Wildfires can happen anywhere in the world, but every country has their own way of tackling this threat. This includes their wildland fire engines, which can vary vastly across the world according to different geographical needs, types of structures being protected, firefighting tactics, and additional uses. Builds, classifications, standards, and striping are all different across borders. We scoured the internet to see what our global neighbors operate to fight their countries’ wildfires, whether it were unimogs or response vehicles or offroad ATVs, and compiled a list of our most interesting finds.
Don’t see your country represented? Email marketing@bmefire.com with your country’s wildland engine and we’ll add it to the list.
Operated by Bomberos Voluntarios de Pinamar
Manufacturer: Mercedes-Benz
Operated by Forest Fire Management Victoria
Manufacturer: Mercedes-Benz
Water tank: 1057 gal. / 4000 L
Operated by the Bavarian Gmain Fire Brigade
Manufacturer: Mercedes-Benz
Water tank: 159 gal. / 600 L
Used for forest firefighting and military purposes
Manufacturer: MAN
Water tank: 1585 gal. / 6000 L
Operated by Vancouver FD
Manufacturer: HUB Fire Engines
Water tank: 250 gal. / 946 L
The first forest unit in Chile built by Magirus
Manufacturer: Magirus
Water tank: 793 gal. / 3000 L
Small tank forest fire engine
Manufacturer: Hubei Jiangnan Special Automobile Co.
Water tank: 527 gal. / 1995 L
All-emergency response engine, operated by the Benemérito Cuerpo de Bomberos de Costa Rica
Manufacturer: Mercedes-Benz
Water tank: Includes space for portable water tank
Operated by the Šibenik Professional Fire Brigade
Manufacturer: Ziegler
Water tank: 660 gal. / 2500 L
Forest fire and civil defense engine
Manufacturer: Sides
Water tank: 1188 gal. / 4500 L
Operated by Kirchzarten Volunteer Fire Brigade
Manufacturer: Ziegler
Water tank: 1057 gal. / 4000 L
Operated in Kecskemet, Hungary
Manufacturer: Rosenbauer
Water tank: 713 gal. / 2700 L
Includes hoses, water and foam tanks
Manufacturer: Brijbasi Hi-Tech Udyog ltd.
Water tank: 92–159 gal. / 350–600 L
Includes pump and roll capabilities
Manufacturer: PT. Matra Perkasa Utama
Water tank: 793–1321 gal. / 3000–5000 L
Operated by Elphin Fire Station
Manufacturer: Sídheán Teo
Operated in Jerusalem
Manufacturer: MAN
Water tank: 977 gal. / 3700 Liter
Forestry fire truck / civil defense engine
Manufacturer: Chinetti
Water tank: 1321 gal. / 5000 L
Off-road rescue for quick disaster response
Manufacturer: Morita Group
Operated by The Civilian Protection Authority
Manufacturer: Gimaex-Schmitz
Water tank: 528 gal. / 2000 L
Operated by Bomberos San Francisco del Rincon
Manufacturer: GMC
Small brush truck for grassland and bush fires
Manufacturer: Ziegler
Water tank: 793 gal. / 3000 L
Operated by Christchurch City Council
Manufacturer: Mazda
In service 1972-2004 in Oslo, Norway
Manufacturer: Rosenbauer
Water tank: 330 gal. / 1250 L
For rural and forest fire response
Manufacturer: Jacinto
Water Tank: 793 gal. / 3000 L
Fire engine that doubles as a rescue boat
Manufacturer: Fire Group Ltd.
Water tank: 793 gal. / 3000 L
Wildfire engine with space for storing handheld equipment
Manufacturer: TAM
Water tank: 449 gal. / 1700 L
Built to uniquely handle African bush and forest fire suppression
Manufacturer: Kinsey Steel Industries
For maneuvering rough or damaged roads
Manufacturer: Nanomedics
Operated in Cartagena, Spain
Manufacturer: Iveco
Water tank: 1849 gal. / 7000 L
Operated by Eksjö Rescue Services
Manufacturer: Scania
Water tank: 1585 gal. / 6000 L
Built in 1996
Manufacturer: Magirus
Offroad unit designed to carry firefighting and rescue equipment
Manufacturer: Angloco
Operated by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE)
Manufacturer: Boise Mobile Equipment
Water tank: 500 gal. / 1893 L
Operated by South Wales Fire and Rescue Service
Manufacturer: Polaris
We’re not perfect…See a mistake? Let us know by emailing marketing@bmefire.com.
