Q: So what are the main features and
benefits of Telstar?
AC: Watching closely the growing
market for smaller, compact vehicles
such the West Midlands Toyota
BRV’s and Devon & Somerset’s 10
tonne IVECO units we were able
to identify a cross-over point in
capability requirement which resulted
in the design of the firefighting
compartment. In installing a 500 litre
water tank, the Hale HPX 75 pump
and a 60 metre 22 mm hose-reel the
vehicle very quickly had a unique
capability on scene. The innovative
design of the rear compartment to
house two additional crew meant
that the vehicle could, if required,
respond with a 4 person crew;
allowing a broad spectrum capability.
It is perceived that the clinical
compartment on the Telstar would
allow first responders and trained
medical staff to provide an excellent
level of care in a safe haven whilst
crews carried on, if required, with
other tasks. Whilst the vehicle is fully
compliant and capable and moving
casualties it was not envisaged that
this would be its role during the early
stages of its evolution. However, it
was felt that this capability would
be extremely useful in the localised
transportation of patients to helicopter
landing sites, especially in rural
areas. It is not just rural areas where
opportunities have been identified
for the Telstar, urban environments
where the unit is assisting primarily
co-responding or first responding
activities whilst still providing firefighting
capability for the large percentage of
small incidents such as car fires, waste
fires and rapid response first on-scene
vehicles.
Q: What’s been the initial reaction to Telstar?
AC: Initial trials of the vehicle have proved to be very successful
and it is clear that with the design of the rear compartment
having the flexibility to be reconfigured, many of the future roles
required for the multi-agency approach to collaboration can be
addressed with this Telstar concept vehicle.
Q: Telstar follows on from Terberg’s TACR vehicle, what’s the latest
news on this vehicle?
AC: Terberg’s style of innovation and solution driven activities
also led to the development of the Tactical Airfield Crash Rescue
vehicle (TACR3). With the pending demise of the Land Rover
Defender and the development of the Range Rover luxury
vehicle range the small airfield and military market sectors had
lost a traditional vehicle platform. This platform has served them
all successfully for over 30 years. As the airfield regulator CAA
undertook its own dramatic changes a need to develop a new
vehicle was identified by Terberg DTS and its partner Pickup
Systems who had developed the plastic bodied BRV solution
for a number of local authority fire services. Through careful
design, collaboration and utilisation of innovative products and
the successful Hale HPX pump Terberg DTS were able to deliver
a new category 2 airfield vehicle on a 3,500 kg chassis carrying
700 litres of water and all other necessary media and equipment
to satisfy requirement. Having been successfully built on both the
Toyota and Isuzu chassis the vehicle has now become extremely
desirable within many industrial sectors including power stations,
car plants and more recently construction sites. The operating
costs and the simplicity of the unit attracts its customers, especially
when Terberg DTS are happy to hire or lease the vehicles over
pre-determined contract periods as well as the willingness to
reconfigure the vehicle, within its weight restrictions, to that
required by the end user.
Q: So what does Telstar give to the Fire
Service?
AC: Terberg DTS sees the potential for
the cost of the Telstar unit to be shared
between fire services and ambulance
trusts with the capital cost being a
dramatic reduction on the costs of
historical vehicle procurement. The
number of ambulances that are used
for relatively minor patient transport
activities to hospital could easily be
replaced with the Telstar unit thus
affording dramatic cost savings; whilst
the fire services are retaining a highly
effectively asset for a relatively small
budgetary figure compared to their
historical expenditures.
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