Fire and Rescue New South Wales unveil new fire fighting weapon for summer, Australia

Fire and Rescue New South Wales unveil new fire fighting weapon for summer, Australia

22 January 2016

published by www.fireandrescue.co

---

Australia–New South Wales (NSW) Fire and Rescue has unveiled its latest fire fighting weapon, the $310,000 Turbine Aided fire fighting (TAF 20) machine. It is powerful enough to move cars out of the way with its bulldozer blade, to clear smoke from a building with a high-powered fan, to spray water mist or foam for 60 metres and blast water for 90 metres. The TAF 20 can be remotely operated from further than 500 metres away and sent into situations where it is too dangerous for fire fighters. It is the only one of its kind in Australia and joins Fire and Rescue NSW officers based in Alexandria. Although it is based in the city, Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) said the TAF20 could be quickly deployed to any incident across NSW by road or by air.

NSW Emergency Services Minister David Elliott unveiled the machine and said the robot put FRNSW fire fighters ahead of the game when managing hazardous fires and other emergencies where they could not safely approach flames or for when there was danger of an explosion. A Fire and Rescue NSW spokesman said the TAF20 complemented a high-tech arsenal of fire fighting equipment within the organisation. Officers have already benefitted over the last 12 months from superior helmets, as well as low frequency sirens on fire trucks to alert distracted pedestrians.

---