Senior firefighter Dale Thompson presses the big Scania's throttle to the floor and turns to me, "You know, when you consider this is 15 tonnes worth of truck, the acceleration is quite reasonable." And then - as if having heard his words - the intercooled 9-litre turbo diesel is galvanised into some heavy breathing as the tacho needle arcs up to 2500 rpm - 300 revs beyond peak power.
The metal clips on the emergency breathing apparatus clink and clatter, communications radio curly cords start to swing and the all-mighty Allison diesel pounds vibrations up through the floor. Dale's just poked the giant Scania beast with a big stick - and it's woken up a-n-g-r-y! After a few seconds of sustained urge, I can't help but wonder how it's possible to wipe off the pace that the big truck has muscled up. Thankfully, the answer is forthcoming. "The exhaust brake and hydraulic output retarder mean we can drive this thing virtually without using the brakes," calls Dale over the diesel engine's clamour. "Look how we slow down without even touching the brake pedal - it's terrific." And, sure enough, we grind to a gradual halt with generous metres to spare - and I release my grip of the grab handle...
Dale Thompson has been a member of the South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service for 18 years - he knows how to handle the very finest in heavy-duty fire trucks. He's undertaken official SA Fire Service courses, training runs by his officer, and outside driver education. So it's safe to say he's got a good handle on it... "It's all about driver awareness," he says. "We don't actually go out to do skids and that kind of stuff; they just teach us to drive safely." And that's good to know - coz you don't really want a 15-tonne truck holding oversteer slides through crowded intersections!
Drive Time
"They're a good drive," enthuses Dale, "they accelerate just like a car," which is very useful, since SA fire units can legally do 20 kays over the speed limit. "In a 110 zone we can take it up to 130. But at that kind of speed, the braking distances are much further - so we never go that fast; it's just too dangerous." Dale then had to set us sceptical bastards straight on the truck's handling characteristics. "It actually handles very, very well - you just steer it where you want to go," he says. "It's got air bag suspension on the back of it, so it rides fairly smoothly too." Although, any ride comfort seat-of-the-pants impressions are probably a bit more favourable from his driver's seat - it's hydraulically cushioned for comfort...
Everything but the Kitchen Sink
Out back, this Scania fire unit stows around 130 litres of foam together with a huge 1400 litres of water - which is just about enough to float a yacht! There are the two different pairs of hoses - two small ones (for going into buildings) and two massive 64mm hoses (which take only around a minute to suck the whole truck dry!). A heavy-duty transfer box is used to disengage the rear drive wheels and re-direct the Allison engine's torque to a Darley water pump. Obviously, some serious input power is needed to push the water through the hoses!
The aluminium side lockers contain extensive portable lighting (and a dedicated generator) plus a 6000 cfm positive pressure ventilation fan - which actually looks like a small chassis dyno fan. This is used to evacuate smoke and push clean air into burnt buildings. Dale's truck is also fully decked out with a rescue pod, which contains hydraulic "jaws of life" cutters and a set of spreaders. That's the stuff for pulling people out of crushed cars... Dale tells us another useful tool for auto accidents is the 35-metre cable winch that's mounted on the front bumper - it can be used to pull rolled cars back onto their wheels.
In summary, the truck's got the works...
Just Another Day?
When there're no emergency calls coming down the phone line, firefighters don't just sit around and watch videos of Back Draft. At a time when most of us are still lying back and hitting the snooze button, the Dales of the world are beginning the day with an exhaustive equipment check of the completeness and condition of the firetruck's equipment. Turning from the clipboard checklist that he's laboriously going through, Dale says, "It's simply gotta be done every day without fail."
After that, it's time to sift through the day's memoranda and paperwork, before heading out for an energetic practice drill. This could involve anything from climbing ladders propped up against a tower, spraying water or cutting up wrecked cars (of which there's a firing squad-like line-up waiting turn). After that, it's time to hit the streets and inspect properties in the local area. As Dale says, "It's important to alert people to the hazards hanging over their heads," - and for the firefighters to know them as well. And if all of this running around isn't enough to have them pooped, the afternoon is usually set aside for a session of physical training. Argh!
