01.05.2018
In the land of the Vikings
 
The BAS-4 is a heavy rescue and firefighting vehicle of an urban class

The Swedish Fire Service, similarly to the Polish one, has certain technical standards that define norms or requirements with regard to vehicles. We can distinguish several basic classes of rescue and fire-fighting vehicles - from BAS-1 to BAS-5. The standards describe, among others, work safety and ergonomics.

The BAS-4 is a heavy rescue and firefighting vehicle of an urban class. The minimum requirements for this class of a vehicle include, among others, a double crew cab suitable for 4-6 firefighters, extinguishing agent tanks with a total capacity of min. 5900 litres (normally including 5500 litres of water and 400 litres of foam). A two-axle chassis (4x2) made by Scania or Volvo is usually used for this type of a vehicle.

The BAS-4 is built on 2-axle Scania chassis P370LB4x2HNZ and features a six-cylinder DC13 116 in-line turbo diesel engine with a capacity of 12.7 litres and a maximum power of 272 kW (370 HP). The drive unit complies with the Euro 6 standard.

The vehicle has a spacious, single module, tiltable, 4-door Scania CrewCab CP 28 of a length of 2800 mm. The cab has an electric tilt system. It can carry five passengers (seats: 1+1+3) and has a relatively low entrance door with two steps fitted with lighting. There are small mirrors at the back door just above the hinges, what increases safety when getting off the vehicle.

A bar-desk for firefighters' protective equipment is installed in the middle of the vehicle in front of the rear seats. Each cabinet allows for safe transport of helmets, protective gloves, flashlights, headsets and communication radios. Access to the cabinet is possible by means of a tilting worktop located at the top of a superstructure.

A driver is equipped with an electronic panel with analogue indicators. The control panel displays information about parameters of a truck-mounted pump, closed shutters or light and sound system of the vehicle. The cab is also fitted with a display (LCD) showing a GPS map of hydrant locations. There is a rotary handle for a tablet, as well as a hand-held and portable communication radios. The vehicle is also equipped with a camera system providing a simulated horizontal view of the vehicle and its surroundings, which enables the driver to monitor the space around the vehicle by looking at the second monitor.

The firefighting superstructure is a self-supporting structure made entirely of polyester composite with eight equipment lockers - three at each side and two at the back. The two largest lockers are closed with aluminum shutters equipped with mechanical locking systems possible to be locked with a key. They are equipped with limit switches, which enable the lockers to be illuminated after opening and to control their correct closing. The narrowest, side lockers at the rear part of a superstructure are closed with doors made of GRP. The lockers at the rear part of the superstructure are closed with flaps, which are lifted upwards and may provide a kind of a roof for the crew.

Independent, extendable work platforms have been installed in order to facilitate access to the equipment located on the top shelves. Each platform can also be used as an additional drawer to transport equipment. In the lower part of the superstructure (on the rear overhang) there is a place for the transport of hose bridges (two at each side) and a place for a rubber threshold.

The vehicle is equipped with a composite water tank, located in the middle of the superstructure with a capacity of 5500 litres. The tank is fitted with internal baffes, complete drain valve, venting system, electronic level indicator, hydrant filling inlet 63 mm (SMS), as well as an inspection hatch. A foam tank is integrated with a water tank and has a capacity of 400 litres. Due to the adopted solutions applied in Sweden, a hose with a valve has been installed inside it, which allows connection to an in-line injector.

A two-stage Ruberg EH30 pump of a capacity of 3000 l/min at the pressure of 10 bar or 400 l/min at 40 bar is installed in the vehicle. It is located ‘mid-ship’, which means the central part between a cab and a superstructure. The central location of the truck-mounted pump helps to reduce the noise level, which the operator is exposed to and to shorten the fire truck’s pump shaft. This provides additional space in the superstructure. All pressure outlets and supply inlets are led backwards. Two of the pressure outlets are adapted to connect in-line injectors with the possibility to adjust foam concentration (1, 3 and 6 %) of the class B foam. Such untypical solution prevents the entire water-foam system and the truck-mounted pump from being contaminated by foam and enables simultaneous supply of foam and water from various couplings.

An additional coupling of a diameter of 38 mm (SMS) is a standard solution in the Scandinavian countries. It allows to supply warm water, which is obtained thanks to a few minutes of the pumps’ operation at higher speed in a closed circuit. The control panel of the water-foam system was placed in the last right side locker of the superstructure. This ensures the highest level of safety for the driver, as it is within a safe distance from vehicles passing by and not in a direct proximity to the hoses connected to the pressure outlets. In addition, the same locker is equipped with a remote control of the truck-mounted pump to control it from a distance of up to 30 meters.

For the safety of the crew, the roof is not a working platform, therefore, the superstructure does not have a ladder allowing access to the roof and its equipment. Two aluminum ladders and other equipment are placed on the roof of the superstructure. In order to facilitate access to this equipment, the vehicle is equipped with three electrically operated ladder gantries. A 4-part aluminum ladder is placed on the first ladder gantry on the left side, a 3-section, 12-metre aluminum ladder with hydraulic supports is located on the middle one, and an aluminum ladder for transporting equipment (spades, decontamination equipment etc.) is located on the right ladder gantry.

A roll-up traffic advisor with a sign warning of an accident is installed on the rear wall of the cab. There is a set of warning lights at the top of the traffic advisor - two orange lights flashing forwards and two red lights flashing backwards. They are switched on to stop traffic. The lights can be raised, lowered and switched on with the remote control located in the last locker on the right side and from the vehicle’s cab. The total length of the vehicle is 8300 mm, width 2550 mm, height 3000 mm and wheelbase 4500 mm.