Originally posted Monday, 19 Dec 2022
Through the development of the 8 initial RFBAQ Landcruisers, the Innovation Platform and now the FusionCruiser, we believe that there has been a real advancement in user driven design and firefighter safety in light attack firefighting platforms.
In the pursuit of a less flammable and more survivable light attack we have come to a stage where the only thing that is not electrically driven from the main vehicle power unit is the firefighting motor/pump.
Q Fleet has very kindly donated the RFBAQ a Ford Ranger single cab ute to be the test bed for Project Electric Back. At the conclusion of the project that Ford Ranger ute will be gifted to a Queensland Rural Fire Brigade.
QFES Commissioner Greg Leach and RFSQ Chief Officer Joanne Greenfield are co-sponsors of this project, and we would like to thank them for seeing the future benefits for brigades in Queensland.
Adding to the already identified drive to enhance crew safety, we don’t know what vehicles will be powered by in the future, it could be diesel, petrol, hydrogen, electricity or something else. As such we have very little control of what the base power plant of the vehicle is.
What we can control is everything behind that base power plant and this project is precisely that –
We intend to design and build an electric back that meets current light attack firefighting needs that can be future coupled with any base power plant that a vehicle manufacturer supplies in the future cab chassis.
The learnings from this project, as with the learnings from the Innovation Platform, will ensure that brigades are able to continue to defend their communities receiving equipment that is both fit for purpose and sustainable.
The test of success will be the vehicle being able to fight a night fire with a 15 minute drive to a static water source where the crew will Case 4 and then a 15 minute drive back to the fireground.
This vehicle will not travel across the state, as everyone knows what a light attack does and needs to do to be considered useful, rather this vehicle will be under a constant state of tinkering and testing until intent is met or failure conceded.
As with the QuikCorp/RFBAQ Innovation Platform, we are seeking suppliers to bring forward new, low power alternatives for the equipment and fittings that are currently in use on light attack vehicles. This includes lower power headlights, spot lights and scene lights for vehicles.
Regular updates will be provided on our website, Facebook page and RFBAQ YouTube channel.
Again a huge thanks to QFleet for supporting this project and working with the RFBAQ for over a year to make it happen.
Email contact is gm@rfbaq.org
