenance personnel in hands-on training classes. The short orientation you may have received when your latest apparatus was delivered isn't going to be enough to understand some of the more complex technology. You will need to learn how to operate the product under different conditions to get the best performance, as well as how to maintain and troubleshoot a variety of potential problems. In some cases, your maintenance personnel will need to obtain the appropriate level of certification to demonstrate that they're qualified to work on the new technology. Some companies can provide this training on site or at the factory. Several emergency vehicle technician associations and apparatus and equipment conferences also offer training.

Diagnostic tools

While you may still use that alligator clip trouble light, some new technology requires more sophisticated diagnostic tools to identify and analyze maintenance problems. If you want to perform the maintenance in your own shop, you'll need to purchase these tools and learn how to use them. If not, you'll need to find an outside source that can do the job for you. Pretending you won't ever need them eventually will lead to poor product performance or product failure.