Oshkosh Truck Corp. said its fire truck subsidiary, Pierce Manufacturing Inc., has introduced the first side roll protection system for fire apparatus.

In fact, this is the first time a side roll protection system has been installed in a Class 8 or above truck, says the company. The system is designed to provide significant protection in the case of a side-roll fire truck accident and is now standard on three Pierce chassis.
In extensive testing conducted in conjunction with Indiana Mill and Manufacturing's Center for Advanced Product Evaluation, the Pierce Side Roll Protection System has demonstrated the potential to reduce rollover related head and neck injuries by 97% among firefighters of average size and weight.
"The Pierce Side Roll Protection System is an industry first and represents a quantum leap forward in firefighter safety," said Robert G. Bohn, Oshkosh's chairman, president and chief executive officer.
Using a microprocessor-controlled, solid-state sensing device, the system detects a side-roll, and then provides instantaneous passenger protection. The Side Roll Protection System automatically initiates the following sequence of passenger protection:
-- Tightens the seat belts
-- Pulls the air suspension, front seats down to their lowest position, placing the occupant in a zone providing more survivable space and minimizing head contact with the interior roof
-- Deploys an inflatable tubular airbag across the driver's and first officer's side windows -- a side-curtain airbag -- that protects and cushions the head and neck to reduce movement and the chance of head contact with the roof.
For more information about Oshkosh Truck Corp., log www.oshkoshtruck.com.