Pierce to build 68 Army fire vehicles

Pierce Manufacturing, an Oshkosh Corporation company, received a major non-tactical vehicle award valued at $10.7 million from the U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM) to support the Afghanistan and Iraq Security Forces. The contract award calls for 68 Pierce pumper rescue vehicles with provisions for additional orders up to 115 vehicles. Delivery is scheduled to begin in July 2009 and be completed by November.

The Pierce pumper rescue is a custom-engineered vehicle on a four-by-four crew cab chassis with an integrated 550 gallon water/foam tank, and pumping capacity that can reach a vigorous 500 gallons per minute. This pumper rescue vehicle’s fire fighting capabilities are maximized with a customized compressed air foam system (CAFS) to support the quick response requirements in firefighting over the rugged and arid terrain of Afghanistan and Iraq.

“Our soldiers deserve the very best in firefighting and rescue performance,” said Wilson Jones, Oshkosh Corporation executive vice president and president, Fire & Emergency. “We are proud to provide vehicles that will be used in the rebuilding efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq.”

The Pierce pumper rescue vehicle will be used initially to safely transport equipment and personnel to emergency situations in Afghanistan and Iraq. The vehicle may also provide additional support for missions in other country. The Pierce pumper rescue is a high-performance vehicle engineered, tested and built based on the most advanced firefighting technology.