Concept vehicle: The FireQuad
I don't know if you've followed the news this summer, but there were huge forest fires that ravaged Canada's forest. As of September 4th, more than three point six million hectares of forest had burned up - that's almost the size of Switzerland that went up in smoke! This was also a record year in Quebec in regards to the total surface of forest that was destroyed by wildfires, and these events made me conceptualize the FireQuad concept.
The FireQuad is a side-by-side ATV designed to operate nearby fires. It could be used as a reconnaissance vehicle to carry out patrols, to transport personnel and equipment and most importantly to rescue people trapped nearby wildfires. To build the FireQuad, I would use a Can-Am Commander Max platform and add a special body designed to withstand heat and flames. The vehicle would be equipped with four doors and fireblind windows that would operate manually. The FireQuad would roll on fire-resistant tires and boast search lights, a siren, winch and other accessories. It would be possible to store tools and equipment in the rear trunk and also pull a trailer or stretcher on wheels.
I would like to equip the vehicle with an a/c system to reduce the inside temperature to an acceptable level when needed. Obviously the FireQuad won't be able to withstand fire for a long period of time, but it would be possible to pass through a wall of fire to rescue a person trapped on the other side or ride much closer to a fire then with a conventional ATV.
Is there a market for the FireQuad? Cities and smaller municipalities could use it as a multi-purpose vehicle. Since the selling price of the Commander MAX is below $16,000 in the U.S., I think it could become an affordable equipment even for a small city with a limited budget. BRP has a specialized vehicle division based in Sherbrooke, and this division could probably create a few FireQuad prototypes in partnership with the The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre or Defence Research and Development Canada to test and evaluate this idea!
I would like to thank Jan Metelka who designed the images of the FireQuad and helped improve the concept.