While walking the exhibit floor at FDIC this year, I managed to wander over the Darley area (just like I always do). Darley always manages to peak my interest with something new that is not advertised as being at the show sometimes.
This year was no different. I came on a new vehicle that was built in conjunction with Darley, Navistar, and a company I never heard of, Terranova.
What’s interesting is that it is a multipurpose vehicle that can be used for firefighting, EMS, and water purification for disaster response.
After talking to Bernardo Venezuela, the CEO of Terranova, I understood the concept he was trying to promote. Valenzuela ran global operations for Navistar at one time and left to create his own company. He stated “I saw a need for a multipurpose vehicle that could be used not only in the global market but domestically in the U.S.,” he said. “I received feedback from firefighters all over the globe concerning this type of vehicle. It could be used for the United Nations, Red Cross, and various defense forces in different configurations.” FEMA has shown some interest as well.
To get started, Terranova partnered with Darley for the pump, tank, and water purification system. The firefighting package consists of a Darley 250-gpm pump with a poly tank that avoids cross contamination.
The vehicle mounted water purification system, which is a really compact design, can provide 5,000 gallons of water a day of safe drinking water, all EPA tested.
EMS wise, there is a patient transport and treatment area. The vehicle could be used to transport a patient or act as a triage area at a MCI scene.
The vehicle can also be built as a modular design, meaning you can custom build the body as you see fit. The prototype was also built as a 4 x 4 to gain easier access to all areas.
All in all, it’s a pretty neat vehicle. In this day of budget problems for municipalities, this vehicle might gain some momentum in the coming years. If your department can’t afford to purchase this vehicle because of its specific type of application, maybe a shared use by several small counties or townships might be better served.
In any case, this vehicle was designed by someone who was able to think outside the box. Its design is proactive and can be customized for disaster relief, hurricanes, flooding, earthquakes, EMS, and also firefighting use. Not a bad concept, if I do say so myself.
