Changes to community layouts, such as more homes in rural areas with narrow roads and increased residences on back roads, mean that your department needs to have vehicles that can readily access these areas in the case of an emergency. For departments that are required to present plans to access these regions, mini pumpers are one viable option. In addition to fire response, a custom mini pumper is useful in other settings, including motor vehicle accidents, first responder calls, and for use as a fill site pumper for tanker shuttles.
Mini pumpers are used as initial response units not only on the scenes of house fires but also at car accidents, brush fires, and as mobile pumping units for tanker shuttles. The primary benefit of a mini pumper is its size, which makes it easy to maneuver down narrow back roads and long driveways in the woods. These units are also far lighter than full-sized pumpers, which helps reduce initial response time for your crew.
Our mini pumper trucks all have automatic transmissions, 2WD or 4WD, a commercial chassis (Ford or Dodge), and your choice between a diesel or gas engine. You can also choose between a side mount pump panel, skid pump units, or a compartment pump panel; Hale, Waterous, CET, or Darley pumps; Hale, Elkhart, or Akron valves; Federal, Whelen, or Code 3 warning light systems; and roll-up or flush mount doors. Compartments are installed on the low, mid, and high sides. Note that no portable or full-size pump options are available with this unit.
Typically, a custom mini pumper carries between 100 imperial gallons (120 US gallons) to 400 imperial gallons (500 US gallons).
The body of each Metalfab mini pumper is constructed using heavy-duty extruded aluminum. This includes the 3″ x 3″ aluminum tube subframe, a minimum of four spring-loaded hold downs (to minimize stress on the body), a 3/16″ aluminum plate made with 5052 marine-grade aluminum, and proprietary extrusions specifically designed to fortify the body. Our customization services enable you to work hand-in-hand with us to tailor each component of the unit to your particular needs.
Side mount trays, hosebed-mounted storage tubes, and tubes in the rear access under the tee of the tank are all options for storing suction hoses. A roof ladder along with two section ladders and an attic ladder can be stored using your choice of standard side mount racks, manual drop-down side mount racks, powered side mount racks, powered over-the-top racks, and/or rear access tubes through the body or tank.
Because every department varies in levels of manpower, types of equipment, areas of response, and water sources, each department has different customization needs. With Metalfab, you will have the option to tailor warning light systems, foam systems, scene lighting, pump types and sizes, storage, various body configurations, and more to best suit the needs of your team.
If you decide that a custom pumper is the right choice for your department, Metalfab’s sales team will meet with you to discuss your team’s needs and work in conjunction with our engineering staff to design and deliver a unit that your department will be proud to call its own.
Please contact us for further information or to schedule a free 20-minute consultation with one of Metalfab’s dedicated sales team members.