We are often asked what the main differences are among the fire engines we build. Though Boise Mobile Equipment (BME) is largely known for safe and durable wildland fire engines, we manufacture a wide range of apparatus for virtually any fire incident.
So how does the fire industry classify different types of fire engines? You may have seen our blog outlining the seven main categories of apparatus and their functions. We wanted to display this content in an easy-to-read chart that can be seen at a glance. That’s why we took the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) Typing Standards chart and gave it a face lift, making it more accessible to the average viewer.
But firefighting vehicles don’t stop there. There are several other types of rigs that firefighters use on the line, including Water Tenders. We’ve also listed the different models and requirements for water-transporting vehicles, as defined by the NWCG Typing Standards.
At BME, we’re dedicated to providing departments with the right apparatus, whether it be a Type 3 Fire Engine, a Type 6 Brush Truck, or a Type 1 Pumper. Need something that falls outside these categories? We offer completely custom builds to meet the specific requirements of every department, like this Emergency Response Unit for Santa Fe Springs. BME builds a wide selection of apparatus to tackle any situation.
No matter where you live, you may be at risk for wildfires. Several steps can be taken to ensure you are prepared for the unexpected circumstance of a fire while safely evacuating your family from your home. One of the simplest ways for minimizing or preventing wildfire damage to your property is known as fire mitigation.
The most effective strategy to improve your home’s chance of surviving a wildfire is by creating defensible space around your property. It is recommended that you create two defensible space zones; a 30 foot and 100 foot zone, within this area you can take steps to reduce potential exposure to flames and radiant heat. Each zone will create a buffer between structures on your property and the grass, trees, shrubs, or any wildland surrounding it.
Homes built in pine forests should have a minimum safety zone of 100 feet. If your home sits on a steep slope, standard protective measures may not suffice. Contact your local fire department or forestry office for additional information.
Whether you live in a fire zone or live in the city it is important to have defensible space around your home. Along with defensible space it is also important to consider the following to protect your property and home:
Before a wildfire it is crucial to protect your home and prepare for evacuations. If you live in an area under threat by wildfire, pay attention to official channels for evacuation orders. Make sure every member of your family has a bag packed with essential items to last you multiple days away from home. Along with each members disaster supply kit, make sure you have a family emergency plan and a means of transportation standing by.
Once you have each kit packed, maintain them on a yearly basis by replacing expired items and rethinking the necessary contents. Food and cans should be packed and kept in cool, dry places. Keeping emergency kits at home, in your car and at work are all good ideas since you never know where you’ll be when you need to evacuate.
Depending on your evacuation orders, an immediate evacuation of your home may be necessary. If there are evacuations in your area you should monitor local radio and news stations. Be prepared to leave at any time and if asked to evacuate, do so. If you have time prior to evacuating the following four steps will aid in protecting your home and assisting fire fighters in their efforts.
In the event of a quick evacuation, remember the 6 P’s! By having these items prepared ahead of time, you can grab them on a moments notice and evacuate safely.
Every year across the U.S., major wildfires test homeowners and firefighters, some homes survive while many others do not. Those that survive almost always do so because their owners had prepared for the eventuality of fire, which is an inescapable force of nature in fire-prone woodland areas. Another way we think of it as, if it’s predictable, it’s preventable!
The best way to protect your home and family during a wildfire is by adding prevention and preparation into your routine. There is a lot of steps to take to be prepared but they can make the difference between saving your home and potentially your life.
