Unreal engines in fire & rescue

Australia is a place of diverse landscapes, home to a multitude of climates and environments, from sweeping red deserts, dense bush and lush rainforests to powerful surf breaking against the shorelines.

Where the beauty of the country is equally matched by the complexity and volatility of its weather events—particularly in summer—providing emergency services across the land comes hand in hand with some huge challenges.

Emergency services work hard all year round to prepare for the dry season so that when the time comes, they are ready to move into action with reliable equipment at a moment's notice.

This blog looks at Australian organisations and the unreal engines that support their operations, from firefighters in the bush to marine search and rescue operations on the coast.

Outfitting first responders: GAAM

First responders are the first on the scene and the last to leave in emergencies. Part of their specialised training is learning to use equipment to combat extreme weather events such as floods and fire.

General Automotive Aeronautical Manufacturing (GAAM) is a major fire pump manufacturer in Australia, specialising in designing and manufacturing pumps for urban and rural fire suppression, including diesel-powered pump sets and ancillary systems.

Now in their 90^th year of operation and supplying approximately 80 to 90 per cent of the fire brigades in Australia, GAAM, with their pump sets and engines, are on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to support the crews when they’re needed most.

This includes the Black Christmas fires in 2001, where more than 100 fires burned through NSW and the ACT, requiring the efforts of over 20,000 firefighters and their equipment.

Getting a phone call early that Christmas morning, GAAM Business Manager Ian Price recounted how the business moved into action, preparing pumps and off-road engines to support Fire and Rescue NSW.

“My phone rang on Christmas morning; it was raining in Melbourne, but New South Wales had high temperatures and they needed equipment in a hurry.

“I got to the factory by 9 am, got everything prepared, and off I went to the airport as no freight companies work on Christmas day.

“Because of airport security issues, I had to talk to the captain of Qantas about the equipment I was trying to get to New South Wales… the captain understood how important the situation was, so he put all the equipment in his own cabin and took it with him.

“When we landed in Sydney, the police were already waiting on the runway and they picked the equipment up and escorted it to Wollongong, where the fires were.”

High water: Marine Rescue Port Stephens NSW

Marine Rescue Port Stephens NSW is a volunteer organisation that plays a key role in community safety, on and off the water.

They support local watercraft and smaller vessels that travel along the NSW coastline and the thousands of tourists that use the waterways.

The branch has two rescue vessels, a fast 12-metre Flybridge Steber used out in the ocean and a smaller 10.5-metre boat for the bay area and surrounding rivers and lakes. All activities are coordinated from a Radio Communications Centre based at the stunning Nelson Head Lighthouse Reserve heritage site.

Reliable power is vital to the Marine Rescue Radio Communications Centre, as it houses a range of cellular networks and 27 MHz and VHF marine radio systems, and a weather station contributing to the Bureau of Meteorology.

With the local community relying on Marine Rescue Port Stephens, they require backup power that can be accessed at a moment's notice.

When a recent electrical storm destroyed a huge amount of equipment at the centre, they sourced a new 20 kVA generator set to provide power for their various operations.

Operations Manager Mick Duggan said the generator is essential for keeping the power on for the Radio Communications Centre and training building and a key source of income for the volunteer-run operation in their cafe and restaurant.

Reliability, no matter what

There are many uses for engines in emergency services, from essential backup power generation to being the driving force behind water pumps used to fight some of our worst bushfires. The critical element is that they don’t fail when they’re needed most.

To stay updated with power solutions and engine options available for your business, chat with your Original Equipment Manufacturer or local power solutions expert for more information.

Looking to boost capabilities with new equipment? Check out this blog on how you can power up business with a generator set.