Green Firetruck Rolls Into Hermosa

33.864464-118.396097primaryGreen Firetruck Rolls Into HermosaFire Department540 Pier Ave, Hermosa Beach, CA/listings/fire-department-As one of the Hermosa Beach Fire Department’s traditional red-and-white firetrucks slowly rolled out of its Pier Avenue station Monday, a bright green truck rolled in to take its place.

Several firefighters climbed in, curiously inspecting the truck’s gadgets. Fire Capt. Michael Garofano stood by, looking with interest at the vehicle, which had a big tree frog painted on its back end.

As the firetruck's engine ran, Frank Landon took a deep breath.

“What do you smell,” he asked, before exclaiming, “Nothing! It’s clean air.”

Landon and his team members at HME Ahrens-Fox manufacturing company brought the energy-efficient firetruck to Hermosa Beach for display to city officials and firefighters.

The green machine is America's first natural gas-fueled firetruck, Landon said.

“It’s neat because it comes with 90 percent fewer emissions [than diesel-fueled trucks], 40 percent lower maintenance and operation costs,” said Hermosa Beach Emergency Preparedness Advisory Commissioner Ken Hartley, one of the local officials who attended the firetruck display. “I wanted the firefighters to see how it works.”

Hartley arranged the local showcase after seeing the truck exhibited at the annual Firehouse World Expo in San Diego last week. He was eager to show the truck to the city as a possible addition to the Fire Department.

“If it fits the needs of the Fire Department, saves our city money and is better for our environment, I feel it’s worthwhile to look at these options,” Hartley said.

Manufacturers claim that grants could cover 80 to 90 percent of the cost for an eco-friendly truck.

“The goal of our city is to be carbon-neutral, and this fits right in,” Mayor Peter Tucker told Patch at the showcase. “Again, Hermosa could take the leadership.”

The city is still in the early stages of budgeting for the next fiscal year, and thus hasn't yet tackled whether and how fire equipment will be included in that budget, according to city officials.

Firetrucks are not purchased often as the city maintains them for about 22 years, City Manager Steve Burrell told Patch. Hermosa Beach's last truck purchase was in 2000, he said.

If the city were to consider buying a new energy-efficient truck, fire officials first would have to confirm that the decision would be an appropriate fit with the department.

“We’d have two to three weeks to evaluate, look at maneuverability, and reliability… and the refueling of it,” Tucker said.

For fuel, the department could use natural gas tanks in Redondo Beach, where the city already gets diesel for emergency vehicles and natural gas for its Sedans, Burrell said.

If the Fire Department decides it wants the truck, a proposal would then be submitted to the City Council to consider, and the biggest question would come into play: How much would a new eco-friendly truck cost?

“I don’t think we’re in the market right now,” Burrell said. “If it’s $50,000 we’d consider it, but if it’s $400,000… I don’t know.”

The natural gas-powered truck that turned the heads of passersby Monday has a price tag of $330,000, Landon said.

Buck

Views: 67

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Sarah on March 8, 2011 at 16:33

Too bad the truck is so expensive.  That's a big gap between what he's expecting to pay and actual costs.

Permalink Reply by Max on March 9, 2011 at 6:03

Googled fire truck cost:  New; 200K to 1000K depending on how big and what you want.

Related article:

 

HME, Inc. To Unveil CNG Powered Fire Truck at FDIC in Indianapolis


Mar 29, 2010

HME, Inc. announced that it will be unveiling an all-new fire, EMS,, and rescue response vehicle next month at the Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) in Indianapolis, Indiana, powered by a clean, environmentally friendly, compressed natural gas (CNG) engine.

This is the first American fire apparatus to use a clean CNG power plant, and it will be available to the media before the show opens. The rig is covered with a unique multi-colored “green” graphics package, and company officials will be on hand to do interviews and answer any questions.

An expensive exhaust filtration system must be installed on conventional Diesel engines to allow them to meet strict Environmental Protection Agency requirements aimed to reduce soot and gas emissions. The CNG engine uses domestically produced fuel, lessoning the dependence on foreign oil, and does not require a complicated exhaust system to meet EPA emission requirements.

Other innovations on this unit include an auxiliary power unit that eliminates the need to have the large propulsion engine running when the unit is idling and it is fully recyclable when it is retired.

A service proven Cummins Westport CNG engine will power the chassis. There are over 20,000 Cummins Westport engines in service worldwide, many of which operate in the toughest cycles - the urban bus and refuse markets. Customers report less oil consumption, improved idling, longer intervals between service calls, and low cost per mile. All this is accomplished through the use of clean, domestically produced, compressed natural gas fuel.

The 8.9-liter CNG engine produces 320 horsepower with 1,000 lb-ft of torque while meeting EPA and CARB 2010 emissions without DEF and SCR systems that are required on diesel engines. The exhaust system is comprised of a simple three-way catalyst that meets the useful-life requirement and is maintenance-free.

“This is a milestone for the fire service,” explained HME Ahrens-Fox Director of Marketing Dave Fornell. “Not only are we introducing a vehicle specifically tailored for the high-frequency EMS, rescue and fire runs that dominate the fire service today, but now we can fulfill mission in a highly environmentally friendly and cost-effective manner.”

The rig on display will feature a stainless steel high-cubic footage rescue style body, 750-pump, 500-gallon tank, hydraulic generator and foam system, all mounted on HME’s exclusive SFO, compact chassis, selected for its unrivaled maneuverability and safety. HME, Inc. is a producer of custom stainless steel fire apparatus and custom chassis, based in Wyoming, Michigan. Further information is available at www.hmetruck.com

RSS

Support GoHaynesvilleShale.com

Top Content 

1 Looking Back At The Haynesville Shale - A Retrospective

Looking Back At The Haynesville Shale - A Retrospective
2 Pending Public Oil and Gas Hearings

Pending Public Oil and Gas Hearings
3 Arkansas Smackover Lithium Play

Arkansas Smackover Lithium Play
4 Aethon looks for Buyers of its Haynesville Assets

Aethon looks for Buyers of its Haynesville Assets
5 Notice Emails Are Back! Please review how they work.

Notice Emails Are Back! Please review how they work.
6 Comstock October Presentation

Comstock October Presentation
7 Haynesville Has 12.5 Years of Sub-$3 NatGas Inventory - Enverus

Haynesville Has 12.5 Years of Sub-$3 NatGas Inventory - Enverus

Blog Posts

The Lithium Connection to Shale Drilling

Shale drilling and lithium extraction are seemingly distinct activities, but there is a growing connection between the two as the world moves towards cleaner energy solutions. While shale drilling primarily targets…

Continue

Posted by Keith Mauck (Site Publisher) on November 20, 2024 at 12:40

Not a member? Get our email.

Groups



© 2024   Created by Keith Mauck (Site Publisher).   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service