Pickup Systems, of Burnley, developed its prototype ‘Compac’ vehicle on a 5.0-tonne Sprinter 519 CDI chassis supplied by dealer Ciceley Commercials to fill a gap in the market.
Managing director John McGauley said: “Fire and rescue services, just like everyone else, are facing pressure on their budgets and looking for ways to operate as efficiently as possible – and that includes running the most cost-effective vehicles.
“At the same time, largely thanks to the excellent work they do in spreading fire safety advice, fitting free smoke alarms, and generally raising awareness, the number of callouts is falling. Yet the standard size of a fire tender has remained the same.
“We believe there’s a growing need for a smaller, lighter, more efficient vehicle, one that provides a high level of fire-fighting ability but with much lower running costs. Our Mercedes-Benz Sprinter conversion meets this requirement perfectly.”
The Sprinter Compac is powered by a 190hp Euro 6 engine, which drives through an automatic or six-speed manual transmission, and has a factory-built steel crew cab with seating for up to five firefighters. Its body is constructed from high-strength polypropylene and includes lockers and slide-and-tilt drawers to carry tools and equipment safely and securely, as well as an 800-litre water tank and Godiva KP2 PTO-powered pump. A nine-metre ladder is stowed on the roof.
“The vehicle is just like a standard fire tender, but downsized,” continued McGauley. “It can easily cope with the majority of fire situations and is also well suited for responding to road traffic collisions and water rescues. It really comes into its own, though, when attending incidents in areas where access is restricted, such as tight inner-city streets or narrow country lanes.
“At the same time its lower initial purchase price, and greatly improved maintenance costs and fuel economy, mean it can be as much as 60% cheaper to operate than a traditional truck-based fire engine.”
Pickup Systems added that it is now working closely with the dealer to offer a ‘one-stop shop’ arrangement for customers.”
