Over the last few years a different kind of truck has been gaining popularity. Termed “High Water Flood Rescue” or “High Water Rescue”, these trucks have surfaced with fording capabilities and on / off road maneuverability with either 4×4 or 6×6 drive.

One such company, Acela Truck Company explains their Acela Monterra like this:

With 46-inch tires, 23 inches of ground clearance, an all-wheel-drive drivetrain, waterproof alternator and starter and proprietary water fording capabilities, the Acela Monterra’s specialized flood rescue variants are capable of fording 50 inches of water while safely carrying up to 20 seated passengers with ample room, payload and securements for wheelchairs, stretchers, personal property or rescue gear along with liftgates and canopies. The Acela Monterra line of trucks are also capable of safely responding at top highway speeds of 74 MPH, making them perfectly suitable for long-distance response.

Acela’s high water flood rescue truck products were inspired by company president, David Ronsen, a retired firefighter who spent many years as a field-deployed FEMA operations attaché, responding to dozens of catastrophic flooding events.

I know first-hand how frustrating it is for local fire, law enforcement, EMS, EMA and Search and Rescue (SAR) agencies to be faced with the challenges of having to rescue thousands of their customers without proper flood rescue equipment, says Ronsen. Our product design team committed to designing an incredibly capable new tool for first responders to reliably and safely impact hundreds of people a day … the result is a true game-changer.

The Acela Monterra line of trucks were 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 trucks can be used for multiple disaster response scenarios, including tornados and earthquakes, easily traveling over or through large debris. They are also commonly used for brush and 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. Additional options include warning and scene lighting packages, rescue boat transport capabilities, rain tarps, crew intercom systems and drone technology.