Model 1 Wildland Apparatus
Built for the work beyond the pavement.
The Ridgehound Model 1 is a purpose-built wildland apparatus platform for departments operating in hard terrain, limited-access environments, and demanding fireground conditions.
Built on Ford F-550 or Ram 5500 4x4 chassis, the Model 1 integrates water, pump capability, storage, mobility, crew access, and fire-service systems into one coordinated apparatus. It is engineered from the ground up around the work it is expected to perform.
From local initial attack and WUI protection to rural response, extended wildfire deployment, rescue support, and all-risk assignments, the Model 1 gives departments a proven platform to build around their mission.
Purpose-Built For Wildland Response
The Model 1 is designed around the realities of wildland operations: uneven terrain, remote access, long operational periods, limited staffing, evolving incident conditions, and the need to carry the right equipment without compromising usable payload or crew access.
Its all aluminum body is purpose-built for fire service, with integrated compartments, pump area, hose storage, upper storage, equipment-mounting provisions, access steps, and bodywork designed to work together as one system.
The goal is simple: deliver meaningful fire-service capability in a compact, mobile apparatus that is ready to work on day one.
Model 1 wildland
Departments do not all use a wildland apparatus the same way. A unit intended for tight-access initial attack has different needs than one assigned to rural response, Type 5 deployment, WUI protection, rescue support, or extended wildfire operations.
The Model 1 is configurable through a structured platform that lets departments select the systems and layout that matter most to their operation:
- 300 / 400 / 500 water tank capacity layouts
- Pump, foam, reel, and discharge configuration
- Standard, Condensed, or mission-specific deck arrangements
- Storage, drawers, trays, upper coffins, baskets, and equipment areas
- Mobility, suspension, tire, recovery, and winch packages
- Lighting, warning, scene-lighting, and electrical systems
- Department-specific loose equipment, paint, graphics, and operational details
a platform built around the mission
The Model 1 gives departments the ability to build meaningful capability into a compact, purpose-built wildland apparatus.
Water capacity, pump and foam systems, preconnects, reels, storage, upper-body options, recovery equipment, lighting, and mission-specific accessories can all be selected around the way your department responds. Whether the priority is initial attack, WUI protection, rural response, state mobilization, rescue support, or a broader all-risk role, the Model 1 provides the flexibility to create an apparatus that fits the operation.
Every configuration begins with a proven Ridgehound platform—then is tailored around the equipment, capability, and response needs that matter most to your crew.
Integrated Fire Service Systems
The suppression system is the working center of the Model 1. Ridgehound builds each apparatus around proven fire-service components, accessible controls, stainless-steel plumbing, and practical service access.
Available Darley diesel and gasoline pump systems provide dependable performance in a compact, serviceable installation. Trident FoamMate and FoamPro Class A foam systems add capability for departments that need improved water effectiveness and operational flexibility.
Stainless plumbing, Akron components, discharging options, suction connections, reels, preconnects, and hose storage are configured around the chosen apparatus layout and the way the crew needs to deploy water.
The emphasis is simple: reliable operation, intuitive controls, and systems ready to work when the crew needs them.
DESIGNED WITH YOU. VISUALIZED BEFORE IT IS BUILT.
Every Model 1 begins with a conversation about how your department responds, the terrain you operate in, the equipment you carry, and the capability you need from the apparatus.
From there, the Ridgehound team develops the configuration through detailed engineering, customer review, and visual planning tools. Departments can see the apparatus take shape through drawings, layouts, specifications, and 3D visualizations—making it easier to understand the configuration, evaluate equipment placement, and refine the details before production begins.
This process gives your team a clearer picture of the finished apparatus from the start. It also creates the opportunity to make informed decisions as the design develops, ensuring the final Model 1 is functional, intentional, and built around your operation.
MOBILITY WITHOUT LOSING THE APPARATUS
The Model 1 begins with a commercial-duty 4x4 chassis foundation and is configured around the terrain, payload, response environment, and operating requirements of the department.
Available Ford F-550 4x4 and Ram 5500 4x4 chassis configurations provide the base for the apparatus. Depending on the build, mobility and protection packages can include single-rear-wheel conversion systems, off-road tires, suspension upgrades, recovery equipment, winches, brush protection, and mission-specific lighting.
These decisions are made alongside water capacity, equipment load, body configuration, and required fire-service systems—not after the fact. That is how the Model 1 maintains the balance between off-road capability and meaningful operational capacity.
