Inside the Apparatus Industry

Going Green: Rosenbauer does its part to help the environment by using GREEN Star Idle-Reduction Technology

Story & Photos by Bob Vaccaro

I’m sure that those of you who’ve attended the various fire service shows around the country in the past 5 years are used to seeing Rosenbauer’s Tech Drive program.

Each year, the company displays roughly six to eight pieces of apparatus that feature just about every conceivable option that Rosenbauer has to offer. It really is an impressive display of “firefighting might,” as one might call it.

The past year was no exception, as Rosenbauer introduced the GREEN Star Idle-Reduction Technology (IRT) in a custom pumper at FRI, as well as a pumper built on a Spartan Furion Chassis (that was delivered to Tempe, Ariz.) at FDIC.

In a nutshell, the GREEN Star IRT uses electronic controls to shut down the chassis engine when the fire pump is not engaged. These electronic controls then start the diesel-driven Auxiliary Power Unit (APU), which supports the 12-V electrical system and provides a minimum 8-kW of 120/240-V power. The APU is also capable of maintaining chassis heating and cooling requirements.

The APU uses about one-fourth the fuel compared to the chassis engine, saving fuel costs, lowering emissions and extending service intervals between oil changes and diesel particulate filter (DPF) service and replacement.

The custom pumper is available with a 1,500-gpm pump and a 750-gallon water tank, as well as a host of other Rosenbauer options.

I’m guessing that if this technology catches on, we’ll see various other manufacturers jumping on the bandwagon.

In this day and age of looking for fuel savings, you really can’t go wrong with this type of technology, especially as the United States tries to depend less on foreign oil.

Look to Rosenbauer to come up with additional concepts and technology in the coming years.

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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