Wildland firefighters often rely on portable pumps and lengthy hoselays to get water to a fire line to fight a wildfire. They rely on their pumps to be as lightweight as possible, be easy to set up and use, and pack a big enough punch to be effective. In response to those needs, manufacturers have developed portable pumps that help firefighters do their jobs even under the most difficult circumstances.
Mike Adams, western region sales manager for Darley, says the company makes two versions of the 1-1/2 AGE portable pump, the 10YD powered by a 10-horsepower (hp) one-cylinder four-cycle Yanmar diesel L100 engine and the 1-1/2 AGE 21H portable pump powered by a 21-hp four-cycle Honda GX 630 V-twin OHV gasoline engine.
The 1-1/2 AGE 10YD delivers 120 gallons per minute (gpm) at 75 pounds per square inch (psi), 75 gpm at 125 psi, and 20 gpm at 145 psi and has a 2-inch suction, two 1½-inch discharges, a built-in discharge check valve, an adjustable throttle, a bronze impeller and wear rings, an aluminum alloy gear case and engine adapter, a stainless steel impeller shaft, and a mechanical seal, Adams points out.
1 Darley makes the 1.5AGE21H portable pump that’s powered by a four-cycle Honda GX 630 V-twin OHV gasoline engine. (Photo 1 courtesy of Darley.)
Adams says the 1-1/2AGE 21H is a high-pressure, low-volume, gear-driven model that delivers 120 gpm at 155 psi, 75 gpm at 230 psi, and 35 gpm at 300 psi. The pump has an aluminum alloy casing and discharge valve, a sulfuric anodized aluminum alloy gear case and engine adapter, a bronze impeller and wear ring, a stainless steel impeller shaft, a mechanical seal, an adjustable discharge valve with a built-in check valve, a 2-inch suction, and two 1½-inch discharges.
Adams notes that Darley also makes versions of the 1-1/2 AGE that are mounted on skids or on wildland rigs as well as the 2BE 24-hp Kubota and 2BE 21-hp Honda powered portable pumps that provide a higher volume than the 1-1/2 AGE models.
Michael Cookson, field specialist for WATERAX, says WATERAX has introduced the MARK-3® Watson Edition high-pressure fire pump. “It preserves the look of the classic MARK-3 but is an entirely new platform including the first ever purpose-built engine for a wildland pump,” Cookson says. He notes the Watson Edition is 30% lighter and 20% smaller than the MARK-3 and has an integrated carriage system, an integrated carry handle, and the option to backpack the engine side up or down.
2 WATERAX introduced the MARK-3 Watson Edition high-pressure fire pump that will deliver 100 gpm at 380 psi. (Photo 2 courtesy of WATERAX.)
Jordan Botsford, WATERAX’s account manager for USA East, says the Watson will deliver 100 gpm at 380 psi and has an LED visual interface that shows engine operating status and provides high-temperature protection and a troubleshooting function. “The lighter pump reduces the incidence and severity of slips, trips, falls, and transport-related injuries,” Botsford points out. “The ergonomic carriage system reduces the risk of back injuries, the padded straps protect the firefighter’s shoulders and back from bruising, and a muffler heat shield protects against severe burns.”
Botsford says WATERAX also makes the Mini Striker, which combines a single-stage pump end powered by a four-stroke 2½-hp Honda gasoline engine that will deliver 12 gpm at 75 psi, and the BB-4®-18PTC portable pump, which delivers a maximum of 104 gpm at 440 psi, is powered by an 18-hp Briggs & Stratton engine with a vertical drive unit, and features a portable carry frame and an engine-mounted control panel.
Jason Nawrocki, North American pump sales manager for Waterous, says his company’s PB18 portable pump line is getting a redesign that includes a wrap-around frame and integrated fuel tank on the engine. “We’ll still have four PB18 portable pump models, each equipped with an 18-hp Briggs & Stratton V-Twin gasoline engine,” Nawrocki points out. He says the most used version for wildland firefighting is the PB18-G2015 that delivers 75 gpm at 195 psi. The other models are the PB18-2515, which has a maximum flow of 100 gpm at 125 psi; the PB18-3030, with a maximum flow of 400 gpm at 100 psi; and the P18-4025, with a maximum flow of 375 gpm at 110 psi.
