Super Vac is a name for A one-stop shop for all ventilation needs. They are the world’s leading ventilation equipment manufacturer for firefighting and industrial applications, providing industry-specific equipment and the widest lineup of positive and negative pressure ventilation fans, spanning from 8- to 80- inch blades, including the revolutionary Super Vac battery fan that works with DeWalt, Milwaukee or HURST. Ventilation is where we begin, quality is Super Vac’s lasting legacy.
Super Vac name, synonymous with firefighter ventilation was established in the early 1930s. With nearly 90 years of innovations in firefighting tools and equipment, Super Vac offers a wide array of fire ventilation fans, starting with our 8” fan ideal for confined spaces to our 80” fan for large-scale operations. Powered by battery, electric, gasoline, hydraulics or pneumatics, Super Vac prides itself on delivering true versatility to departments’ ventilation operations and offers a number of other firefighter tools that further enhance conditions. Our ventilation saws and smoke curtains help control airflow, while select accessories create light, foam, mist and even heat to aid in crews’ rescue efforts. Our products by category include:
Positive Pressure Ventilation
Super Vac delivers the world’s largest lineup of positive pressure ventilation fans, from our 8” confined space fan to our 80” large-scale PPV Fan in a variety of power options – battery, electric, gasoline or hydraulics. These fans are specially designed to use positive airflow to remove heat, smoke and products of combustion from a structure on a fire scene. Among these single- and variable- speed fans, you will find the Valor Series with its lightweight aluminum roll-cage design or the 7-series in its tried-and-true steel-frame design.
egative Pressure Ventilation
The Super Vac Smoke Ejector provides a versatile ventilation option. The box-shaped fan pulls smoke from a structure using negative pressure, working best when leveraging natural airflow. These smoke ventilation fans also can be flipped around for positive pressure tactics. Super Vac’s Smoke Ejector features a one-piece cast aluminum blade that creates a spiral of air to eject smoke and fumes away from the building. This aluminum blade design holds up better than plastic in high heat.
Confined Space Rescue Equipment
Super Vac offers an array of confined space fans, from the 8” Nano to our F Series lineup of durable confined space blowers. We add a lineup of standard spiral ducts, hazardous location ducts and a patent-pending inherently-arc and flame-resistant fabric duct, along with Super Vac’s manhole adapter, to round out all of your confined space ventilation equipment essentials.
Premium Rescue Saws
Super Vac’s lineup of Rescue Saws was engineered to tackle a variety of firefighting operations. From light-duty battery-powered Chainsaw conversion kits, perfect for RIT or overhaul applications, to our gas-powered Chainsaws and Cutoff Saws, designed specifically for fire roof ventilation cuts, Super Vac makes the cut with this lineup of ventilation saws.
VERSATILITY IN VENTILATION
When it comes to fire ventilation tactics, there’s no one-size-fits-all strategy — simply because there’s no one-size-fits-all fire. Every fire ground is different. Compound that with the ever-changing dynamics of the structures being protected — building size, room geometry, interior contents and construction materials — and it’s no wonder organizations like UL, NIST and others continue to devote resources to enhance firefighters’ ongoing understanding of fire ventilation. For that reason, this article isn’t about tactics but rather the tools that departments can pack into their tactical toolbox — all in preparation for whatever scenario may present itself.
PICKING THE PERFECT FAN
It’s fair to say that choosing the right ventilation can be daunting because there’s a wide array of fan variations that can be paired with different fire scenes. Do you want to pull smoke from a structure using a negative pressure smoke ejector, or does your department prefer positive pressure tactics? What size of fan do you need? Even that varies greatly, from the smallest 20cm confined space fan to the industry’s largest PPV — a 200cm behemoth that produces more than 1,250,000 cubic meter of airflow per hour, ideal for ventilating tunnels, airports, and other large structures. How do you want to power your fan? Petrol, electric, water or battery? Do you need the fan to be rated for Class 1 Group D hazardous locations?
These are all good questions to ask yourself. The best way to answer these questions is to look at the majority of structures you need to protect and consider how you may need to ventilate them. And while it all starts with evaluating the structures within your jurisdiction, you’ll also want to weigh in setup because it will impact your crew’s response time. Remember, fan size and power source can play a big part in whether it’s the right fan for that specific scene.
TAKING BATTERY TECHNOLOGY INTO ACCOUNT
So, let’s talk about power source. The latest innovations in ventilation have come in the form of battery-powered fans with lithium-ion battery technology becoming growingly reliable in recent years. Not only have runtimes increased to more than 30 minutes, but the output of these fans continues to improve with these PPVs pushing more than 15,000 cmh. For a consistent comparison of airflows, we recommend looking at manufacturers who back their numbers with independently certified airflows. AMCA, the Air Movement Control Association, is one of these third-party resources. In fact, AMCA publishes a list of certified products and airflows at bit.ly/PPV-AMCA-certification.
But let’s get back to that tactical toolbox. Many departments are beginning to equip their first-response units with battery fans because these PPVs allow for rapid deployment. Not only are many of these fans lightweight (some weighing as little as 18 kg), but select models are equipped with rubber wheels and ergonomic handles that make it easier to maneuver these fans, and with 180-degree tilt, crews can vary their angle of attack, even directing airflow at an attic or a manhole.
But that’s not the only thing that excites departments about these PPVs. Super Vac has introduced its new variable-speed battery fan, powered by DeWalt, Milwaukee, Makita and other battery platforms. Not only do these new fans help simplify battery purchasing within departments, but these fans run off the same batteries as DeWalt’s FLEXVOLT lineup of 180-plus tools, while the Milwaukee platform pairs with a wide array of M18 or M28 tools and with Makita’s XGT new battery platform. This battery interchangeability allows departments to stock their tactical toolbox with rescue tools that literally work together. And it’s this shift that has departments rethinking compartment organization when they’re designing a new truck, devoting entire cargo slides and cargo boxes to these battery tools.
Tack on the fact that battery fans produce no emissions or cancer-causing agents while rapidly ventilating structures of airborne toxins during post knockdown, and you can see why battery technology is growing in popularity. Even the International Firefighter Cancer Foundation has begun to make a push to combine PPV + PPE to help prevent cancer in fire departments.
ADDING IN TACTICAL ACCESSORIES
Fans are variable for all the reasons above, but when you add in the many accessories that complement this diverse lineup, ventilation can get even more versatile. For instance, some accessories can help you further direct the airflow when the fire ground calls for it. Different fan guard fronts give crews the ability to adjust fan-entryway setback, while a door bar / hanger kit allows the fan to be mounted in a doorway to elevate airflow. Smoke curtains can be used to help control oxygen while maintaining door control and mitigating smoke damage, and spiral ducts are perfect for helping move large quantities of air into hard-to-reach places, like confined spaces.
Meanwhile, other fan accessories convert airflow into other products, like mist or foam. Consider buying a mister, which attaches to the outlet guard, often by industrial magnets, to convert any fan into a rehabilitation cooling unit. Need high-expansion foam for tough extinguishments found at a mining operations, ship-hold areas, or scenes with flammable liquids ? You can find attachments for that, too.
In the end, it’s these variables that will help you fill your tactical toolbox. You may not need all of these tools, but the options are definitely there for when the situation demands it.
Super Vac’s Ventilation equipment is sold in India through their distributor :
Sarvamangala Industries
e: smangala_ind@hotmail.com, sarvamangalaind@gmail.com, www.si-fire.com
