As the Philippines marks Fire Prevention Month this March, the fire truck takes the center stage once more to highlight safety and the fire-fighting capability of the local fire station.
The good thing is we have a local company which can manufacture fire trucks at par with its international counterparts and has proven its mettle through the fire, quite literally.
In 1976, home-grown inventor Alfredo Anos Sr. established Anos Research Philippines to develop technologies that would help make daily living of the Filipinos more convenient.
Among his passion-driven creations include the award-winningmechanical inventions, such as wind power generator, boring device, blood plasma sheller, irrigation pump, and the Anos fire pump. The latter will become the core of a new product line, the Anos Fire Truck.
Regarded as the “Godfather of Filipino Inventors”, his breakthrough products won numerous accolades including 2 Presidential Awards and 2 gold medalsfrom Geneva-based United Nations Economic and Social Council affiliated World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
In 1994, the firm was renamed Anos Research Manufacturing, the company focused on designing, manufacturing, and patenting fire trucks utilizing its own trademark fire pump.
Its iconic model is the Penetrator, a fire truck capable of maneuvering through congested and narrow streets. Equipped with the Anos Fire Pump, it can attain NFPA-standard water discharge ratings of 500gpm @ 120psiwhile utilizing a smaller engine for efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
Another sought-after model is the Patriot, a model that was specifically designed for the Bureau of Fire Protection and is the most versatile model in the line-up. The Patriot utilizes the same Anos Fire Pump and can store up to 1,000 gallons of water.
The company also plans to tap previously untouched market, specifically the barangays and the private sector with its Light Responder, a model that is designed to be “light on its wheels” and light in your pockets.
“We build our own fire trucks inside out, top to bottom and outfitting each unit with the patented Anos technology and comes with a lifetime free-service warranty,aproof of our confidence in our products,” says ARM VP of Sales and Marketing Stephen Anthony Garcia.
He added that customers can be assured of prompt part replacementasthe truck’s components are locally sourced and manufactured indicating that every unit sold provides employment to almost 1,000 Filipino families.
The young executive pointed out that among the top qualities of the Anos fire truck is its flexibility for customization and compatibility with truck models preferred by customers.
ARM takes pride in being the world’s first manufacturer to design and create a multi-role 3-in-1 fire truck called the Anos Fire Ambulance and Rescue Vehicle (AFARV), it has1,000-gallons water capacity, a compressed air foam system (CAFS), a fully equipped ambulance cabin, and is decked with modern rescue equipment.
“For almost 30 years, we have sold over 540 brand new trucks to both government agencies, private entities, and volunteer fire brigades which reflect their faith in the global quality of Filipino ingenuity. Among our top clients include the Bureau of Fire Protection, the city governments of Muntinlupa, Lapu-Lapu, Zamboanga and Quezon City, the province of Camarines Sur, as well as Iglesia Ni Cristo, ABS-CBN and the Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority,” Garcia reveals.
As part of its diversification, the firm is expanding its product line-up to include fully equipped ambulances and soon, proprietary military vehicles for the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
“With nearly five decades of experience in proudly Filipino world-class technology, a growing list of satisfied customers, and vast potential for diversification, we can confidently say that Anos Research Manufacturing is indeed, a firetruck firm on fire,” Garcia concludes.