Published on:
September 15, 2023
Let’s say you’re an older pickup truck. And let’s say you’re owned by a volunteer fire department without much budget. You’ve seen better days, but the crew still needs you in the field.
Sure, you can still carry equipment, but you’ve got a lot more potential, and your battalion chief knows it. So, what does the chief do to get you delivering at your best capacity? If the chief talks to QTAC™, it won’t be long before you’re sporting a state-of-the-art Tsunami Pro Series firefighting skid.
The story you just read is true. An East Coast volunteer fire department turned a utility truck—a 1985 Chevy—into a firefighting machine by fitting it with a 150-gallon QTAC Tsunami Pro truck skid. Now it brings both gear and water-delivery power to the scene of fires throughout the area.
A lot of wildfire-area fire departments have so-called “lesser” trucks playing support roles for their more powerful, tricked-out trucks, but adding a Tsunami Pro to the bed of an old, reliable support vehicle can turn it into a significant wingman when it comes to controlling flames.
And it’s not useful for just fire departments; for instance, vegetation management companies are required to have certain precautionary equipment on-hand in fire-risk situations. For a job like clearing out under power lines, a pickup-mounted Tsunami Pro can be standing by with between 125 and 400 gallons of water at the ready.
When we say Tsunami Pro gives a utility truck firefighting power, we’re talking about serious power. Available in both short-bed and long-bed versions, Tsunami Pro can be configured with your choice of pumps that put out more than 100 gallons per minute at up to 440 PSI.
An optional foam eductor system allows you to use it for laying down preventative foam without having to mix the suppressant in your tank. Add side storage boxes and you can make up for some of the equipment transport space you’re giving up in order to accommodate the skid.
And when it isn’t wildfire season or major growth-clearing season, the Tsunami Pro can be detached, put in the garage and—like Superman changing back into Clark Kent—“Old Reliable” can go back to being an everyday pickup until duty calls again.
