Mobile Firefighting with FireDos Fire Monitors

Tristan Reitz
Dipl.-Ing. (FH), Market Manager Fire Service and Mobile Fire Protection at FireDos

Since 2000, he has been an active member of several volunteer fire departments and has extensive hands-on operational experience.
After graduating from the University of Applied Sciences in Giessen‑Friedberg, he spent ten years in sales at a renowned German fire apparatus manufacturer.
Since 2018, he has been responsible at FireDos for the Fire Service and Mobile Fire Protection segment.
His expertise is complemented by international experience from a stay in the USA, where he served as an observer with a fire department in Newark, Delaware.

FireDos fire monitors are divided into series M1 to M12, with M1 being the smallest and M12 the largest. The designation “M2” stands for Monitor Series 2.
Depending on the series, flow rates range from 150 l/min (M1) up to 60,000 l/min (M12).
The table below provides an overview of the different monitor series and their compatible nozzle combinations.

While monitors sized M5 and larger—with water flow rates of 12,000 l/min or more—are primarily used for industrial firefighting on special-purpose vehicles, containers, and trailers, smaller models (M1 to M4) are used on airport rescue and firefighting (ARFF) vehicles and by municipal fire departments. Custom solutions for firefighting robots are also available and have been implemented on multiple occasions.

FireDos fire monitors are available with a range of nozzles tailored to different application scenarios.

Multi-Purpose Nozzle – The All-Rounder

The basic principle of fire monitor nozzles is the multi-purpose nozzle (MPN or AMPN).

The MPN (Multi-Purpose Nozzle) is configured to a customer-defined flow rate and operating pressure. These parameters are verified on FireDos’ in-house test bench and adjusted if necessary.

The AMPN (Adjustable Multi-Purpose Nozzle) allows continuous adjustment of the flow rate during operation. Adjustment is made via the baffle plate at the nozzle outlet, enabling precise regulation of the flow.

On manual monitors, adjustment is carried out by hand, while electric versions use a 24 V drive. The flow rate can be adjusted continuously or in defined steps, ensuring efficient and targeted use of the extinguishing agent.

Powder Nozzle (AMPN-NDC7 / AMPN-NDC15) – One Nozzle, Three Agents

Certain fire scenarios require the use of dry chemical powder.

For this purpose, the M3 and M4 monitor series have been developed with an integrated powder tube in the nozzle. This allows water, foam, and powder to be discharged through the same monitor—either individually or in combination.
The combination of water and powder enables a longer throw distance and is particularly suitable for fires in pressurized lines or pipelines. The fire monitor is first aimed at the fire source using water to cool the area. Once sufficient cooling has been achieved, the powder discharge can be activated to extinguish the fire.

Powder application rates are up to 7 kg/s for the M3 and 15 kg/s for the M4.

FLAT JET NOZZLE — GREATER THROW DISTANCE WITH A WIDE SPRAY PATTERN

The standard MPN and AMPN nozzles have been continuously further developed in recent years, with a focus on different spray patterns. This also led to the development of a flat jet nozzle (fan jet nozzle).

With a conventional hollow jet nozzle, the spray pattern can be adjusted from a full jet to a cone-shaped spray jet. The cone shape has the advantage of distributing the extinguishing water over a larger area. However, this comes at the expense of throw distance, which is reduced accordingly.

An alternative is the newly developed flat jet nozzle. Instead of a conventional cone-shaped spray pattern, it produces a flat, fan-shaped jet. This has the advantage of significantly increasing throw distance again, allowing firefighting to be carried out from a greater safety distance.

Another benefit is the wider spray coverage. Instead of point-attack firefighting with a full jet, the flat jet can cover a width of at least 4 m. This is particularly advantageous for vegetation and forest fire fighting, as larger areas can be extinguished more efficiently.

Another application is the application of a wide foam blanket, such as required in aircraft fire fighting. This effect has traditionally often been achieved using a deflector plate, which spreads the solid stream into a wider spray pattern.

Foam pipe with Deflector – Optimized Foam Formation

With the transition to environmentally friendly, fluorine-free foam concentrates, the discharge devices—particularly the nozzles—also had to be adapted. They play a key role in the aeration of the foam concentrate–water mixture (premix) to generate high-quality foam.

Depending on the foam concentrate used, the low expansion ratio achievable with standard fire monitor nozzles such as MPN and AMPN is not sufficient to produce effective firefighting foam. By using a foam pipe attachment, the air content can be increased and the expansion ratio raised from approximately 6–8 to around 12–14.

An alternative is the AFPD nozzle (Adjustable Foam Pipe with Deflector). With this nozzle, the flow rate can be adjusted during operation—similar to the AMPN described above.

The integrated foam pipe with deflector additionally enriches the foam concentrate–water mixture with air, thereby further improving foam formation in a targeted way.

With the help of the deflector, a foam blanket up to 14 m wide can be produced at 6 bar.

All FireDos monitors can be integrated into the vehicle manufacturer’s 24 V body control system.

FireDos FCON 24 V CAN-Bus control system

In addition, FireDos offers its own CAN-bus control system, specifically optimised for FireDos monitors. The system is preconfigured at the factory according to the customer’s required parameters. Obstacle profiles such as warning lights, antennas, roof compartments, or radiator grilles can be programmed and adjusted directly on the vehicle at any time, without the need for additional accessories.

For commissioning, the components simply need to be connected via a CAN-bus cable. With a 24 V DC connection at the monitor terminal box, the system is immediately ready for operation.

The core of the control system is a robust 4.3-inch colour display, suitable for both exterior and cab installation. Thanks to its very bright screen, it remains easily readable even in direct sunlight and at unfavourable viewing angles. Operation is carried out via four colour-backlit function keys and four navigation keys. Installation is performed using the included RAM mount or, alternatively, as a flush-mounted solution in the dashboard or pump control panel.

Through this display with HMI functionality, and in combination with a pressure sensor on the FireDos monitor, the actual throw distance can be calculated and displayed. The FireDos CAN-bus control system also allows additional functions to be integrated as an option.
An IO box enables the processing of signals from the chassis or superstructure, such as water valves, foam valves, water and foam tank levels, or pump pressure. All functions can be operated and displayed via the HMI or the remote radio control.

Two operating options are available:

• Cab control: An ergonomic joystick can be flexibly mounted and is suitable for both left- and right-handed operation. It allows direct control of all main functions, such as water on/off, spray/full jet, extinguishing agent adjustment, lighting, or oscillation.

• Remote control system: The high-quality remote radio control offers a theoretical range of 200 m. In case of connection issues, it can be connected directly to the receiver via a 10 m emergency control cable. All functions of the fixed display are also available via the remote control. If two electrically operated monitors are installed, both can be controlled using a single remote control

Seit 2010 hat sich der Bereich der FireDos-Löschmonitore kontinuierlich weiterentwickelt. Hohe Qualitätsansprüche, robuste Ausführung, fortlaufende Tests, stetige Optimierungen und die Umsetzung von Kundenfeedback sorgen dafür, dass Monitore und Steuerung laufend verbessert werden.

Auch zukünftig werden bei FireDos Produkte von Feuerwehrleuten für Feuerwehrleute entwickelt und gefertigt.