Melbourne’s Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board will take the lead among emergency services and truck fleets in general in Australia, when a new fleet of Euro 6 emissions compliant vehicles supplied by Scania arrives early in the New Year.
The MFB has ordered eight Euro 6 compliant Scania vehicles, six of which will be built up into heavy pumper-tankers, with one a prototype of a future ultra-large pumper, and the other carrying a Bronto aerial platform.
As such the MFB would be the operator of the largest fleet of Euro 6 compliant trucks in Australia, while the ACT’s public transport operator, ACTION, continues as the overall largest operator of Euro 6 vehicles, with 77 Scania Euro 6 compliant buses in service.
The MFB has a heritage of leadership in reducing emissions. It was the first to adopt Euro 5 emission compliance as soon as it became available within the era of the Euro 4 mandate several years ago.
“Scania is committed to providing ‘best in class’ environmentally sustainable solutions to government and commercial customers,” says Shane Griffin, Scania national manager for specialist vehicles.
“We are the Australian market leaders in the provision of the widest range of Euro 6 compliant engines, giving more truck and bus operators the ability to select the cleanest emission options immediately.
“The MFB has a long history of commitment to operating the most environmentally-friendly vehicles on the market. We offered the Euro 6 option to the MFB during the most recent tender and they were very keen to adopt the technology for the new 370 hp and 410 hp pumpers,” he says.
“One of the 8 new vehicles is the prototype of an ultra-large pumper, which will be built by SEM in Wendouree, Ballarat. It will be powered by the new 410 hp Euro 6, 6-cylinder engine, using a 6×4 chassis configuration. This vehicle could spawn multiple copies in the future”.
According to Stuart Collis, fleet development manager for Melbourne’s MFB, the choice of Scania vehicles is driven by several factors. One of which is that the MFB continues to desire the most environmentally friendly equipment available, which now includes adding Euro 6 compliant vehicles to the fleet during the normal replacement cycle.
“There’s both an Occupational Health and Safety and a Social Responsibility aspect to this, as well,” he says. “Every day, the trucks are driven inside buildings, which are uniquely both work-places and residences for the MFB’s operational men and women. The health and welfare of fire-fighters is taken seriously at all times,” he says.
“Reduced particulates and the cleaner exhausts offered by Euro 6 compliance are better for everyone in our community,” Stuart says.
Scania’s compliance with the stricter Swedish safety regulations also helped swing the MFB’s choice to Scania.
“Having airbags in the cabin, more safety features, better steps, more handles for getting in and out of the truck, they all make the new trucks easier and safer to work with for crews. They are just better ergonomic solutions,” Stuart says.
A long-standing relationship with Scania’s local team is also important. “Servicing, parts, anything to do with the trucks has proven to be problem-free,” he says. “In the busy urban environment, the MFB’s staff needs to be 100% confident that their appliances will be 100% reliable, 100% of the time,” Stuart says.
The new vehicles are expected to be delivered and go into service between February and April 2016.
