Qatalum has taken delivery of Qatar's first Pierce fire truck at a handover ceremony at Al Dana QAPCO Club Mesaieed, on 5th January, with representatives from Qatar Petroleum, MIC, IECO/Pierce and Qatalum senior management in attendance.
Following the cooling tower fire in 2011, detailed evaluation of this and other influencing factors led Qatalum's management to change direction in its approach towards emergency response. The resulting decision amounts to improved emergency response and also ensures the optimal use of personnel, supported by world-class equipment such as the Pierce fire appliance. 
The new vehicle is powered by a Detroit Diesel Series 60, turbocharged, inline straight six diesel engine. Fully laden, it weighs approximately 32 metric tonnes and is configured for 1 driver/operator, 1 crew commander and 4 fire fighters. The truck can carry 3,786 litres of water and 3,786 litres of foam concentrate which can be pumped in excess of 11,000 litres per minute.
The Pierce product was chosen for demonstrating the best technology available within the fire-fighting discipline, demonstrating Qatalum's commitment to setting the standard in operational excellence without comprising on safety for its people, operational equipment and assets. It was commissioned with associated training to personnel and currently loose equipment is being fitted to ensure the appliance's operational readiness.
Tom Petter Johansen, Qatalum's CEO said at the ceremony, "We made a management decision to adopt this vehicle configuration in order to enable our on-site fire service to execute a fire ground strategy aligned with the best practices within NFPA.
So, it gives me great pride and pleasure to inaugurate this magnificent vehicle… we hope it will never be used".-292.jpg)
DCEO Khalid Mohammed Laram added, "Here at Mesaieed, we are committed to health and safety of our workers, and we recognise the immense responsibility we have, working with potentially hazardous chemicals and procedures, in sometimes extreme conditions, in the proximity of our workforce. For this reason and following the direction from H.E. Dr Mohammed Bin Saleh Al-Sada the Minister of Energy and Industry we take the protection of people and the environment very seriously and we constantly update our safety practices and procedures to the highest possible international standards, as well as having the best possible tools. The acquisition of this truck is a demonstration of that".
The Pierce truck arrived at Qatalum in late November 2013, and has been undergoing loose equipment fittings since, alongside personnel training in operational procedures and is now ready for application.
