The event, hosted by E1 and sister company, Clan Tools and Plant Limited, at their state-of-the-art specialist appliance manufacturing plant in Scotland,UK welcomed attendees from fire and rescue services throughout the UK, as well as many from airport and industrial FRS.
E1 have been at the forefront of specialist vehicle design and manufacture in the UK for 30 years, and they are now the largest such company based in the UK. Many of their developments have become widely adopted and recognised as industry standard. Through detailed engagement with the UK FRS’s, dedicated research and development, collaborative engineering and a passion for innovation, the E1 SCORPIONTM was born.
Innovate and Evolve – “A Good Idea… Made Better”
Whilst the E1 Scorpion concept is not new (water tower pumping appliances have been around for decades), the manufacturing and systems engineering and technology employed with this vehicle certainly are new! So are the thought processes that have been used to develop the specification.
E1 employs specialists who have a wide range of proven expertise in operational response and fire fighter safety. They looked at what the known risks facing fire crews and the public are as identified in the National Generic Risk assessment (NGRA) documents that are authored by FRS and representative body safety specialists. By studying the hazards and the associated risk, the design team were able to ensure that every element of the SCORPION either supported existing safe systems of work of positively contributed to risk reduction or mitigation measures.
This means that an FRS are clearly able to demonstrate where the SCORPION might most effectively be used.
The E1 Engineering and Design Project Team were issued with the following simple Design Brief:
- Improve Firefighter and Public Safety
- Robust and Reliable Engineering
- Full BS EN 1846 Compliance / Full Pumping Appliance Capability
- Full Water Tower Capability / High Flow Rates / Optimise Monitor Performance
- Offer Choice – Full Customisation of Build and Chassis Options
- Develop and Improve Existing Technologies and Solutions
- Simplify Operation
- Ensure interoperability with existing fleet and national resilience items
The resultant development of the E1 Scorpion therefore required the creation of many new and innovative systems and componentry, as well as the refinement of many existing technologies – all of which were also on display at the launch event.
A 20m High Reach Extendable Turret (HRET) system is installed (designed and manufactured in England by E1 UK partner Translink International), featuring the (optional) “Fire-Spike” piercing lance system. The installation facilitates up to a 20m vertical reach and 14m horizontal reach, with full 360º rotation. Water and Foam delivery is available via the boom-mounted high flow monitor (up to 6,000lpm), or via the “Fire-Spike” (1,000lpm). CCTV and Thermal Imaging Cameras are also installed, with images relayed to locations such as the cab or pumpbay system controls and/or the chest-pack remote control system.
The impressive Fire Engineering installation features a Godiva Prima P2B 6010 pump (6,000lpm), along with an (optional) ColdCut Cobra Ultra High-Pressure abrasive / cutting system. The pump features a custom E1 designed manifold system, facilitating the high flow characteristics of the appliance.
Full BS EN 1846 Pumping Appliance capability is upheld, with the appliance featuring a 6-person cab/crewcab, individual crew seats (c/w integrated BA), an 1,800 litre water tank, 100 litre foam tank, and a 1,200kg operational equipment inventory capacity. A unique (optional) pumpbay canopy door provides safe shelter for the pump operator, who benefits from the latest widescreen version (“Evo”) of the industry-standard E1 “ePumpControl” HMI system.
The rear body superstructure includes the all-new “E-1” Roller Shutter Door system, and “E-1 Streamline” smooth, flush sided profile – with no overhanging door furniture (a narrower body and reduced accident damage potential).
The E1 Technology arm of the business was on show, with the E1 Scorpion featuring the latest iterations of their “e1fleet” specialist appliance telematics system, the “e1Tag” Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) on-appliance asset management system, and the “e1Connect” mobile Wi-Fi hotspot.
To enhance the list of firefighting options available only from E1, the “E1 Nebula” system was also launched. The Ultra High-Pressure firefighting system (38lpm @ 200bar) includes several lance options, robust PTO drive (low maintenance, improved reliability and performance), full integration with ePumpControl and e1fleet, and options for foam and abrasive cutting upgrades. The system was demonstrated in its alternative, portable (self-contained) form.
Also unveiled was the E1 Scorpion’s big brother, the E1 ManticoreTM; a fully configurable industrial appliance, available on 18, 26 or 32tonne GVW Chassis Day/Crew Cab variants.
Mike Madsen, Managing Director, Emergency One (UK) Limited and Clan Tools & Plant Limited, commented; “We are delighted that the E1 Scorpion has been met with such enthusiasm. It’s important to me that we offer our customers choice – hence the E1 Scorpion is fully customisable and offers a unique, no-compromise build solution along with a comprehensive option list. The build quality and truly innovative design features are testament to the quality, passion, drive and commitment of our employees and the collaborative approach we adopted throughout the design and manufacture process. Working closely with our partners in Manchester, Translink International, I am proud that the E1 Scorpion showcases the best of British engineering, innovation and manufacturing.”
Finally, key supplier partners on the E1 Scorpion project were on hand to discuss and display their own products, along with many of the E1 and Clan Partner Companies, such as Magirus, Lukas, Vetter, Leader and BioEx.
For more information please visit: www.emergencyone.co.uk
