Inside the Apparatus Industry
Story & Photos by Bob Vaccaro

As I was walking around the exhibit floor at FRI a few months ago, I stopped by the always-large Darley booth. Darley always has an array of products to peruse, which isn’t surprising considering that they’ve been around since 1908 and have always had a jump on many other manufacturers when it comes to new ideas for the industry.

While looking at their products, I was approached by Jim Darley, their pump sales manager. Jim asked me if I had heard about their water-purification products. I hadn’t, so he gave me a quick overview of the various models on display.

My first thought: What good would these products do for the fire service? Most of the units that were being built by Ohler Pumps, a division of Darley, were for the military. But after speaking to Jim and seeing the different modules that they’re building, including units that can be installed on a pumper, it finally hit me: Just think of what you’d be able to do with one of these units in the event of a hurricane or other natural disaster where water mains were shut down or inoperable for a few days or weeks. You could provide entire shelters or communities with pure water.

Following are descriptions of some of the various units designed for fire and municipal use:

Model 3S3P (3-stage; 3 gpm; portable): This is a compact portable unit that features a 3-stage water-purification process. With washable pre-filter, carbon block and UV disinfection, it can treat lake/well/river water to drinking water at 3 gpm. This unit also uses NSF-certificated components, push-in fittings, and is 120-VAC and 12-VDC compatible.

Model 3S10P (multi-stage; 10 gpm; portable): This unit is similar to the 3S3P but has a larger water production rate—up to 10 gpm. With a pump and diesel engine, it can be carried by any vehicle or trailer. It has an option to work with a fire truck or to work independently.

Model 4S10F (3-stage; 10 gpm; fixed): This is a patent-pending fire apparatus-integrated system. It utilizes the fire pump to feed the water-purification unit. This unit uses advanced media filters and ozone to remove toxic substances from contaminated surface water.

Model 3S3S (3-stage; 3 gpm; skid): This is a patent-pending, three-stage Fast Attack skid-integrated water-purification system. It utilizes the same fire pump to fight fire and run the water-purification system. It can purify surface water up to 3,600 gallons per day and effectively remove sediments and kill bacteria, virus, Cryptosporidium and Giardia cysts. The unit is NSF-certified and in compliance with the EPA Guide Standard and Protocol for Testing Microbiological Water Purifiers.

These products are great assets for emergency management situations where a township, county or state may need water-purification services.

Bob Vaccaro has more than 30 years of fire-service experience. He is a former chief of the Deer Park (N.Y.) Fire Department. Vaccaro has also worked for the Insurance Services Office, the New York Fire Patrol and several major commercial insurance companies as a senior loss-control consultant. Vaccaro is a life member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs.

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