Firemen depend on their trucks to getthem out of the firehouse fast during an emergency. That means firing up the engines and putting the pedal to the metal.

ON CALL: A fire truck awaits the next call, outfitted with PlymoVents system for capturing vehicle exhaust indoors.

PlymoVent’s “Vehicle Exhaust Removal Systems” help them breathe easier. A flexible hose couples to the vehicle’s tailpipe and leads to a fan and filter system. The hose is suspended on overhead aluminum rails, allowing the system to travel with the vehicle.

When the fire truck speeds out the front door, the coupling automatically disengages.

The system is also important as the truck returns to the firehouse – no need to inhale those fumes while the truck enters into the fire house – and during routine maintenance

when the engine must run. Particulate matter from the diesel exhaust also finds its way into equipment and clothing, even breaking down the flame-retardant coating on firemen’s protective outfits.

ON CALL: A fire truck awaits the next call, outfitted with PlymoVents system for capturing vehicle exhaust indoors.

PlymoVent has more than 32,000 installations in the US and describes the company as the number one supplier of these systems in the firehouse market. The company also sells systems globally through headquarters in Sweden.

“Regulations are becoming tighter on air quality and worker protection,” says Lars Fritz, president and CEO of PlymoVent inthe US. “Diesel exhaust is definitely carcinogenic, and the large engines on modern fire trucks push out a lot of exhaust. Our question was, ‘Why let the pollution get in the working environment air to begin with?

SUPPORT: Aluminum extrusions from Hydro bears the weight of the exhaust capture system while allowing the hose to travel with the vehicle exiting the building.

The only way to safely capture 100 percent is at the source of emission.’

SUPPORT: Aluminum extrusions from Hydro bears the weight of the exhaust capture system while allowing the hose to travel with the vehicle exiting the building.

“And, by the way, they call them fire houses, not fire stations – firemen sleep there, too.

A source capture system also saves energy, because you’re not sucking heat – or air-conditioning – out of the building as with conventional ventilation.”

To meet demands for strength and mobility, PlymoVent uses aluminum extrusions from Hydro for the overhead track-and-rail ystem.

“The tracks must have the right strength and tolerance. If the track is too tight, the system will bind; if it’s too loose, equipment could fall down,” Fritz says.

“We like working with a serious player like Hydro Aluminum, who’s in it for the long run and who can help us develop the product further.