Kudos to Lee Adams, Chief Jon Adams, Russia Fire department, the Ohio Tanker Task Force and all others involved in a Region 3 water supply exercise March 20, 2022. It was well planned, and valuable information resulted. Some of the objectives were:
Departments working together
Non-vacuum and vacuum units working together
High volume water shuttle simulating an unusual fire incident
Utilization of multiple dumping and drafting sites to support a second "dual pump" fire attack site supplying a 2,000 GPM ladder tower and an engine.
Integration of an industrial private fire pump...
Shows are beginning to open this year as the pandemic subsides. We are planning to attend the following:
NOVA in Ohio March 12-13
FDIC in Indianapolis April 28-30
PA Expo in Harrisburg May 19-21
New England in Worchester, MA June 22-24
Ozark July 15-16
Fire House Expo in Columbus, OH September 27-30
We will be showing off our Demonstrator model and program and would be glad to give individual demonstrations. Call 800-796-2588 or email admin@firovac.com or respond through this web site.
Breath new life into a faltering unit. Often a fire department truck will have low mileage, but the tank has seen its better days.
This non-vacuum stainless steel tank originally purchased in the 1990’s on an International 4900 was severely leaking. Several attempts to repair it were unsuccessful. It was replaced - see "After"
Replace your leaking tank with a interior coated polished aluminum tank with 15 year non-prorated warranty, complete vacuum system, 3 air operated water valves and 48’ of 6” suction hose as this Department did.
At a mutual aide recently, we supplied water from a static water source the pumper could not access. We drafted "sucked" from a hard to reach creek using a long hose lay and supplied the pumper "dumped" with 2 three inch lines. Dave Ferbee
The picture here shows another "suck and dump" senario. The pumper could not cross the small bridge. The vacuum tanker "sucked" from the creek and "dumped" into the portable tank for the pumper to draft from and apply water to the fire.
To those Departments who do this, in the heat of the moment remember to allow time for pressures to equalize between...
If you've ever had any questions about vacuum tankers or if you would just like to be in a community of other vacuum tanker users and fans then the Facebook group, Suck It Up is just the place for you! We at Firovac are proud to see all the interest and great discussion on the group. Join the group and participate in the discussions by clicking here!
Because of Covid, many activities and shows were canceled in 2020.
Organiziations are hopeful that more activities will be able to be done in 2021. Firovac has just completed a demonstration trip with our Demonstrator Unit going to Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, Mississippi, and West Virginia.
The pictures below are from our demonstration at Penitas, Texas. In them we are drafting from back channels of the Rio Grande River which the pumpers have difficulty drafting from because of water turbulence causing pumps to lose prime and cavitate.
This Demonstrator Unit has been sold,...
It's the energizer bunny; the evolution of #92.
The original unit was on a 1989 Ford LN 8000, a 2,000 gallon Firovac unit built as Demonstrator #2. Sold in 1991 to then Smithville VFD.
Repaired in 2001 after "falling" into a ditch.
Refurbished in 2004 (outside repaint, inside recoat, updated).
Presently, Smithville VFD is now Central Fire District. In 2020 #92 gets a department-supplied KW T300 chassis, new aluminum compartments, new water valves with valve house, electrical/lighting/level indicator upgrades, and Firovac Portable Tank Bracket.
She is ready for her next 20 years. We enjoy...
A frequently asked question concerning Firovac is "On your vac/pumpers is it possible to fill the tank at a draft site while at the same time as pumping into another truck?"
The answer is: We do not set our units up to do that for the following reason,
Although it could possibly work for a short period of time, eventually the vacuum pump will overcome the fire pump and it will cavitate the fire pump. A fire pump functions at 15-16 inches of mercury and the vacuum pump goes up to 25-27 inches of mercury. Cavitation of a fire pump will destroy the impeller.
Furthermore, a more efficient way to...
The Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska just signed a contract for a Vacuum Rescue Pumper for the Butte Fire Department. Because the two previous Firovac tankers purchased in 2012 and 2015 have had great performance requiring no repairs (unlike the other apparatus in the district) the firefighters designed this rescue pumper. Firovac-Reberland has also been set up to be a sole source supplier of apparatus.
