Filed under: Chevrolet
Only in Dubai: Corvette fire fighter
Dubai is fast gaining a reputation as the "Vegas of the Middle East" because of its impressive rate of development and sometimes crazy amounts of money thrown at government projects.
This time, the city's Civil Defence department has acquired a Corvette to help fight fires by being able to attend to them more quickly than ordinary vehicles. Brigadier Rashid Thani Al Matroushi, Director of Dubai Civil Defence goes on to explain that due to the Corvette's speed, the car can get vital rescue equipment to the scene of the fire, and in the case of people being trapped in cars, can help remove them.
The article doesn't go into much detail about the "special equipment" the 'Wette is fitted with, but it does mention a portable fire extinguisher, hydraulic equipment and first aid kits.
One of the primary reasons behind its development is that the distance between fire stations and accident scenes are larger than normal, so it makes sense to have a fast first response vehicle. It took a team of four people two months to develop.
It's also the latest GM product to be adapted for civil use by the Dubai authorities. Previously they've used a Hummer H2 and a fleet of Chevy Tahoes.
Thanks to Cataen for the tip!
[Source: Gulf News]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
lubyc 10:12AM (9/13/2007)
what exactly does that ugly wing do to fight fires?
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Andre 9:24AM (8/11/2008)
spot on spot on lubyc
camerazn 11:38PM (9/13/2007)
Downforce, my friend. Unlike your neighbor's civic, the 'vette actually needs it.
Preston M 10:15AM (9/13/2007)
Hummer H2 a.k.a. Tahoe with a sock in its pants.
Good read, i would risk dieing if someone would pick me up in a vette.
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Avinash machado 10:18AM (9/13/2007)
Well gas is quite cheap there so running costs won't be much.
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Alex Nunez 10:20AM (9/13/2007)
Anyone else amused by those push bars?
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felipe 10:32AM (9/13/2007)
first thing i noticed. it would look stupid pushing any car... maybe it's used for crowd control?!?
is there a big ass trailer hitch also in case it needs to tow the water truck?
still if i was a fire fighter, i'd be screaming "hell yea!"
Johnnie 10:22AM (9/13/2007)
I just hope the roof doesn't fall off on the way to a big fire. That would suck.
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MKIV 2:49PM (9/13/2007)
LOL, ya imagine that! Especially with the heat in that part of the world.
Quattroporte 10:23AM (9/13/2007)
Better a Vette than an R8.
http://www.autoblog.com/2007/09/02/so-sad-audi-r8-mysteriously-burns/
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John P. 10:58AM (9/13/2007)
other than the crappy 1970's style paintjob, I think it's cool.
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Kowell 11:05AM (9/13/2007)
Better pray that it's no big fire caus you shure won't fit more than 1 or 2 fire extinguishers in there....
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Paul 12:27PM (9/13/2007)
This is not a new idea. Hurst built an AMC Gremlin rescue vehicle in 1972, it carried a Hurst Jaws of Life unit, and had push bumpers like the Dubai vette.
Here is a website with photos, found via Google.
www.arcticboy.com
Click on the picture of the Gremlin, then scroll down.
Paul
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Level 1:00PM (9/13/2007)
Dubai is a rich a$$ country
You know what the police drive over there?
VW GTI's and BMW 5 series
http://www.nickspics.net/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=32184&g2_serialNumber=2
http://www.highmotor.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/11/dubai-police-r32-01.jpg
Plus the fleet of Benz their police dept received
http://www.ameinfo.com/114683.html
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Ken 2:58PM (9/13/2007)
Uhhh, lets make a list of fast cars that would be 100x better for the job:
-E63 AMG wagon
-S4 Avant
-Turbo Subaru wagon
-Porsche Cayenne
-BMW X5
They are big, fast, and stable. You can fit 4 people + tons of gear in them.
At the most, a rescue responder is going to go 100 MPH (nobody is stupid enough to respond to an accident at 150 MPH, it would be very unsafe for the driver and everyone else), and there are a lot of cars that can easily and safely do this.
Even in the USA, a Dodge Magnum with the Hemi would be perfect for this. Easily able to go 100 MPH and room for lots of gear.
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Mr. Oak 3:55PM (9/13/2007)
One Question: What are they going to use to rescue the under-skilled clown that wrecks the rescue 'Vette? You know it's bound to happen.
Have been trying to determine if it is a Z06. All of that junk on the front makes it difficult to see.
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hamelray 7:18PM (9/13/2007)
Looks like some sheik's cousin's son just became a firefighter.
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Al 11:19PM (9/13/2007)
I always thought those people in Dubai has too many dollars and not enough sense. This proves it. This has got to be the most stupid idea I've heard of. How many extinguishers and first aid packs will you fit in that thing? It'll probably kill more people getting to the scene than it would save.
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Mustang2005cs 12:22AM (9/14/2007)
Arson levels in Dubai have just increased.
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SPG 5:51PM (9/20/2007)
Even I hate me for the below comment.
Would a sported up SUV not make more sense?
Somthing like a Grand Cherokee or 4Runner with some firmer shocks and maybe even a supercharger.
Not the SRT-8, it's so sweet but not an off roader.
My thought is that somthing with lots of cargo room and ground clearence that can go fast makes more sense.
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