Spartan Chassis (“Spartan” or the “Company”), a business unit of Spartan Motors, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPAR), brought a new sense of cool to the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) Fire-Rescue International show in Dallas, Texas. The Company introduced a collection of new cab features and performance enhancements, including The Spartan Advanced Climate Control heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system. The IAFC show takes place on Friday and Saturday August 15-16 at The Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center. This new benchmark in cab safety and comfort will be profiled for Emergency Response OEMs and their dealers at a sneak peak event prior to final test and validation.
“Safety is what our customers continually rank most important before placing an order,” said Michael Bowman, Vice President of Sales, Emergency Response Chassis. “Spartan continually seeks feedback from end-users to better equip our units for the field. In terms of The Spartan Advanced Climate Control System, we recently began seeking input for how we could take our cab to the next level. With a typical fire run lasting roughly 10 minutes, we were asked to develop the new system to get colder or warmer, faster. The Spartan Advanced Climate Control System does that and reinforces Spartan’s leadership in the Emergency Response cab/chassis market.”
Spartan’s Advanced Climate Control System boasts a dynamic air velocity that on average is 317 percent higher than the current system. The air flow has been greatly improved for both the front and rear occupants of the cab. Aside from its dramatically improved fit, finish and general appearance, the system has shown significant improvement in AC pull down at the 30-minute and 60-minute marks.
The Spartan Advanced Climate Control System also warms the cold firefighter’s feet like never before without the aid of any auxiliary heat. With the cabin air temperature at 0 degrees Fahrenheit, the foot area within the cab will experience an average air temperature of 80 degrees Fahrenheit within a short period of time.
Maintenance and service on The Spartan Advanced Climate Control System has been simplified with all tasks specified as one-person operations using only standard tools.
The Spartan Advanced Climate Control System is only one aspect of the cab that Spartan has recently improved.
Provided below is a summary of the new features and performance improvements of the Spartan cab which allow the firefighter to arrive and depart safely from the scene in comfort.
Comfort
· Improved weight distribution
· Improved styling
· Rigid backed SCBA parade panel available
· An increase in comfort when utilizing The Spartan Advanced Climate Control system
· Improved seat cushion bolster and lumbar support
· Ergonomic enhancements
Safety
· Industry-leading, all-encompassing restraint system
· Improved shoulder harness accessibility
· E-Z Release SCBA system
· Approximately 2.5dB*, or 45 percent, reduction in sound energy levels within the cab when traveling at a speed of 45 mph with the windows up
· New enhancements create a safer environment inside the cab for occupants en route to and from a scene
· Greater ability to communicate inside the cab without the need of an intercom
* dB reduction will vary based on the final cab/chassis configuration
Space Utilization**
· Overall cab volume increase of 5,827 cubic inches
· 10% increase in hip room on driver’s side of tunnel
· 11% increase in hip room on officer’s side door to side of engine tunnel
· 6.6% reduction in engine tunnel height
· 3.8% increase in leg room for the two forward-facing crew members located in the cab’s center
· 22″ wide base seat cushion and back cushion
** Available on select makes and models
