Pennsylvania Game Commission

Specifications for a 350Gallon Wildland FireTruck Body

The following specifications are for one (1)350 gallon wildland fire engine body consisting of an aluminum bed, tank, pump, hose reels, and storage boxes to be mounted on a 2017/2018 Ford F-550 Super Cab with 6.7L Diesel engine, black in color. The engine, pump, and plumbing controls must be accessible from the rear of the unit.This is not a bid for a traditional skid unit with boxes. This is a full fire body build. The Game Commission will supply the truck (cab and stake body). The vendor is responsible for building the fire body and mounting it to the chassis. The vendor is also responsible for supplying and mounting other equipment detailed in this specification.

Aluminum Bed

A platform shall be constructed to serve as the base of the unit and for attachment of the tank, compartments, engine and pump. Platform shall be of appropriate thickness to safely and securely hold the weight of the entire unit. Platform shall be constructed of marine grade 6061-T6 aluminum alloy. Structural connections shall be welded or use minimum Grade 5 bolts and self-locking nuts.

Decking shall be at least 0.125 inch marine grade aluminum, perimeter welded to the outer rail, and mounted on a frame capable of supporting the entire unit.

Suction hose compartmentation shall run from the back of the unit 8.5’ toward the front. One aluminum storage compartment shall be constructed and installed that is large enough for three (3) 8’ sections of 2” suction hose and one (1) 8’ section of 1.5” suction hose.The compartment will be capped with a single door, hinged at the bottom, with a D-style handle.

The body will be secured to the truck chassis with two 5/8” U-bolts, two 3/8” aluminum plates welded to the rails and bolted to the truck frame rails midway along the body, and two steel ½” plates at the rear which will be bolted to both the body rails and frame rails. There should be a ½” x 3” die cut #70 durometer rubber isolation plate installed between the body and truck frame rails.

A tapered aluminum apron plate will be mounted under the body at the rear to provide space for DOT lighting and the license plate. This apron should be large enough to include the appropriate lighting, but with maximum vehicle clearance and off-road maneuverability in mind. A lighted license plate holder will be installed centered in the rear of the apron.

Platform Dimensions (maximum)

Length: 108 inches, Width: 93 inches (Width will be confirmed by PGC. PGC wants the bed to be as tight to the outside of the tires as possible)

Platform shall be flat and square to 1/8 inch of tolerance

Compartmentation

All storage compartment walls shall be constructed from 0.188 inch 5052-H32 aluminum diamond plate. All internal framework shall be constructed of 10 gauge or greater formed aluminum structural members. All compartments will have LED lighting positioned for maximum illumination of the interior without being in the way of equipment. Lighting will be controlled by magnetic door switches.

All compartments and compartment door openings shall be as large as possible, as determined by the design of the apparatus. The compartment locks shall all be keyed alike. Compartments will have sweep out style floors and shelves with black rubber matting (Dri-deck or turtle tile).

Compartment configuration and approximate sizes required are listed below:

Transverse Compartment for Tool Storage

Immediately behind the cab will be an enclosed compartment for tool and hose storage that will span the width of the fire body and will be accessible from both the driver’s and passenger’s side. The dimensions of this box will be 14”L (front of body to back) x 92”W x 40”H. This compartment will have two (2) adjustable shelves. The shelves should be positioned for 12” of storage above each. This compartment will have crane-wing style, flip-up doors that are hinged on the top side with a locking D handle and gas shocks. The door must open vertically to the extent that there is at least 7’ of clearance at any point around the compartment.

Driver’s Side Compartments

To the rear of the transverse compartment on the driver’s side, there will be one box divided into two compartments with individual doors. The overall box dimensions are 94”L x 32”H x 24”D measured on the outside. Each compartment will be 47”L x 32”H x 24”D. Each compartment will have crane-wing style, flip up doors that are hinged at the top side with a locking D handle and gas shocks.The door must open vertically to the extent that there is at least 7’ of clearance at any point around the compartment.

A mounting surface such as finished plywood should be installed on the inside walls of the driver side rear compartment for mounting fittings and adapters. Compartments will each have one adjustable sweep out style shelf.

Under the fire body deck and behind the tire on the driver’s side, there will be a compartment for storing roadside emergency equipment and maintenance tools. This compartment will be 20”L x 8”H x 16”D. The compartment will have a drop down door, hinged at the bottom, with a D-style handle.

Passenger’s Side Compartments

To the rear of the transverse compartment on the passenger’s side, there will be one box divided into two compartments with individual doors. The overall box dimensions are 94”L x 32”H x 24”D measured on the outside. The front compartment will be 60”L x 32”H x 24”D. The rear compartment will be 34”L x 32”H x 24”D. The rear compartment will be used to store fuel so it needs to be vented on the side facing the tank. Each compartment will have crane-wing style, flip up doors that are hinged at the top side with a locking D handle and gas shocks.The door must open vertically to the extent that there is at least 7’ of clearance at any point around the compartment. Compartments will each have one adjustable sweep out style shelf.

