Hot ride! Stellenbosch gets a new fire truck

 

The Stellenbosch Fire and Rescue department’s latest asset to the fire station, on Cluver Street, is Motor Pump 10. PHOTO: Byron Latham

Stellenbosch Fire and Rescue department’s newest fire truck will be able to fight fires where its larger counterparts find it harder to reach.

 

This was according to Tasso Steyn, the Stellenbosch municipal fire brigade chief of operations.

Motor Pump 10 (MP10) was recently fitted with some of the latest gear, Steyn said.

The truck, commissioned by the department on 1 August, was the result of a collaboration between the Stellenbosch Fire and Rescue department and Marcé, a firefighting technology manufacturer, said Steyn.

“[The truck] can be used to fight bushfires or go into informal settlements on slopes and between narrow alleys where the large vehicles battle,” he said. 

According to Steyn, the 4×4 vehicle will be able to fight fires and save lives on both mountainous terrain and in informal settlements.

The firetruck, which is much narrower than the bigger trucks at the department, is compact, state of the art and multi-talented, said Steyn. The vehicle will be a big asset going into this fire season, he said.

Stellenbosch Fire & Rescue Services have taken delivery of a brand new All Terrain 4×4 Pumper Vehicle. This is the flagship vehicle in its class for the manufacturer, Marce. The pumper is tailor-made for fighting fires in inaccessible areas such as informal settlements. pic.twitter.com/dg2Q5EqRQ7

— Stellenbosch Municipality (@StellMun) September 21, 2020

The truck’s side view shows off some of it’s special equipment such as it’s electric rewind motors that reel the hoses back into place, which saves time and energy, said Louis Louw. PHOTO: Byron Latham

Steyn said that the people involved with the truck’s features have gone “above and beyond” with the MP10’s design.

Marcé’s Cape Town manager, Louis Louw, had a lot to do with assembling the vehicle, said Steyn.

The vehicle can hold 1 200 litres of water and can pump 1 350 litres of water per minute, according to Louw. 

“[The MP10] is not the first one we’ve made, but the Stellenbosch-model has some unique features,” Louw said.

These include a unique first story jack knife ladder that can extend straight out or fold into an A-frame ladder, longer hoses – compared to other vehicles its size – and a metal fire extinguisher fitted on its side. An electric “jaws of life” unit, which is used to free people from crumpled vehicles, is also in the process of being added to the MP10, he said. 

“It was a fun project and it’s always special making something that saves lives,” Louw said.

 

Compared to some of the bigger pumper vehicles at the fire and rescue department’s disposal, Motor Pump 10’s smaller size allows it to get into tighter spaces. Coupled with it’s 4×4 capability, the vehicle is a great asset, said Tasso Steyn, Stellenbosch municipal fire brigade chief of operations .  PHOTO: Byron Latham

According to Henry Davy, a firefighter at the Stellenbosch fire brigade, the new truck would help fight fires, particularly in informal settlements, more efficiently.

Davy was looking forward to being able to save lives with the new “jaws of life” unit, which is battery-powered and does not have any cables that can sometimes get in the way, he said.

 

Fresh out of the box – Motor Pump 10’s cable-less “jaws of life unit” that is battery-powered and easy to use, according to Tasso Steyn. The unit will be in a special custom mount under the front passenger seat in the vehicle. PHOTO: Byron Latham