Ultra High-Pressure Firefighting Equipment Installed On Oskaloosa Fire Brush Truck
Oskaloosa Fire Departments 62-75 brush truck was recently outfitted with Ultra High-Pressure firefighting equipment. (submitted photo)
An Oskaloosa Fire Department Press Release
Just like any industry, the science of putting out fires continues to see technological advances. One hundred and fifty years ago fires were fought with a line of citizens passing buckets of water from a well to a burning building. Next, it was horse-drawn pumps and tanks. Then came the steam or gas-powered water pump mounted on a large truck, which is still in use today.
While big red fire trucks are not going away any time soon, the Oskaloosa Fire Department has recently completed an upgrade to one of its fire trucks. The major difference you may see is the amount of water used to put out a fire.
In 2015, the department replaced Unit 62-72, a 1976 Chevrolet K30 which had been used for brush/ off road fires that a large engine could not get to. We utilized the pump from that truck and placed it on a 2015 Ford f-350. In late 2017 the department was approached by the City Manager, Michael Schrock, to begin researching what is known as “Ultra High-Pressure” (or UHP) pumps for fire suppression.
UHP pumps fight the fire at around 3000 psi where a conventional fire truck does so from 50-200 psi. A UHP pump also flows around 5-10 gallons of water per minute where a conventional truck will flow 100-250 gallons per minute. The UHP pump will break the water into smaller droplets, which, in turn, allows more surface area for heat absorption. This will allow the department to put out comparable fires with substantially less water damage than a conventional fire hose.
UHP pumps have been used successfully in Europe for many years. They have also been used with a great effect where water is scarce such as forest fires. UHP pumps have been gaining popularity with municipal fire departments and many cities in Iowa have recently fielded UHP units.
Staff from the Oskaloosa Fire Department then researched contacted vendors and conducted live-fire demonstrations of various UHP systems. The City Manager even got in on the action and put out some fire with one of the units. When the department found a model that was well built, adequate for the working conditions, and substantially less expensive than competitors we began seeking funding sources.
Oskaloosa Fire Department received a grant from the Mahaska County Community Foundation in the amount of three thousand dollars. The remainder of the funding came from the leftover budget from the fire station expansion project.
The UHP pump was placed into service in December of 2018. Other upgrades to the truck include a flatbed for greater durability, side mount toolboxes to store tools and contaminated gear, off-road tires for muddy conditions, and increased emergency lighting for greater firefighter safety.
The total cost of the retrofit was under $15,000. This may seem like a lot of money but is far less than the cost of a new brush truck while expanding capabilities of the past truck configuration. Other benefits include vastly reduced water damage to homes on smaller fires, fewer firefighter injuries due to the lightweight hose, quicker response times outside of city limits and longer cycles between water fills.
Oskaloosa Fire would like to thank MCCF for the generous contribution.
If anyone would like to view the upgrades to the truck, as well as the Oskaloosa Fire Station, please call 641-672-3541 ext. 2 to set up a tour.
