Fire Engines Photos

The Cobra cold cutter is quite widespread in Scandinavia - but not really elsewhere - so it is interesting to see this installation now on a new Swiss pumper. Perhaps it will become widespread in Europe, but it does seem to be evolving rather slowly. The idea of cutting a hole in a wall ( or a door or roof ) and then shooting a high pressure jet through the hole is not entirely new, but the Cobra method is a rather recent idea. It certainly helps to avoid having crew members entering the structure prematurely, but it does rely on getting the penetration in the right place to be fully effective. Using it in combination with a TIC does of course help, but it seems some brigades are still having problems getting it right.

On the other hand CAFS is rapidly becoming a standard feature of both structural and off road pumpers, even in big cities like Berlin and Paris with great municipal water systems. The advantages of lighter hoses, quicker knockdown and less water damage are all persuasive, and new technology and automation have made operational application much easier for pump operators. On some newer systems, they can choose the fire category, press a button and the computer will calculate solution dosage and expansion ratios.

Added by Rob Johnson on 29 August 2026.

good to see a UK bodybuilder winning contracts on the Continent

Added by Petros on 30 August 2026.

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