Disruptive technology Features and tools
This unit needed to be the most effective, relevant and usable fire appliance on the market. It had to be capable of self sufficiency, while simultaneously increasing firefighter safety. The result was a vehicle with a Bluetooth controlled, 16.5 metre high reach extendable turret (HRET), able to deliver 4,500 litres of water over 85 metres, if and when required: further than any ALP. The Stinger boom package was also designed with a hydraulically actuated piercing tool, capable of penetrating walls, windows and house roofs, before discharging 1,000 litres per minute of water from the injected spike.
A thermal imaging and real time camera
is fixed to the tip of the implement, alongside LED lighting to illuminate the scene of operation, and the water supply is powered by its own 4,500 litres per minute Rosenbauer NH45 fire pump, developed specifically for the AT-Stinger. Firefighter safety was also at the centre
of innovation. Three point belts were fitted on all seats, alongside an optional complete roll over airbag system in the crew cab. Patented revolving safety steps allow the firefighters to enter and exit the vehicle quickly and safely, even while wearing bulky PPE and breathing apparatus and
when the door can only be opened halfway. LED lighting also ensures glare free, uniform lighting with the option for night vision mode to ensure maximum efficiency. But perhaps most significantly, the appliance also has the ability to carry the most essential component for dealing with any fire or rescue scenario: up to six highly skilled firefighters.
Concept test
In 2017, the AT-Stinger and its many functions were put to the test. During a 12 month hire agreement, the appliance was stationed at the busy Blackburn fire station and put through its paces at 460 of Lancashire’s most demanding emergencies. A hint of the LFRS report’s positive findings
to come was seen at the AT-Stinger’s first operational incident: a house fire in Blackburn (see image below). It took the appliance just six minutes to set up and extinguish the fire from arrival, whilst providing additional safety and breathing apparatus for the crews committed inside the building. Another instance of the AT-Stinger’s
performance was seen at a car recycling plant in Hyndburn (see image on page 30). Where other trucks would struggle to gain access due to rough ground conditions, the WT successfully navigated the plant’s terrain and set to work from a safe distance, increasing firefighter safety. Without the
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www.frmjournal.com FEBRUARY 2018
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