Inside the ACT’s new Volvo FL 4×4 bushfire tankers

By Chris Smith

Two 16-tonne Volvo FL 4×4 heavy tankers have entered service with the ACT Rural Fire Service with Australian-built bodies, 4,000-litre water tanks and upgraded protection for volunteer firefighting crews.

The ACT Government described the trucks as the first of their kind in Australia when announcing them ahead of the 2026–27 bushfire season.

Volvo FL 4×4 chassis and Australian-built bodies

Both appliances are built on 2025 Volvo FL 4×4 two-axle chassis fitted with inline six-cylinder, 7.7-litre turbo-diesel engines. Each has a stated gross vehicle mass (GVM) of 16,000kg, a four-door crew cab and accommodation for five firefighters.

The ACT Emergency Services Agency (ESA) says the tanker bodies were designed and manufactured in Sydney by Alexander Perrie & Co. Pty Ltd.

Each vehicle carries 4,000 litres of water, with a Firetail pumping system and a bull bar-mounted water monitor among the equipment detailed by the ACT Emergency Services Agency.

Protection for crews working close to bushfires

The agency said enhanced crew-protection provisions include spray systems around and above the cabin, over the pump area and around the wheels. It also described changes intended to improve protection of vulnerable components, including fuel tanks and underbody equipment, against radiant heat.

The protection features are intended to improve crew safety in difficult conditions; they do not guarantee safety in every bushfire scenario.

New control system and future technology

The ESA said the new design features a CAM (Control and Monitoring) system, integrating vehicle monitoring with operational functions to assist crews with usability and situational awareness. The Firetail pump system is also intended to simplify operation.

The design is expected to form the basis of future ACT Rural Fire Service tanker replacements. Future builds may also incorporate the Hypersight vehicle-mounted thermal-imaging camera system.

Procurement and future fleet plans

The two tankers were funded through the ACT Government’s Vehicle Replacement Program as part of the 2025–26 ACT Budget. The ESA says the procurement value is commercial-in-confidence.

ACT Rural Fire Service Chief Officer Rohan Scott said the new appliances would help volunteers carry out their work more safely and effectively as bushfire season approached.

For Australian truck and equipment suppliers, the story is as much about the local engineering package as the vehicle badge: an imported 4×4 chassis coupled with Australian body manufacturing and a firefighting-specific systems integration package.

Featured image: ACT Rural Fire Service Guises Creek Brigade Captain Christopher Barnes with one of the new heavy tankers. Photo: ACT Government.