3 Waterous makes four versions of the PB18 portable pump, each powered by an 18-hp Briggs & Stratton V-Twin gasoline engine. (Photo 3 courtesy of Waterous.)
Waterous also makes the 70-35 Portable compressed air foam system (CAFS) unit, Nawrocki says, that uses an eductor-style foam system. The unit can discharge water, foam, or compressed air foam, he says, delivering a minimum of 70 gpm of water at 100 psi, 35 cubic feet per minute of air at 100 psi, and compressed air foam discharge at a pressure of up to 130 psi.
Robert Richardson, president of Mercedes Textiles Ltd., says his company has introduced the WICK ULTRAFLO™ 23-hp portable two-stage high-flow portable pump powered by a four-stroke 23-hp Briggs and Stratton Vanguard V Twin air cooled engine with overspeed protection. Richardson says the foam-compatible pump end on the ULTRAFLO is interchangeable with Mercedes Textiles’ other two-, three-, and four-stage pump ends and is coupled with the engine by a stainless steel quick release clamp. He notes the 32½-pound pump will deliver 20 gpm at 225 psi and 310 gpm at 25 psi.
4 The WICK ULTRAFLO made by Mercedes Textiles is a two-stage portable pump that will deliver 20 gpm at 225 psi and 310 gpm at 25 psi. (Photo 4 courtesy of Mercedes Textiles.)
Another new Mercedes Textiles portable pump is the WICK 100-4M, Richardson points out, an ultra lightweight, multiposition, high-performance unit. It’s powered by a four-stroke Honda GX50 engine and comes mounted on a backboard-style carrying base with a cutout handle. The 100-4M is a single-stage foam-compatible design that will deliver 10 gpm at 80 psi and 65 gpm at 10 psi.
Mercedes Textiles also makes the WICK 100M portable pump that will put out 10 gpm at 90 psi and 65 gpm at 10 psi as well as the portable floating high-pressure pump powered by a four-stroke air-cooled Briggs & Stratton engine, which delivers 10 gpm at 175 psi and 70 gpm at 25 psi.
Jerry Halpin, vice president of sales and marketing for CET Fire Pumps, says wildland portable pumps have to be manageable by one or two people. Halpin says that CET makes wildland portable pump models in 6-, 9-, 10-, 11-, 18-, and 20-hp, most of which are gasoline powered. He says the PFP-2hpHND-M, a direct-drive single-stage centrifugal pump with an aluminum alloy body, aluminum impeller, and mechanical seal shaft that’s powered by a GXH50 Honda air-cooled single-cylinder four-stroke gasoline engine, is the smallest and lightest pump in CET’s lineup.
5 CET Fire Pumps makes the PFP-6hpHND-EM Twin dual-stage portable pump powered by a 6.5-hp Honda engine with an electric start. (Photo 5 courtesy of CET Fire Pumps.)
The newest portable wildland pump CET makes is a backpack forestry pump with a 1.5-hp engine that produces 70 gpm at 170 psi. Two CET floating pump models are used in wildland firefighting, he says, the 64-pound PFP-6HP-FL, which has a CET single-stage centrifugal pump powered by a 179-cc air-cooled Kawasaki engine and needs only ½ inch of water to operate yet delivers 250 gpm at 15 psi and 100 gpm at 40 psi, and the PFP-13HPHND-FL, a 120-pound model powered by a 13-hp Honda air-cooled gasoline engine.
Vallifrest makes the VFT Black Hawk 1 portable pump, a 21-pound single-stage pump powered by a Honda GXH50 gasoline engine that will deliver a maximum of 69 gpm at 100 psi, and the Black Panther 4 portable pump, a 48½-pound four-stage centrifugal pump powered by a two-stroke Polini Thor 130 Evo gasoline engine that will deliver a maximum of 98 gpm at 378 psi.
6 Vallifrest makes the VFT Black Hawk 1 portable pump powered by a Honda GXH50 gasoline engine. (Photo 6 courtesy of Vallifrest.)
ALAN M. PETRILLO is a Tucson, Arizona-based journalist, the author of three novels and five nonfiction books, and a member of the Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment Editorial Advisory Board. He served 22 years with the Verdoy (NY) Fire Department, including in the position of chief.
