When stepping onto the fireground, firefighters face unexpected and complex challenges – how they get dependable breathing air should never be one of them.
“Making sure we have that ability every day so our firefighters come back, perform their job, get back in service, and then get back home to their families and be prepared for the next call,” said Assistant Fire Chief Mark Wandersee, expressing the importance of breathing air solutions to the fire industry. “You just can’t go with anything less than quality.”
That was the backdrop for Arctic Compressor, manufacturer of breathing air systems for fire and safety agencies, to develop its ALL POWER Mobile Air Trailer. Integrating a high-pressure air compressor and manual cascade fill station into a trailer that any half-ton truck can tow provides everything fire crews need to keep dependable, clean breathing air flowing at active fire scenes. Not only does it provide on-scene equipment familiar to SCBA equipment managers, but it also uses high-capacity batteries and a 20HP all-electric motor to drive its breathing air output.
“You don’t want fumes in your breathing air,” said Steve Talaga, director of operations with Arctic Compressor. Toxic air contributes to a long list of breathing problems and lung diseases for firefighters worldwide. Any equipment that reduces the risk of lung damage is a welcome addition.
Clean air wasn’t the only issue on the minds of Arctic Compressor’s engineering team. “We wanted to give our customers a product that didn’t require as much maintenance or service,” said Eric Nistler, engineering manager with Arctic Compressor. “From an ease-of-operation standpoint, you don’t have to know how to maintain a diesel engine, change the oil or change the filters,” he added.
“It’s also dual purpose,” Talaga said, commenting on indoor use. The ALL POWER’s direct drive electric motor is much quieter than a combustion engine-powered compressor, creating less distraction when communications and clear instructions are essential. “You can run this in a station plugged into the wall and have it fully charged and ready to go on scene when you need it somewhere else.”
As a longtime manufacturer of stationary SCBA compressor systems installed in firehouses, Arctic Compressor understood the challenges of portable, off-site cylinder refilling. By engineering an easy-to-use, versatile refilling solution, the ALL POWER increases operational efficiency and firefighter safety.
ALL POWER technologies in use
Firefighters in the Blue Ridge Mountains of southeast Tennessee near Great Smoky Mountains National Park see the appeal of Arctic Compressor’s product line. “A lot of our neighboring departments have used Arctic [Compressor] for years in their stations,” said Chief David Puckett of Sevier County Fire & Rescue. Arctic Compressor’s mobile breathing air unit reflects a commitment to improving fire safety. “They’ve put a lot of engineering, a lot of thought into this product before rolling it out,” Puckett added.
Sevier County has a population of about 100,000 and attracts millions of tourists every year who travel through the towns of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg on their way to the national park. A mobile cylinder-refilling unit has proven a great asset in this kind of setting. “Being a very vast and remote county, we don’t have the luxury of a lot of time running back to the stations to fill cylinders,” Puckett added.
From quiet, contaminant-free operation allowing use as an internal breathing air system to the mobility to support breathing air needs at active fire scenes, training evolutions or bring SCBA cylinder filling support to neighboring departments, the versatility of the ALL POWER offers operational security and firefighter safety to the greater Pigeon Forge community. “It’s going to help us tremendously,” said Garrett King, battalion chief with the Pigeon Forge Fire Department.
Advantages of the ALL POWER
Remote Operations. The Tennessee firefighters’ experience shows how the ALL POWER system drives value. Fire crews can tow the ALL POWER to large incidents or training evolutions that require high-frequency SCBA use, saving return trips to the station for refills. This can also be a huge help in mutual-aid scenarios when fire crews from Sevier County join forces with municipal firefighters.
Central SCBA Refilling. As the ALL POWER’s all-electric design makes operation quiet and contaminant-free, departments can utilize it as they would a stationary breathing air system until the need to go mobile arises.
Underwater Assistance. As the ALL POWER supports SCUBA cylinder filling, teams searching for accident victims or lost vehicles in dive operations can reserve valuable time having breathing air support on-scene.
High-Rise Readiness. As FARS adoption grows in taller buildings, departments rely on mobile air resources to keep those systems supplied during extended active incidents. The ALL POWER Mobile Air Trailer provides that exterior support by connecting directly to a building’s EMAC panel, allowing crews to feed high-pressure air into the FARS network from outside the hazard zone. This capability helps maintain continuous SCBA replenishment throughout demanding high-rise operations.
Night Operations. The ALL POWER is equipped with dual pole-mounted LED scene lights and door-mounted work lights to ensure a secure operating environment after dark.
Equipment Support. USB ports enable the charging of smartphones, laptops and various other devices, while a standard GFCI outlet provides the necessary power for equipment that operates on 120V power.
ALL POWER System Components
Power Supply. The ALL POWER’s lithium-ion phosphate (LiFeP04 technology) batteries provide 24kWh of power, with an option to double the capacity to 48kWh.“You can run it completely on batteries, or you can run it completely off the wall, just as if you had a stationary unit,” Nistler said.
A touchscreen display shows how much battery power and air storage are available, as well as compressor performance and other system diagnostics. The system can also control and adjust the flow rate of air into the cylinders. “This allowed us to get the most amount of compressed air out per watt of stored energy,” Nistler said. That higher flow efficiency produces more air when the unit is running only on batteries, which are sealed and maintenance-free. Arctic Compressor estimates they can last nearly a decade.
Containment Fill Station. The ALL POWER comes standard with a two-position fill station, with an option for an additional two-position fill station. It fills pressures from 2,216 PSI to 5,500 PSI for SCBA and SCUBA cylinders.
Compressor Unit. The Truly American-Made Arctic 2500 Series Compressor delivers up to 6000 PSI of clean, dry air. The three-phase electric motor features an advanced pressurized oil-lubrication system. Air quality meets and exceeds CGA Grade E standards.
Air Storage Banks. Four on-board UN/ISO-standard cylinders store clean, breathable air for transfer to cylinders. Each storage bank has a 510-cubic-feet capacity and can be accessed by the containment fill station without powering up the unit.
Technical Specifications
Trailer. This single-axle, two-wheeled trailer weighs 5,000–6,500 pounds (2,268–2,948 kg), depending on installed options. The unit measures 15 ft. 10 in. (4.8 m) long, 7 ft. 6 in. (2.3 m) wide, and 7 ft. 4 in. (2.2 m) tall.
Electrical Connection Requirements. 120V, 20A (NEMA 5-15R); 120V, 30AS (NEMA L5-30R Twist Lock); and 208/240V, 50A (CS6364 Twist Lock) connector. Arctic also recommends keeping a dedicated 240/208V 50A plug/circuit available.
Arctic Compressor proudly supports FDIC International’s Hands-On Training and will be providing the ALL POWER Mobile Air Trailer to supply air for H.O.T. training locations in 2026.
By providing this approachable yet versatile all-electric breathing air unit, Arctic Compressor’s ALL POWER Mobile Air Trailer gives firefighters a dependable, portable source of clean breathing air with the capability to address various challenges in the fire industry.
For more information, visit Arctic Compressor.
