311[W]35 – GCPr – Jelcz – Warsaw, Poland311[W]35 is one of 3 dry powder appliances used by the State Fire Service in Warsaw. This one is stationed at Fire and Rescue Unit 11 (JRG-11, Bielany), the other ones at JRG-5 (Praga-Północ) and JRG-7 (Bemowo). All of them are on Jelcz 315M chassis, with Total dry powder system & bodywork. This particular vehicle is a leftover from the Huta Warszawa (Warsaw Steelworks) firefighting unit.
The chassis of 311[W]35 was manufactured in 1976, and Total transformed it into this specialist appliance in 1977. It was common practice in the 1970s/1980s to send domestically produced Star or Jelcz truck chassis to be modified by Western fire appliance manufacturers, such as Magirus or Total to cut down costs of purchasing specialist vehicles. The complete vehicle weights 15 400 kg.
311[W]35’s dry powder extinguishing system consists of a 3-tonne tank, six 50-litre cans with compressed atmospheric nitrogen (propelling the powder stream), two 20m attack lines and a powder monitor (discharge: 20kg/s).
Other auxiliary equipment carried includes:
-6x 6kg dry powder fire extinguishers;
-2x heat resistant suits (one pictured above);
-2x MSA Auer BA sets;
The vehicle is manned by 2 firefighters.
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The heavy dry powder tenders are a leftover from the communist era. The rise of heavy industry from the late 1940s onwards created a need for specialist powder and even CO2 vehicles for industrial as well as municipal fire brigades. Smaller (1,5t of powder) appliances were manufactured mainly on Star A29/200 chassis by KZWM Katowice, while the heavy range (mainly on Jelcz 315) were built by Western companies, such as Total (Germany) or Sides (France). Currently, many of these appliances (some of them in their 30s) are being pulled from service – mainly due to a decline in heavy industry vs. high costs of maintaining them. This does not mean that powder sets has been abandoned. They are still very much needed, although they are not used much. Instead, when a powder tender is pulled from service, its powder system is removed, shipped to the mother company to be given a complete overhaul, and then re-installed on a container or trailer. Brand new powder trailers are also acquired and smaller (250-750kg sets) installed on frontline appliances/tankers.
The powder tenders are still needed to respond to a variety of incidents, including industrial or major electrical fires. 311[W]35 and its two ‘brothers’ are often dragged all the way through Warsaw to the Okęcie International Airport to assist emergency landings. Considering their age and the limited impact of their anemic lights & sirens on today’s drivers (well…the traffic conditions were very different 30 years ago when these were designed), such rides are ‘fun’. To keep its powder firefighting force mobile and disposable, the Warsaw SFS HQ decided to scrap one of the tenders and have the salvaged powder system installed on a container to be carried by a modern hookloader. Which one is going to be sacrificed, we do not know yet, but this information will surely appear in the comments below when we get it.
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Fire and Rescue Unit 11 (JRG-11) in Bielany is the most northward fire station in left-bank Warsaw. The squalid station complex was taken over by the State Fire Service from the Warsaw Steelworks (Huta Warszawa) the old HW emblem is still there at the main gate. The buildings used to house the plants own firefighting unit back in the communist times. Now they are home to the elite Warsaw Urban Search and Rescue Group,
The station vehicles are:
311-21: GBA 2,5/20 StarMan/Stolarczyk, a medium pumper;
311-25: GCBA 5/24 Jelcz 422/JZS 010R, a heavy tanker/pumper (to be replaced by the end of November 2007);
311-35: GCPr-3000 Jelcz 315M/Total, a veteran heavy dry powder appliance (1976);
311-71: SRp Mercedes Atego/Szczęśniak, the primary vehicle of the Urban Search and Rescue Group;
311-72: SLRp VW T4, the auxillary vehicle of the Group (soon to be replaced);
311-80: SW-5000 Star 266, 6x6 hose laying unit;
311-90: SLOp Ford Focus, the unit commander’s car;
311-91: SLRr VW T4, a general purpose transport van (soon to be replaced);
The Urban Search and Rescue Group is also going to receive 2 quads towards the end of 2007.
The picture was taken in the backyard of station 11 on 17.08.2007, during an official rally of www.ratownictwo.org.pl (Ratownictwo.Galeria) users. One of RG users is in the picture, wearing a ‘comfortable’ heat-resistant suit.
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The above description would not have been stuffed with so much detail if it wasn’t for the help of my dear friend from Warsaw, Mateusz Czajkowski. Information from the vehicle descriptions by Norbet Klekotko (greetings, my Nurnberg friend!) was also very, very helpful.
Picture added on 02 November 2007
![311[W]35 – GCPr – Jelcz – Warsaw, Poland](http://fire-engine-photos.com.s3.amazonaws.com/4404.jpg)
I really enjoyed all the information that you have written - especially as we seldom see Dry Chemical Trucks outside of air-ports.
Keep up the good work. Regards, from Canada, Pat_R-B
Added by Pat Rivers-Bowerman on 20 September 2008.