It’s great to appreciate the engineering in the larger appliance, but we need to ensure we don’t forget the smaller kit. We’re only human; it’s impossible not to be impressed by the latest, the biggest and the fastest. Whether it’s higher top speeds enabling faster response times, or the application of emerging technology such as electric vehicles, we’re hard-wired to be wowed by what’s big, shiny, new and complex. As a manufacturer we’re very familiar with the reactions to these feats of engineering.
However, we shouldn’t forget that attention to the smaller details is just as important in delivering an exceptional and consistent service. As in elite sporting competition, marginal gains can make the difference. And in our business, we don’t just win a trophy, we save lives.
Pumps – the beating heart of our service
With a climate that gets more and more unpredictable every season, it’s more important than ever to know you have a reliable, efficient and powerful way of shifting water ready to go at a moment’s notice.
Of course Rosenbauer appliances are fitted with the highest-quality vehicle pumps, optimised for performance, reliability and service life. Not so well known is that we have available a range of firefighting equipment including portable pumps, mobile compressed-air foam systems and ultra-high-pressure pumps that mean today’s firefighter can be equipped with the best equipment suited for every incident.
Portable pumps allow you to get up close to the action, whatever’s in your way. The range of portable pumps supplied by Rosenbauer range from the super-portable Otter – 800 l/min at 5 bar – to the high powered Fox delivering 1,500 l/min at 10 bar and 2,250 l/min at 4 bar and 1.5m suction height.
The smaller-capacity Otter has the advantages of being small in dimensions and super-light allowing unsurpassed accessibility, and can be equipped with a high-performance hand-priming pump that achieves suction heights of up to 7.5m.
The Beaver is a compact, lightweight, easy-to-operate portable pump with a maximum output of 750 l/min at 10 bar or 1,000 l/min at 8 bar, fulfilling the requirements of EN 14466 as PFPN-10-750.
At the other end of the scale are the Fox S and Fox class pumps. The Fox portable pump has been the standard for more than 25 years in terms of optimal performance, operational safety and user friendliness. At 167kg when ready to operate, it is still among the lightest four-stroke portable pumps. Its output of 15 bar at 1,000 l/min makes it ideal for firefighting at height in confined areas where a connection to a dry riser is required. Operated via an intuitive CANBus control it features automatic piston priming and automatic pressure governing, making operation of the Fox easier and faster, and prevents operating errors.
Flexible device carriers mean that the pumps can be retro-fitted to most types of vehicle, and can be operated while mounted in situ, so if the appliance can gain access, deployment at a site will be even faster. And it doesn’t always need to be a Rosenbauer vehicle. We can design, install, commission and test on new or retro-fit applications so you can have the certainty that you have the right kit to rely on.
The design of our pumping equipment means that maintenance costs are low; the use of low-wear priming pumps, mechanical axial face sealing, and long maintenance intervals of the BRP-Rotax, Briggs & Stratton and BMW engines means the pumps have minimal downtime and are always ready to go.
Express foam delivery
They say that the best things come in small packages, and that can certainly be said of some of the Poly extinguishing systems from Rosenbauer. Imagine a self-contained CAFS (Compressed Air Foam System) that’s small enough to be fitted to an off-road motorcycle or ATV. There’s simply no faster way of getting to an incident. And the properties of CAFS – excellent throw range and adhesion to vertical and smooth surfaces – mean that this can be the most effective and rapid solution to solid and liquid fires.
Being ready means being reliable. The importance of effective servicing
It goes without saying that when lives and property are at risk, you need to have complete confidence that every piece of equipment is operating at peak performance. As well as providing equipment for every requirement, Rosenbauer provides full service-centre facilities carrying out repairs, retro-fits and refurbishments at the UK HQ in West Yorkshire. Together with training facilities in the UK, and at the global training school in Austria, this ensures both the equipment and teams operating it are always working at maximum efficiency.
Rosenbauer’s servicing offer extends across its full range of vehicles, pumps and all ancillary equipment. Using Rosenbauer’s servicing capabilities means that not only will you ensure compliance with all necessary legislation and guidelines but you’ll be safe in the knowledge that your equipment is performing to its best ability across the full extent of the equipment’s lifespan.
The above gives only a hint of the extensive range of small and ancillary equipment we provide that complements our appliances. We’re committed to bringing a holistic approach to products, and a partnership approach to serving our customers in order to ensure they’re ready to save lives and property at a moment’s notice.
For more information, go to www.rosenbauer.com/en
About the Author
Nick Uwins is Managing Director of Rosenbauer UK.
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