In order to help provide more relief services to places ravaged by natural disasters and even refugee camps, a new company named Terranova GTS, LLC, is working with Navistar and fire equipment provider W.S. Darley & Co. to craft a new kind of truck – one that not only can provide firefighting and mobile medical services but clean water as well.
Unveiled at the annual Aid and International Development Forum (AIDF) disaster relief summit in Washington, D.C., this week, Terranova’s new Multi-Purpose Vehicle or “MPV” combines a firefighting body and ambulance compartment with an onboard water purification treatment system capable of purifying 5,000 gallons of drinking water per day.
[To view more photos of the MPV, please click here.]
Bernardo Valenzuela, president of Terranova, told Fleet Owner that the MPV represents to years of development work, will be priced at around $250,000, and is aimed at providing in his words not only a way to help communities recover more quickly from natural disasters but improve their quality of life as well.
“I’ve traveled to many parts of Africa where there’s a need not just medical care and firefighting service but even more for clean drinking water,” he explained. “That’s why we’ve combined those three pieces into one vehicle.”
Tom Clevinger, Navistar’s senior VP for global truck and bus, noted the MPV is built upon an International DuraStar medium-duty chassis powered by MaxxForce diesel engine.
“This MPV is designed to provide a critical resource to aid disaster relief efforts around the world,” he added. “It’s the first of its kind in the industry, this truck can serve as a life-saving tool and is equipped with a water purification system and firefighting capabilities and includes a mobile medical unit for emergency rescue and triage operations.”
Terranova’s Valenzuela said NGOs or non-governmental organizations involved in relief work as well as local municipalities are the initial focus points for selling the MPV, but that corporations should find this vehicle useful as well.
“For companies involved in mining or oil refineries in remote parts of the world, this vehicle can offer assistance to their works in times of crisis,” he said, adding that Terranova also sees potential customers for the MPV in North America and the U.S. as well.
Kevin Sofen, business development manager for W.S. Darley & Co., told Fleet Owner that the water cleaning system is built around an EPA-certified microbiological water purifier, meaning it physically removes particulates, turbidity, bacteria, viruses and cysts from virtually any water source including rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, shallow wells, groundwater under the direct influence of surface water, rain water, unsafe municipal supplies and springs.
“The water is stored in a 2,000 gallon polyurethane tank on board the vehicle,” he added. “Not only does that help make the vehicle lighter, it reduces the potential for corrosion and helps sustain the quality of the water stored on board.”
