Acela Truck Company now offers a new solution for fleets that operate in a flood-prone area and needs purpose-built flood rescue vehicles.  

The frequency of river and coastal flooding events, the leading cause of disaster or weather-related deaths in the United States, is increasing dramatically. The 2017 Hurricane Harvey was Houston’s third “500-year” flooding event in only the last few years, yet flood waters continue to stop most first responders in their tracks due to lack of proper equipment to adequately provide assistance and safely protect responders.

To address these growing challenges, Acela Truck Company, a manufacturer of extreme-duty, commercial truck chassis, recently introduced specialized high-water rescue and response trucks to its line of Monterra 4x4 and 6x6 high-mobility truck chassis. 

With 47-inch tires, 23 inches of ground clearance, an all-wheel-drive drivetrain, waterproof alternator, and starter and proprietary fording kit, Acela’s specialized flood rescue variants are capable of fording 50 inches of water while safely carrying up to 20 seated passengers (including the driver) with ample room and payload for pets, personal property or rescue gear.  Monterras are additionally capable of safely responding at top highway speeds of 74 mph making them perfectly suitable for a long-distance response.

The Acela Monterra line of trucks was originally designed for U.S. Army use and are considered to be the most capable wheeled vehicles available in North America. In addition to flood rescue operations, Monterra flood rescue trucks can be used for virtually any disaster response such as tornados and earthquakes, easily traveling over or through large debris, or double as superb brush/wildland fire engines, Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) support vehicles, cargo haulers, and SAR/SWAT team troop carriers, in rural and urban environments. 

Monterras come standard with a bumper to bumper parts and labor warranty. Popular options include warning and scene lighting packages, rescue boat transport capabilities, rain tarps, crew intercom systems, drone technology, and more.

Acela’s flood rescue vehicle retail pricing starts at $99,000 for the 4x4 flood rescue truck and is available with agency discounts from Acela directly and through select fire apparatus dealers.