The KME 2011 IAFC display included the new 109’ AerialCatTM rearmount ladder the newest addition to the steel ladder family which includes the 79’, 100’, 103’ and 121’ AerialCatsTM.
Mounted on a KME Predator tandem rear axle chassis with 500hp engine, the ladder is available with an unrestricted 750lb tip load dry and a 500lb tip load while flowing 1500gpm.
The new 109’ AerialCat™ is best in class in several categories. Featuring a 1500gpm flow rate and water handling this is unsurpassed. The strong KME ladder is constructed of 100,000 psi steel, which is significantly stronger than competitors’ models and is engineered with a 2:1 structural safety factor based on a 750 lb. NFPA-1901 rated tip load and is third-party P.E. certified.
This AerialCat™ ladder also includes great safety features. The 109’ rated vertical reach and 100’ horizontal reach are unequaled and provide 18 percent more scrub zone capability, allowing users to reach more on the fire scene. With the elevation range of -8 to +80° and combined with a “Store Front Blitz” monitor firefighters can perform interior attacks with just the ladder and monitor. In addition, the new AerialCat™ is easy to maneuver with a short wheelbase and 16’ outrigger stance
Other innovative safety and maintenance features include: A knurled stainless bolt-on ladder egress provides a no-maintenance, yet aggressive surface to grasp onto when transitioning off the roof or from a window. The egress is also designed with “Ladder Tip Skid Guards”, which provides an integral round skid plate on the ladder tip to allow for the ladder to slide on a roof or the side of the building without ladder tip hang-up. The new ladder has wider and higher ladder sections for safe easy climbing and photo luminescent rung covers for safety at night. The large turntable and ladder access step makes for safe transition from ladder.
KME’s rear mount ladders range from 79’ to 121’ and although each model can be highly customized, each includes unparalleled strength as standard. The materials, testing, engineering and motion control systems in every KME AerialCat™ deliver the confidence to perform even under the most extreme conditions.
