WATERAX with New Brunswick Natural Resources ERD

by Gabriella Gerbasi

Another stop on Canada’s beautiful east coast! We’re in Fredericton, meeting up with the New Brunswick Natural Resources, Department of Energy and Resource Development, at the Kingsley Tree Nursery. It’s been a valuable learning experience for both WATERAX and the 22 demo attendees whose initial reaction to the new MARK-3® WATSON Edition was summed up in 2 words: “really slick!”

Dropping weight, not performance

For personnel on the fire line, equipment weight is a big deal. Attendees found a “huge difference” between the weight of the MARK-3® pump-end vs the WATSON Edition pump-end.

No corrosion

WATERAX was able to cut weight by using engineered composite materials. There’s more good news: these materials also make galvanic corrosion impossible, which participants added is, "in itself, a huge, huge thing”.

Easier starting

As everyone took turns starting the new MARK-3® WATSON Edition, we were told, ''wow, it's a lot easier to start, too!'' We were reminded by firefighters that—especially at the end of a long day—a lot of people don't have 7 pulls in them and that having the right tools means making intelligent use of a firefighter’s energies.

MARK-3® … what was there to improve?

Participants told us that when they’d received the invitation to our presentation, they’d discussed among themselves, ''what do you want to improve on a MARK-3?'' They thought it was already great and didn't know how you could improve it!

But, with the demonstration over, one attendee explained, "I was around when the first MARK-3 pump came out, I'd say it’s about time that we evolved. The WATSON looks like the MARK-3 but you took it a step further.”

Well said.

See you soon, NB

We’re going to be back in Fredericton in September for the Wildfire Lab at the Maritime College of Forestry. It’s going to be a great opportunity to showcase the MARK-3® WATSON Edition to 60 students, future firefighters and people who will be key employees in forestry jobs—these young people will be the ones keeping us safe from the destruction of wildland fires!