In the early to mid-1800s, cities began to grow at expedited rates across the East Coast of the United States. As cities grew and became more condensed and crowded, the danger of fire also grew. Acknowledging this danger, a man named John Ericcson set to work to create something that would drastically increase the response times of city fire brigades. The result was the birth of the very first steam-powered fire engine in 1841.
Today, fire engines are loaded with fantastic technology and features that allow firefighters to handle a variety of situations. All of these features, however, mean that firetrucks have become quite large. Additionally, the truck must carry people, gear, and tons of water everywhere it goes.
It would appear that firetrucks have gotten to be about as big as they are ever going to get and might as well be considered military grade. However, a company named NAFFCO would like to prove you wrong by showing you their latest creation: The Falcon 8x8.
Let's take a look at this colossus fire fighting tank.
A Little Bit About NAFFCO
National Fire Fighting Manufacturing FZCO (NAFFCO) is a manufacturer of firefighting products and equipment. The company started in Jebel Ali (located 22 miles south of Dubai) and has since moved to Dubai. The founder and current CEO is named Khalid Al Khatib. Today, the company distributes its products and services to over 100 countries.
According to their website, they produce pumps and controllers, fire protection systems, fire doors, and of course, firetrucks. Additionally, they provide both fire fighting and emergency medical service training and education. NAFFCO's mission is to build "top-tier firefighting equipment, fire protection systems, fire alarms, security and safety engineering systems." The Falcon 8x8 definitely aligns with this statement.
The Falcon 8x8 Is The Largest Firetruck In The World
Of course, the biggest (and likely most expensive) firetruck in the world was created by a company in Dubai. The vehicle in question, dubbed the Falcon 8x8, is an eight-wheeled fiberglass behemoth that boasts around 900 horsepower. Despite having a body made mostly of fiberglass, the vehicle still weighs a staggering 54 tons. Even though it weighs as much as a small mansion, the 8x8 can still reach 50 mph in under 25 seconds.
The purpose of this truck is to respond to fires on airport runways as fast as possible. Because aircraft fires are unique, several products and equipment are needed to extinguish them properly. To accomplish this, the 8x8 can carry 16,000 liters of water and 1,920 liters of foam.
What Does It Do?
The Falcon 8x8 is packed full of awesome firefighting gizmos and features. For starters, the cabin itself can hold six people, including the driver. When responding to an incident, the co-pilot can manually operate a roof-mounted monitor (gun) via the inboard dash. This monitor is used to fire a high-powered jet stream of water onto any fire. Because of its elevated position, the gun can be aimed at the higher parts of aircraft like that of the roof or wing sections.
Moving further down the truck, you'll find yet another firefighting tool in the Falcon's arsenal. Below the windshield is a bumper turret that expunges aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF), as well as dry chemical powder (DCP). The AFFF is used for putting out fires involving jet fuel, while the DCP is used for electrical and normal petroleum-based fires. In order to protect both the vehicle and the firefighters inside, the turret can shoot these solutions from a whopping 90 meters away.
The truck does have one more water cannon; however, it is not utilized for the purpose of extinguishing a blaze on an airplane nor' runway. Instead, there is an "under truck protection nozzle" that is designed to stop the truck from being damaged by fire. This works by spraying water to cool the truck's undercarriage; additionally, it also wets the ground beneath it. Ultimately, this stops the truck from melting or catching on fire.
A Testament To How Far We've Come
The Falcon 8x8 is truly a modern marvel and shows just how far we have come regarding firefighting technology. While the sheer size of this truck is astonishing, the engineering behind the vehicle is even more so. The designers and engineers have truly thought of everything when it comes to the intricacies of firefighting. Most importantly, the group back at NAFFCO has worked hard to keep brave men and women safe in extremely unsafe situations.
While 1841 may seem like a long time ago, it really is amazing how much the fire engine has improved since then. We have not yet hit perfection by any means, but we are getting closer to this level. With luck, the guys and girls back at NAFFCO will find yet another way to wow us once again.