Enclosure of Pump Area

PGC wants the ability to enclose the pump/plumbing area during periods of inclement weather. This can be accomplished with acustom fit heavy-duty tractor trailer grade tarp and hooks. Which will allow for easy access to the plumbing and engine when needed. Vendor ideas are welcome and may be discussed with the PGC project manager in advance.

Aluminum Baskets

Two aluminum baskets shall be mounted on the unit, one above each of the side boxes. These baskets will have approximate dimensions of 94”L x 8”H x 24”D. Baskets will be constructed from the same thickness aluminum as the compartments, but the sheeting is to be open weave style instead of a solid sheet. The sides of the baskets will flip down to allow access to equipment from the side of the truck. The flip down side will be hinged at the bottom with slip joint hinges to allow the side to open nearly 180o. The outer lip of the flip down side shall have a protective cover to prevent metal on metal contact with the compartments below when opened. Flip down sides will be secured in place with cotter pins at each end of the door. The driver’s side basket will be split in to two 47” sections, each with its own flip down side. This divide will provide opportunity for structural support for the basket. The passenger side basket will also be split in to two sections; one 60” and one 34”.

20” fire apparatus style horizontal grab handles shall be mounted on each tray at the rear of the truck.

Fuel Storage Tanks

One (1)15 gallon fuel cell with a 5 gallon and 10 gallon split shall be mounted on top of the water tank to supply the pump engine (5 gallon gas) and drip torch fuel (10 gallon mix). Tank shall be metallic, powder coated with drain, and be supplied with appropriate fuel hoses and shut-offs to match the pump engine specified and drip torch application. The tanks must have independent fuel level gauges. These gauges will be mounted remotely on the pump panel.

Tank

The tank shall have a 350 gallon capacity, constructed of ½” thick Black, UV resistant, polypropylene material on the sides.It shall be baffled with 3/8” transverse and longitudinal baffles to meet NFPA standards and shall include a lifetime factory warranty. Tank will have reinforced corners and mounting flanges in the front and rear. The tank shall be flushed and free of plastic debris prior to delivery.

The tank shall include:

  1. One (1) 6”-8” water fill tower, with 2” overflow pipe routed to the front of the tank, screen and hinged lid with latch
  2. One (1) 2” NPT Suction Port, plumbed to the geometric center of the tank, elbowed down to just above the tank floor, maximizing drafting capability
  3. One (1) 1” NPT Fill Port
  4. One (1) 1” Tank Drain Port located as low as possible at the right or left corner
  5. One (1) 12” x 12” access point located above the tank suction
  6. Mounting channel on top at the rear of the tank for mounting auxiliary fuel tanks
  7. Mounting channel and a bracket in the middle of the tank for mounting the spare tire (255/70R 19.5)

Pump Engine (Gas Only)

  1. 18hp, 4 stroke, air cooled, Briggs and Strattonor Honda
  2. Electric start with recoil backup.
  3. Oil drain hose with valve shall be installed
  4. Fuel tank will be remotely mounted on the tank.
  5. Exhaust manifold shielded and positioned vertically or horizontally away from the operator. Vertical exhaust shall have a rain cap.
  6. The pump must be mounted so the operator can access the electric start, throttle, and choke while standing at the rear of the truck

Pump

  1. 4 Stage High-Pressure pump head, Wick 4200-18B or Waterax BB-4-18
  2. Capable of400 psi and 100 gpm
  3. 2” NPSH suction connection
  4. 1.5” NPSH discharge connection
  5. Pump head and drive assembly must be mounted horizontal
  6. Belt drive
  7. Drain petcock at the bottom of the pump housing
  8. Exhaust prime is acceptable if it’s an option on the type of pump being provided

An aluminum Guzzler style hand primer pump must be attached to the discharge side of the pump, mounted vertically so that it is accessible from the rear of the unit.

Hose Reel

  1. Two (2) Hannay electric hose reels will be mounted under the bed at the front of the fire body on both the driver and passenger sides.
  2. Each reel must have capacity for 200’ of 3/4” booster hose
  3. The riser connection should be 1” NPSH
  4. Each reel shall be housed in a protective box with a 4 sided hose roller access to the hose and hose rollup assist.
  5. One push button rewind switch shall be mounted on or near each reel box

Booster Hose

  1. 200’ of 3/4” Boostlite Hose with 1” NPSH Fittings shall be provided for each reel
  2. A 1” NPSH nozzle with bale shutoff shall be connected to the end of the booster hose.

