You don’t have to be a graduate of an auto training school to notice that between fire trucks, police cars and ambulances, there’s no shortage of emergency vehicles keeping watch over our cities —and crossing paths with one during your daily commute is a likely occurrence.
Nowadays, there are a range of rescue vehicles dedicated to every type of emergency imaginable, from SWAT vehicles to mountain rescue trucks. But, what you probably didn’t know is that there are also customized emergency vehicles dedicated to providing relief and resources to areas around the world that have been affected by disaster. Continue reading to find out more about a new, unique disaster relief vehicle that has recently been unveiled by Navistar.
A Disaster Relief Vehicle like No Other
Navistar has collaborated with Terranova GTS—a company dedicated to creating global specialty vehicles— to design a brand new truck devoted to providing disaster relief: the DuraStar Multi-Purpose Vehicle. This truck, which was showcased at The Aid and International Development Forum (AIDF) Disaster Relief Summit in Washington D.C., is very different from any others. The DuraStar is a fully loaded rescue unit, equipped with the essential services that are needed during or after disaster, including water purification, fire-fighting and sanitary equipment, and mobile medical assistance.
Unique Water Filtration
What really sets this multi-purpose vehicle apart is its state of the art, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certified microbiological water filtration system. The system is capable of purifying up to 5,000 gallons of drinking water each day—which, anyone with auto mechanic training can understand, is quite impressive for a fast-moving rescue vehicle. The system is unique because it literally has the ability to physically remove bacteria, virus, and cyst from virtually any water source. Ponds, rivers, lakes, streams, wells, groundwater and even rain water are no match for this truck-mounted, mega filtration system. Once the water has undergone its extensive purification process, it is stored in a polyurethane tank, which will not weigh the vehicle down and is meant to sustain the water’s quality.
Making a Difference
If you’re enrolled in an automotive school in Toronto, you probably already know that the DuraStar MPV isn’t the first heavy duty disaster relief vehicle that’s ever been created. However, anyone with a knowledge of auto mechanics will appreciate its performance potential, and unprecedented range of built-in rescue features.
In a recent interview, the president of Terranova, Bernardo Valenzuela talked about what inspired the DuraStar, revealing, “I’ve travelled to many parts of Africa where there’s a need not just [for] medical care and firefighting service but even more for clean drinking water, that’s why we’ve combined those three pieces into one vehicle.”
This truck has the potential to make a huge difference in improving the lives of the many people who are living in areas where natural disasters occur regularly.
Do you think we’ll start to see multi-purpose rescue vehicles on our own city streets soon?
