Singapore-based company, Hope Technik, has revealed its fifth-generation Red Rhino, or LF5G, which is based on an Isuzu D-Max for light fire attack work.
DESIGNED FOR LIGHT FIRE attack work, the Hope Technik, Red Rhino, or LF5G is the fifth-generation vehicle the company has built in this style. Based off an Isuzu D-Max, the Red Rhino is designed for fast response in urban environments and was commissioned by the Singapore Civil Defence Force.
The Red Rhino is intended to carry one “emergency medical technician” as well as four firefighters, which the company said “is a response to increasing demands placed on SCDF for emergency medical assistance. The vehicle includes a new compartment to store medical rescue equipment, enabling the crew to administer medical treatment. It also boasts of a vastly enhanced ergonomic design that allows for easy egress”.
“We are highly dedicated to understanding the operations of SCDF in Singapore’s urban environment to ensure that the LF5G is highly maneuverable and tailored to the needs of SCDF,” said Vinoth Pannirsilvam, Chief Engineer of the LF5G.
Standing almost two-metres tall, two-metres wide, and 5.5-metres long, the LF5G, or Red Rhino runs clever 1-button push technology “which allows the user to switch between driving and pumping mode seamlessly”.
To ensure the maximum use of space, Hoipe Technik mounted foam water tanks up inside the wheel guards, while the engineers managed to “pack” the pumps and general fire fighting equipment more efficiently. “The improved rear compartment allows two Compressed Air Foam System backpacks to be stored and retrieved effortlessly,” the company said.
While the headlights and front grille are more or less original, the rest of the body was redesigned and built out of fibreglass. The bonnet is new and was lowered compared with that on the D-Max to provide improved forward vision for the driver.
The company didn’t say anything about suspension modifications or whether it retained the 4×4 system from the D-Max, but we’d suggest it did. And, to handle the extra weight of water, etc, it would have had to have fitted aftermarket suspension…
What do you think, would one of these be a better idea in major Australian cities than a full-blown fire engine?
So that’s what the next facelift will look like.