Compact mobile fire attack vehicle mountable to an emergency vehicle

• US 20080271901A1
• Filed: 04/07/2008
• Published: 11/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mofav Fire, LLC
• Original Assignee: Mofav Fire, LLC
• Inventors: DECKER, Gordon Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,909,112 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 169/46
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 27/00 Fire-fighting land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/07504 Accessories, e.g. for towing, charging, locking
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/07563 Fork-lift trucks adapted to be carried by transport vehicles

Abstract

A compact mobile fire attack vehicle detachably mounted to an emergency vehicle. The compact mobile fire attack vehicle is intended to be mountable to the rear end of a fire truck. In response to an emergency call, the mobile fire attack vehicle can be quickly disengaged and deployed to the fire. Likewise, after the emergency has been mitigated, the mobile fire attack vehicle can be quickly and conveniently be re-mounted to the fire truck.

Claims

1. An emergency response vehicle comprising:

a mounting mechanism comprising a pair of forks adapted to detachably mount the emergency response vehicle onto a transport vehicle, wherein during transit the emergency response vehicle is mounted to the transport vehicle and wherein at the arrival of a scene of an emergency, the emergency response vehicle can be quickly disengaged from the transport vehicle in order to respond to the emergency; and

a fluid system plumbed throughout the emergency response vehicle comprising an inlet and a discharge outlet adapted to deliver a pressurized source of a fire extinguishing material onto a fire.

2. The emergency response vehicle recited in claim 1, wherein the inlet is adapted to establish a fluid connection to, and receive, the fire extinguishing material from at least one of a fire vehicle and a water hydrant.

3. The emergency response vehicle recited in claim 1, wherein the discharge outlet is coupled to a monitor adapted to concentrate the delivery of the pressurized fire extinguishing material onto a fire at a predetermined location.

4. The emergency response vehicle recited in claim 1, wherein the discharge outlet is coupled to a hose that can be extended from the emergency response vehicle to a location adjacent to a fire.

5. The emergency response vehicle recited in claim 1, wherein the hose is stored and located on the emergency response vehicle in at least one of the following locations:

wound on a hose reel and stored within a hose box compartment.

6. The emergency response vehicle recited in claim 1, wherein the fire extinguishing material is chosen from at least one of:

water, a foam, a chemical fire retardant material and a mixture of fire retardant materials.

7. The emergency response vehicle recited in claim 1, further including at least one of the following emergency response tools:

an illumination light, an axe, a pike pole, a trash hook, a ladder, a rescue basket, a dry wall hook pike pole, a hooligan bar, a rescue equipment item and a breaking material item.

8. The emergency response vehicle recited in claim 1, wherein a rescue basket is adapted to be carried and secured to the forks of the emergency response vehicle.

9. The emergency response vehicle recited in claim 1, wherein the emergency response vehicle is adapted to carry rescue personnel.

10. The emergency response vehicle recited in claim 1, wherein the emergency response vehicle further includes at least one of a radio communications device, a remote control mechanism, a thermal imaging device and an infrared (IR) monitoring device.

11. The emergency response vehicle recited in claim 1, wherein the emergency response vehicle further comprises a seat adapted to support a self contained breathing apparatus pack (SCBA).

12. The emergency response vehicle recited in claim 1, wherein the forks are adapted to be retractably and slidably received within a pair of spaced apart fork support sleeves disposed within a body of the emergency response vehicle so that when the emergency response vehicle is in use, the forks can be retracted out of the way and back into the sleeves.

13. The emergency response vehicle recited in claim 1, wherein:

the intake inlet is comprised of a first large intake inlet and at least one smaller intake inlet which merges into a single plumbed pipe which is connected to a split pipe; and

the split pipe including at least a first branch pipe which feeds into a monitor and a second branch pipe which feeds into a hose.

14. The emergency response vehicle recited in claim 1, wherein an additive mixer is disposed within the fluid system to provide a fire retardant mixture material to be delivered to the fire.

15. The emergency response vehicle recited in claim 1, wherein the weight of the emergency response vehicle is mounted and supported when the forks extruding from the emergency response vehicle are received in a mounting frame disposed on the transport vehicle.

16. The emergency response vehicle recited in claim 1, wherein the weight of the emergency response vehicle is mounted and supported when forks extrude from the transport vehicle and are received in a mounting frame disposed on the emergency response vehicle.

17. The emergency response vehicle recited in claim 16, wherein the emergency response vehicle is lifted from the ground when the mounting frame disposed on the emergency response vehicle is lifted by a turret mounting device disposed on the transport vehicle.

18. An emergency response vehicle comprising:

a pair of forks adapted to detachably mount the emergency response vehicle onto a transport emergency response vehicle, wherein during transit the emergency response vehicle is mounted and carried by a transport emergency response vehicle, and wherein at the arrival of a scene of an emergency, the emergency response vehicle can be disengaged from the transport emergency response vehicle in order to quickly respond to the emergency; and

a fluid system plumbed throughout the emergency response vehicle comprising;

an inlet to receive a pressurized fire extinguishing material; and

a discharge outlet adapted to deliver the pressurized fire extinguishing material onto a fire from at least one of a hose and a monitor.

19. A method for responding to a fire comprising:

transporting, by carrying an emergency response vehicle on a transport vehicle to a vicinity of a fire;

lowering the emergency response vehicle onto the ground and dismounting the emergency response vehicle from the transport vehicle;

connecting a first hose that supplies a pressurized fire extinguishing material from the transport vehicle to the emergency response vehicle;

driving the emergency response vehicle from the location of the transport vehicle to a location adjacent to the fire; and

extending a second hose from the emergency response vehicle to a location adjacent to the fire; and

delivering the fire extinguishing material directly to the fire.

20. The method recited in claim 19, further comprising wherein the first hose that supplies a pressurized fire extinguishing material to the emergency response vehicle is fluidly connected to a water hydrant.