Plumbing

  1. Valves must be industrial grade nickel plated brass or stainless steel. Separate pricing should be provided for fire-grade valves such as Trident or Akron brand. All valves must be labeled per valve labelling standards outlined in the NWCG Water Handling Guide. All rigid plumbing shall be stainless steel.Allsuction side plumbing to be rated at 150 psi. All discharge side plumbing to be rated at 500 psi. Pump shall draft through a Gruvlock or equivalent anit-vibration coupling.

Suction Plumbing

  1. Suction plumbing shall be 2” diameter extending from the tank port to the rear of the skid with a “T” installed for water intake to the pump.
  2. A ball valve shall be installed on each side of this T to allow for drafting or tank flow operation
  3. The plumbing will terminate at the bank of the skid, with a 2” NPSHmale thread connection, cap and chain

Discharge Plumbing

The discharge shall be plumbed with 1.5” high pressure hose (rated to 500 psi) to a 3”x3” horizontal mounted stainless steel manifold. Discharges shall point downward at a 15o angle. All valves will be labeled.

The manifold will have:

  1. One (1) 1” port with valve, plumbed for tank fill/recirculation
  2. One (1) 1” port with valve, plumbed to the driver’s side hose reel. This plumbing needs to have a drain valve installed at the best possible location for maximum draining. The valve must be operational by someone standing on the ground.
  3. One (1) 1” port with valve, plumbed to the passenger’s side hose reel. This plumbing needs to have a drain valve installed at the best possible location for maximum draining. The valve must be operational by someone standing on the ground.
  4. Two (2) 1.5” ports with valves, NH male thread, with cap and chain
  5. If possible, (2) 3/4” ports, capped, for future installation of ground sweeps
  6. One (1) ¼” drain petcock located at the lowest point
  7. One (1) pressure relief valve
  8. One (1) air valve for winterization

Other Plumbing

1.The 1” drain port will be plumbed with 3/4” hose with a ¼ turn valve for filling bladder bags. The hose shall be long enough to fill bags on the ground. The excess will be coiled up near the pump area.

Control Panel

A weatherproof control panel shall be installed at the rear of the skid so that it is operable by a person standing on the ground. All components of the panel shall be labeled with weather resistant labels.

The control panel will include the following:

  1. Protective cover on top, sides and rear
  2. Low water pressure cut-off switch (15 psi)
  3. Circuit Breaker
  4. Panel light with switch
  5. Scene light switch
  6. Tank water level gauge
  7. Fuel gauges for auxiliary tank (if feasible)

Engine on/off switch, throttle, and choke will be controlled using factory installed features on the engine. If the pump being quoted does not have these features, they must be provided on the control panel.

Pressure gauge is to be installed on the discharge manifold.

Lighting

One (1) sealed beam, swivel mount LED scene light shall be installed in the rear of the apparatus to illuminate the plumbing and surrounding area off the back of the unit. The control switch for this light will be on the pump panel.

Power

All wiring on the skid shall be encased in loom and all terminals shall be crimped on and then encased by heat shrink tubing

  1. Power will be supplied from an auxiliary truck battery in the engine compartment.
  2. The vendor will need to establish a connection from the battery to the fire body and components.
  3. The unit shall be wired with 24’ of appropriately sized wire in loom for the necessary electrical load, including a 40-amp circuit breaker with quick disconnect plug on the unit to connect it to the existing 12-volt power in the engine compartment.
  4. One (1) 110 volt Kussmaul on-board charger shall be installed in the cab with a yellow auto eject shore line receptacle installed at the driver’s side front corner of the fire body.

Back Up Alarm

An electronic beep back up alarm shall be installed to activate when the truck is placed in reverse.

Suction Hose

Suction hose will be stored under the skid unit. A removable door that swings down shall be attached to the rear of the unit to keep the suction hose from sliding out.

  1. Three (3) 8’ sections of 2” NPSH Draftlite suction hose shall be included along with a 2” NH foot valve/strainer.
  2. One (1) 8’ section of 1.5” NPSH Draftlite suction hose shall be included along with a 1.5” NPSH foot valve/strainer.

Rear Steps

Fire apparatus style square fold down steps shall be mounted on compartments at the rear of the truck to allow access to the top of the fire body. Three steps per side should be adequate.

Weight

All bids must include the approximate weight of skid unitincluding all accessories

Drawing

Design drawing(s) and skid unit specifications must be submitted with bid.

Other

  1. The vendor is responsible for mounting the fire body to the cab and chassis.
  2. PGC will work with the vendor to determine best delivery of cab and chassis.
  3. PGC will determine equivalent equipment
  4. This truck shall be delivered to PGC Headquarters, 2001 Elmerton Avenue, Harrisburg, PA 17110 in full working condition by June 30, 2018.