By Jamie Thompson
FireRescue1 Editor
 Photo courtesy of Pierce |
APPLETON, Wis. — As the country’s largest fire and emergency apparatus manufacturer, Pierce trucks are a familiar enough sight on U.S. roads.
But they’re now set to be wheeled out in the less likely settings of Iraq and Afghanistan.
The manufacturer, based in Appleton, Wis., secured a $10.7M contract earlier this month from the U.S. Army for 68 Pumper Rescues to be used in the war-torn countries.
The custom-engineered vehicles have a four-by-four crew cab chassis with an integrated 550-gallon water/foam tank, and pumping capacity that can reach 500 gallons per minute.
In addition, customized compressed air foam systems have been installed to support the quick response requirements in firefighting in the rough conditions found in the two countries.
“They wanted something that would be able to go through the rugged terrain found in Afghanistan and Iraq, but still wanted to meet NFPA 1901 requirements for pumper apparatus,” Pierce Program Manager Dave Gardner said.
“In this case, we tried to keep the weight down on the trucks to increase the payload and allow for the extra equipment they need.”
The Pumper Rescue has been a mainstay of the Pierce fleet for the past 20 years.
“This type of vehicle is pretty unique,” Gardner said. “It’s kind of a merging of a pumper apparatus that meets NFPA 1901 and an off road, wildland type of vehicle that meets NFPA 1906.
“We are proud to be sending these vehicles over there. Hopefully these will help wherever they are needed there. “
Gardner said competitive pricing as well as Pierce’s range of safety features on trucks helped secure the contract with the U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command to support the Afghanistan and Iraq security forces.
Among the safety features — standard and optional — available on most Pierce chassis are the Side Roll Protection system, frontal air bags, TAK-4® Independent Front Suspension and a seat belt warning system.
“We have a long history of building theses types of vehicles, Gardner said. “Every truck we build is customized to the customer’s needs. Every truck that comes out of here is different.”
The contract with TACOM for the Rescue Pumpers highlights closer business ties with the U.S. Army and related sectors.
In June, the company presented its first production build of its HEWATT apparatus — the first military-grade, multi-purpose water distribution and tactical support vehicle — to representatives of TACOM as part of a $28m contract.
The platform-based water tender’s primary function is to be used with the Pierce Tactical Fire Fighting Truck to protect life and property endangered by accidental and incendiary fires.