Moving Water to Wildland Fires

Pump manufacturer reaches remote areas with unit designed for ATVs

Posted on 08/02/2022

In 1898, Watson Jack & Co. was founded on a passion for producing portable fire pumps for forestry firefighters in demanding applications and rugged environments. Headquartered in Montréal, Québec, the company thrived under a variety of owners until it became WATERAX Inc. in 2010. But our mission has always been to place powerful, precision-engineered lightweight portable pumps into the hands of wildland firefighters to move water to protect our forests and communities from the ravages of wildfires.

With that in mind, WATERAX recently chose to update their RANCHER^® Series unit. Designed for use on small utility vehicles and ATVs, it’s ideal for attack line firefighting, park, and spot fire patrol or rapid intervention in remote areas.

As a product that has been on the market for 15 years, WATERAX recognized an opportunity to enhance the performance of the RANCHER Series with a new reel.

“We were using a garden application reel designed for 5⁄8-inch hoses, but we were actually working with a 3/4-inch hose, so there was room for improvement there,” said Raffaele Gerbasi, president of WATERAX.  

WATERAX worked closely with Hannay Reels, a company they’ve been collaborating with for years.

“When this discussion first began, we were gathered in a conference room paging through an old catalog of ours. A spread featured a 1950s truck and one of our very old pumps, but right next to that was a Hannay reel. It was a no-brainer to once again turn to our trusted partner for upgrading our RANCHER,” Gerbasi noted.

After a series of discussions and reviewing specifications, a custom-designed Series 1800 reel was selected as it fit seamlessly into the existing product and stayed in line with the other lightweight, affordable, and high-pressure pumps at WATERAX. Featuring a compact design, the reel was well suited for the performance requirements and rigors of forestry firefighting.

“By better accommodating a larger hose, we improved the flow rate and pressure, which enhanced our overall performance by 20–30%,” said Gerbasi. “Our sales grew the first year we launched it. When you’re supplying equipment for the pros, quality matters. And clearly, the quality of Hannay reels is much better.”

Throughout WATERAX’s history, it’s always been about setting the industry standard with products that last. Hannay Reels fits into that mission by offering “buy-it-once” quality reels for OEMs and professionals around the globe.

“We have a feeling that Hannay Reels will be featured in our catalogs for a very long time,” Gerbasi added.

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Industries: | Fire/Rescue

Applications: | Water Supply

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