The return of the annual Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council (AFAC) exhibition following a COVID-enforced interlude, has been welcomed by truckmaker Hino.
Held 23-26 August at the Adelaide Convention Centre, AFAC is a very important event according to Hino Australia Product Strategy – Department Manager, Daniel Petrovski.
“Fire authorities and emergency services are extremely important market segments for Hino Australia and we continue to evolve our products to meet the continually developing operational requirements of these customers,” he said.
Headlining the Hino stand is a Hino 500 Series Wide Cab FM 2632 cab chassis, which is the platform for a unique “Ultra Heavy Tanker’’, prototypes of which have been trialled for the past three years by a leading rural fire authority.
The UHT includes a 10,000-litre water tank plus a water cannon on the front of the truck, maximising the amount of water delivered to the fire front while reducing the number of crew.
The cannon can be controlled by either the driver or passenger utilising a joystick inside the cabin.
“We have received considerable interest in this chassis and tanker body from rural fire agencies for use in grassland fires,” said Petrovski.
Also of importance is the 320Hp (235kW) power and 1275Nm torque output of the A09C engine in the FM 2632, while the standard safety feature of Vehicle Stability Control helps prevent vehicle rollovers, especially when entering or exiting a corner too quickly.
It drives through a six-speed Allison automatic transmission while the standard Jacobs Engine Brake delivers sufficient retardation without requiring an additional hydraulic retardation system.
Also on display is the 500 Series GT 4×4 1528 Crew Cab, a perennial favourite with fire authorities says Petrovski.
“The 500 Series GT is no stranger to AFAC visitors and this year we are demonstrating some of the customisable options that are available to customers,” he said.
“These include a unique B-post stiffener that essentially operates as a roll-cage in the back of the crew cab,” continued Petrovski.
“Initially designed to protect crew from falling branches or objects that are commonplace while fighting fires, it has also been shown to improve the integrity of the cab during rollovers.
Some other examples of how Hino can customise the 500 Series GT for the fire and emergency sectors are on show with a three-bucket seat option in the rear, as well as an optional high visibility staircase-type rear crew step.
“With impressive power and torque, high axle capacities, and a nominal payload of nine tonne, the 500 Series GT continues to be utilised in some of the toughest off-road conditions in Australia by our emergency services and off-highway customers,” said Petrovski.
The Hino J08 turbocharged six-cylinder engine delivers 280hp (206kW) of power and 824Nm of torque.
The GVM is 14.5 tonne, courtesy of an upgraded 5.5 tonne front axle and a 10-tonne rear axle.
“Importantly for our customers, the higher GVM rating is achieved with very minimal impact on the tare weight, resulting in a segment-leading nominal payload of over 9 tonnes,” explained Petrovski.
Like all Hino products, the 500 Series GT 1528 and 500 Series Wide Cab FM 2632 are supported by Hino Advantage, a suite of business solutions that are designed to reduce costs over the life of the vehicle.
“Our Hino Advantage solutions include Capped Price Servicing, Hino Genuine Parts, 24/7 Hino Roadside Assist, our finance options, and customer support provisions via our Customer Support Centre,” said Petrovski.
“This is of particular interest to rural fire agencies with many of their vehicles in remote areas – it’s the next-generation of business intelligence that provides customers with real-time performance data tracking, remote diagnosis of vehicle faults and dedicated Hino-Connect specialist support,” he said.
Hino-Connect allows direct communication with the driver through the truck’s multimedia unit, which is an Australian-first.
A unique element of Hino-Connect is the case-management provided by the Sydney-based team of Hino-Connect Specialists that support the customer, driver and dealer and monitor the progress of the repair to get the truck back on the road quickly.