Canada Eh?

[Big Dave]

thanks for the questions and the comments.  Leduc County has been using this basic pumper design since, at least, 2001.  This morning, I talked with the mechanic from Leduc County who was at Fort Garry Fire Trucks doing his final inspection.  When I raised the question as to why no front suction, he replied: "have you ever tried fighting fires in -40C weather?"  Evidently, front suction intakes have a tendency to freeze.  He also noted (as previously mentioned) that front intakes never achieve capacity and that they can affect the turning radius of the rig.  These points were confirmed by officials at Fort Garry Fire Trucks.

IMHO, Leduc County's unique design is a tribute to their innovative thinking that meets local needs and climate.