HME, Inc. introduced an all-new fire, EMS, and rescue response vehicle powered by a compressed natural gas (CNG) engine at FDIC.
Installed in the HME Rapid Attack Truck “RAT” apparatus, a compact chassis with a stainless steel rescue style body, 750-pump, 500-gallon tank, hydraulic generator and foam system.
A Cummins Westport CNG engine will power the chassis. There are over 20,000 Cummins Westport engines in service worldwide, many of which operate in the tough urban bus and refuse markets. Customers report less oil consumption, improved idling, longer intervals between service calls, and low cost per mile.
The 8.9-liter CNG engine produces 320 horsepower with 1,000 lb-ft of torque. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and California Air Resources Board (CARB) 2010 emission requirements can be met by the CNG engine without Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) and Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) systems that are required on diesel engines. Its exhaust system is comprised of a simple, three-way catalyst that meets the EPA useful-life requirement and is maintenance-free.
Other innovations on this unit include an auxiliary power unit that eliminates the need to have the large propulsion engine running when the unit is idling.
“This is a milestone for the fire service,” explained HME Ahrens-Fox Director of Marketing Dave Fornell. “Not only are we introducing a vehicle specifically tailored for the high-frequency EMS, rescue and fire runs that dominate the fire service today, but now we can fulfill mission in a highly environmentally friendly and cost-effective manner.”
Mike “FossilMedic” Ward
Also on FireGeezer…
- Living in a 1996 Type 1 ambulance – September 30, 2011
- Will your next ambulance be plastic? – May 30, 2011
- Either comply with your rules or change the requirements – October 13, 2011
- Updated: Stolen Vermont rig may be headed to Oklahoma – October 20, 2010
