When I first heard the word Snozzle, used to name a type of fire truck tool if you will, I thought it was a pretty cool idea. Just think about it: It is an articulating boom (Snorkel, for those of us who still remember their operation), with a piercing nozzle at the end of the boom. It seemed pretty simple to me. It has been used primarily on aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) vehicles and some fire apparatus chassis.

The product was previously manufactured by Crash Rescue Equipment, located in Dallas, Texas for a great many years.

In 2011, Oshkosh purchased the product line from Crash Rescue Equipment and made it exclusively available on Oshkosh ARFF vehicles and fire apparatus from Pierce.

To give you a little background on this unique tool, the Snozzle, or high reach extendable turret (HRET) is available with a piercing nozzle that can enter an aircraft’s cabin, cargo compartment, or other area and have a direct impact on a fire.

The lightweight, highly flexible extendable turret is able to operate as an elevated water tower through a doorway or over a wing exit without endangering firefighters. The product’s patented ability to shoot a full master stream at ground level allows for quick and effective cooling of burning aircraft tires and hot brakes. In addition, the Snozzle will reach down at or below grade where it can successfully employ the “seat of the fire” method of attacking a fuel spill fire.

The Snozzle is available in either 50- or 65-inch boom lengths with single- or dual-nozzle capabilities. You can also outfit it with a tip mounted FLIR that can be used to pinpoint a fire’s location.

If purchasing the new firefighting tool wasn’t enough for Oshkosh, four years later its engineers have enhanced the product with a new electronic-control system. The system was integrated into the chassis controller area (CAN) primarily for enhanced trouble shooting, easier servicing, and enhanced reliability

The hardened carbide steel tip features an updated hydraulic rotary actuator, an increase range of motion (up to 280 degrees), longer piercing depth, and a decreased overall width for better visibility. Inside the cab, a new control module feature simplifies operator controls and provides smoother operation.

Since the Snozzle product line was purchase in 2011, it has started to appear on some different Pierce chassis and used in some big cities and suburban fire departments around the country. (SeeFireRescue magazine, November 2013)

It should be interesting to see how this product line evolves and expands in the near future.