Show Time!
Dale tells us the average day has four or five fire calls - which can come in at any time. Once mobile, Dale relies on his local road knowledge and the directions shouted from the crew seated behind him (who are equipped with a street directory). It's important to get the directions right, coz the Scania's 18 metre turning circle makes manoeuvring a bit difficult! However, the skill with which Dale flings the truck down narrows streets shows that he knows to the inch how wide the Scania is.... Other jobs performed along the way include looking at pre-plans of the area and communicating on the five dedicated radio frequencies. Dale confirms, "It's pretty calm inside the truck on the way there. We all know our jobs - mine is to make sure all the firefighters get there safely." And that's not always an easy task.
"We try to read the traffic flow but, unfortunately, some people react differently to the truck's lights and siren. On one occasion, we were driving down Goodwood Road (a 60 km/h main road) at 80 and one car decided to pull up right in front of me - I had to react to avoid hitting him. He didn't pull off to the left - he just stopped in the middle of the road!" Most of the time, though, the driving goes reasonably smoothly - thank God!
Once arriving at the scene, Dale's job is to support the firefighters and quickly get water to them. One such job is to locate a red-capped fire hydrant post, lift the nearby ground plug and install a standpipe (which draws from mains water). "It's not always easy though - like when there's a car parked there. But don't worry, the Fire Service usually tries to avoid doing what you see in the movies - you won't return to a trashed car!"
The Fighters
Of course, before jumping into a dangerous situation, each firefighter is covered in what they refer to as "Level 2" clothing. "We wear this so we can go into a fire and not feel the heat," says Dale. From the top-down, there's a lightweight fire helmet, flash jacket, protective gloves and over-trousers and heavy-duty boots. If you ask us, it's a very stylish ensemble.... But being such an effective insulator, Dale says it's a nightmare to wear during the summer months. "It's shocking - you just can't vent your heat quick enough. We get moving and immediately start drinking water." And on the subject of heating up, Dale points to the black boots he's standing in and says, "These are the weak link in the chain." The internal steel inserts warm right up - enough that the heat can be felt burning through. Yeouch!
A Job Well Done
When it's knock-off time and the fires have been extinguished, cats have been rescued, physical drills have been done (etc), Dale drives home in his own car. He tells us the toughest part is recognising he's no longer at the helm of the truck. "After getting the day's calls, you get back into your own car and you've gotta stop at the first red light - it's really quite frustrating! And another thing is - when you drive the trucks - you've gotta be a little bit aggressive. So when you're back in your own car you've gotta take a step back and take it easy!"
Which brings us neatly to our closing point, offered by Rod Smith (Station Officer of the St Marys Branch of the SA Metropolitan Fire Service):
Please take driving your car seriously. By all means enjoy driving - but make sure YOU aren't the reason for our next emergency call-out!
Contact:
South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service
http://www.samfs.sa.gov.au/
Thanks to Rod Smith (St Marys Station Officer), Dale Thompson (Senior Firefighter/Driver) and the rest of the St Marys Station crew for their very professional assistance in putting this story together.
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The Scania
| Vehicle: |
Scania 93M hydraulic tilt cab |
| Engine: |
Allison MYB647 9 litre, 6 cylinder, turbocharged intercooled diesel |
| Maximum Power: |
185kW at 2200 rpm |
| Transmission: |
5-speed automatic |
| Total Mass: |
14,960kg (laden) |
| Height, Width, Length: |
3m, 2.4m, 13m (approx) |
| Capacities: |
Water 1400L, foam 130L, fuel 200L (approx) |
| Water Pump: |
Darley SEH1000 (maximum flow - 3800 litres per minute, maximum pressure - 4200 kPa) |
| Cost: |
A$400,000 fully equipped (approx) |
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