HERE IS WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT VACUUM TANKERS....
Firovac® has manufactured a tanker that can cut the number of people required at a fill site by more than half, fill
itself without a pumper, and double the flow rate of an ordinary tanker. It works using a very simple, yet efficient
system that requires little maintenance and is easy to operate.
Vacuum was introduced in to the fire service market in mid 1980's by Firovac®. Although vacuum had been used
for years in the industrial field, it had never been engineered for the fire service until then. Many companies have
tried to use the industrial type vacuum units in fire service, but have been unsuccessful because they have not
taken the time and made the necessary changes to get the performance compatability and safety that is required
by the fire service. Firovac® realizes that rapid water movement involves more than dumping quickly. Our system is
complete with the ability to quickly set up, load rapidly, transport safely and quickly unload the water from the tank.
As tested, a Firovac® tanker can create and maintain flow rates close to 250 gpm as required by ISO all by itself. It
can self load at an average of 1000 gpm and self unload at 1250 gpm. It can load from any available water sources
such as ponds, creeks, portable tanks, etc, even through 48' of hose or more, and vertical lifts of 28'. Most of the
time, under actual fire conditions, a Firovac® tanker will find a water source closer to the fire than the main fill site,
these are normally sources that would be unattainable by conventional units. There have been instances such as
this where a Firovac® unit has delivered 3 to 4 loads of water before a conventional unit has returned with its first
load.
The following shows you how Firovac® Power Systems addresses the criteria
needed for a vacuum tanker.
- Vacuum pump info needs placed here..........................
- Due to the vacuum pressure produced we use either 1/4" Steel or 3/8" Aluminum to provide an expected life
of 30-35 years.
- All of our tanks are coated with Firokote® coating.
We have had the opportunity to check a tank coated with Firokote® and after
18 years of use there were still no signs of rust perforation.
- Our tank's are constructed as a round structure with dished heads in order to withstand
- Support and mounting info needs placed here .....................
- Firovac® has a patented baffle system with no flat surfaces which exceeds the NFPA requirements for tank
baffling and drastically reduces water swash. Flow rates are not hindered with our baffling system.
- Firovac® uses a patented internal vent system which, when open allows the tanker to operate as a
conventional tanker. Note that when using a Firovac® vacuum truck as a conventional tanker it will cut the
flow rates by more than half of its designed capabilities. In order to gain the maximum flow rate from your
Firovac® vacuum tanker it must be operated from vacuum as much as possible.
Although centrifugal pumps have been around for years and seem to be the tried and true of fire service they have
run their course in this application. It is time to move into the 21st century of fire service. There are more people
and more structures than ever to protect and those numbers will continue to grow. Technology makes leaps and
bounds everyday in all aspects of life, this is no different. Although you may not be familiar with vacuum in the field,
please take the time to familiarize yourselves with it. It truly can make the difference in the way you fight fires.
operate like a normal vacuum tanker but if necessary it could be used as a pumper by
activating it's fire pump. This truck also shows our completely enclosed tank which allows for
more storage. The chassis was from an old pumper that had low miles and the department chose
to refurbish it and turn it into a new Firovac® Pumper / Tanker
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