Boise Mobile Equipment (BME) received a $9.8 million dollar tag-on to produce Wildland Model 34 engines for the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES). BME will produce twenty-five CAL FIRE spec Model 34 apparatus to be delivered in 2020.
Cal OES coordinates fire mutual aid resources throughout the state of California. The agency responds to a wide range of disasters, making the Model 34 engine a highly important asset.
The BME Model 34 apparatus is built to handle the toughest terrain. Its rugged durability allows firefighters to respond to both wildland fires and provide structure protection in the wildland-urban interface, navigating rough roads and narrow driveways that pose problems for urban pumpers.
BME has over twenty-nine years of experience producing wildland apparatus for state and federal government agencies. BME engines have become essential in the fleets of California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the United States Forest Service, the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the United States Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Interested in tagging on to the CAL Fire order? Email us at sales@bmefire.com or visit our wildland page for more information.
Last month we kicked off Boise Mobile Equipment’s 2019 ad campaign. Today marks our second ad in the series, featured in the March issue of Firehouse Magazine. While the first ad highlighted BME’s safety innovations, this month we focus on the durability of our wildland apparatus.
Wildland firefighting offers a unique set of challenges that are very different from structural firefighting. The roads are much rougher in the wildland, if there are roads at all. Wildland apparatus must be designed to handle these hazards when responding to fires in some of the country’s most inaccessible areas. BME trucks are built to withstand the worst the wildland can throw at you, taking you where other vehicles can’t go.
Every detail of a BME wildland apparatus is carefully considered in the context of the environment it will be used in. One of these details is our signature tubular body construction, the feature that makes our engines the safest on the market. The steel framework also increases the apparatus’ rugged durability, allowing it to handle the toughest fire response.
The secret to the body’s durability is in its materials. We build our tubular bodies with strong structural steel that withstands vibration far better than aluminum. The body is then mounted on the chassis in a flexible manner that allows for maximum twist without stressing the truck components. This is an essential part of any wildland apparatus since uneven terrain forces the truck to go through extreme twisting action that it doesn’t encounter on city roads.
Another aspect of BME rigs’ durability lies in their heavy duty doors. While most manufacturers build their fire trucks with roll-up doors, we choose to use formed and welded doors that are better suited for the wildland environment. The doors are attached with piano-style hinges with oversized pins, reducing wear and the amount of dirt that gets in. To keep dust out of the compartments, we dovetail the doors into the body and use neoprene bulb seal. These two inch thick doors are so strong that once a customer accidentally left the overhead doors of his apparatus open and they ended up slicing through five palm trees before they noticed.
Size is also an important factor that determines where a truck can go. Because of the varying kinds of wildland fire incidents, we offer a wide selection of wildland apparatus to tackle any situation. Our most popular build is the Type 3, but we also produce many Model 34s, Type 4s, Type 6s, Tactical Tenders, and Crew Carriers. Our Xtreme 6, an aggressive version of a Type 6, is especially suited for hard to access areas that larger engines can’t reach.
We make conscious decisions during every step of the building process to ensure that our apparatus perform to maximum capacity. As BME vice president Larry Segreto explains, “[our] unique body design provides the lowest mounting of the mass of the water tank, maximizing stability for improved high-speed handling, side hill operation, and full use of available water.” We refuse to take shortcuts because we know that lives depend on how our trucks perform in the field.
That being said, accidents do happen and maintenance is sometimes required. That’s why we’ve made minor repairs easier than ever so you can fix your apparatus on the field and get right back into action. Our apparatus are hardwired with very little use of Multiplex systems or Nodes, making them simpler to repair on the go.
Nothing proves the durability of our apparatus more than our customers. Some of our regular customers have large fleets of BME rigs, including the US Forest Service, the National Parks Service, and CAL FIRE. Many of our trucks have been in the field for over twenty years. You can still see BME Type 3s from the 90s responding to fires in west coast forests.
Our trucks have longer lifespans than our competitors because we refuse to take shortcuts. Building the BME way means we put thought into every step of the process, constructing high quality apparatus that get the job done year after year. That’s the BME difference.