Engineered for the Long Haul
The Model 1 is built with premium fire-service components selected for performance, durability, and long-term support. The same standard applies to the apparatus body, plumbing, electrical system, controls, lighting, and hardware.
Serviceability matters just as much as capability. Components are laid out with access in mind, systems are built to be understood, and the platform is supported by the Ridgehound team after delivery.
That approach gives departments more than an apparatus at delivery. It gives them a platform they can operate, maintain, and rely on for the long term.
Storage That Serves the Crew
Storage is not an afterthought on the Model 1. Equipment has to be secure, reachable, protected from the environment, and placed where it supports the way a crew actually works.
The integrated body provides flexible compartmentation, transverse storage, drawers, trays, hose boxes, upper coffins, baskets, and mission-specific equipment areas. From saws and hand tools to medical gear, progressive packs, suction hose, coolers, and rescue equipment, every area can be organized around the department’s response priorities.
The goal is not to create the longest option list. It is to create an apparatus where the right equipment is in the right place, and the crew can get to it quickly.
ELECTRICAL, WARNING, AND SCENE LIGHTING
The Model 1 uses a Whelen Core multiplex electrical system positioned for clear, intuitive operation. The result is a clean operator interface and an organized electrical architecture built for the way crews use the apparatus.
Behind the controls, each Model 1 is built around a standardized, purpose-designed harnessing approach. Electrical systems are planned, routed, protected, and printed or labeled for consistency, dependable operation, and practical troubleshooting throughout the life of the apparatus.
Emergency warning, scene lighting, and work lighting are configured around the department’s local requirements and intended use. Available systems include Whelen Liberty II warning bars, C399/CCTL7 CenCom control systems, and all-LED Whelen Duo lighthead options.
Work and scene lighting options—from Baja Designs S8 and LP7 lights to Diode Dynamics, Rigid, Whelen, HiViz, FRC, and ROM—allow departments to light the apparatus where it matters most: around the vehicle, at the pump area, during hose deployment, at equipment-access points, and throughout nighttime operations.
The focus is visibility where it counts: roadway safety, apparatus perimeter, pump operation, crew access, and confident work in difficult environments.
MODEL 1 PLATFORM & AVAILABLE SYSTEMS
The Model 1 is built from a proven wildland apparatus platform, then configured around the department’s response needs, equipment load, terrain, and operating priorities.
COMMERCIAL 4X4 CHASSIS & MOBILITY
Available Ford F-550 and Ram 5500 4x4 chassis foundations support a range of mobility, payload, and response requirements. Configurations can include single-rear-wheel conversions, off-road tire and suspension packages, brush protection, winches, recovery equipment, and mission-specific lighting.
HPI ALL-ALUMINUM APPARATUS BODY
The Model 1 uses our purpose-built HPI all-aluminum configurable apparatus body with integrated compartments, pump area, topside storage options, equipment-mounting provisions, access steps, and powder-coated finish options.
WATER CAPACITY & TANK CONFIGURATION
Available 300-, 400-, and 500-gallon poly water tanks allow departments to prioritize compact mobility, water capacity, pass-through storage, and equipment access. Every tank configuration is selected as part of the overall apparatus layout.
PUMP, FOAM & WATER-DELIVERY SYSTEMS
Darley diesel and gasoline pump system options, stainless-steel plumbing, Akron components, master-drain systems, suction, rear and officer-side discharges, preconnects, reels, and hose storage can be configured around the department’s preferred water-delivery approach. Available Trident FoamMate and FoamPro 1601 systems add Class A foam capability.
MISSION-DRIVEN STORAGE & EQUIPMENT ACCESS
L3/R3 compartmentation, transverse storage, drawers, slide trays, hose boxes, upper coffins, baskets, shelves, saw-storage solutions, tool tubes, and equipment-mounting areas can be arranged around the gear your crew carries and how it deploys it.
ELECTRICAL, WARNING & SCENE LIGHTING
Whelen Core multiplex electrical systems, etched backlit controls, warning packages, scene lighting, work lighting, and vehicle-specific electrical infrastructure are configured around local requirements and operational use. Available equipment can include Whelen Liberty II warning bars, CenCom control systems, Whelen lightheads, and lighting from Baja Designs, HiViz, ROM, and Whelen.
CUSTOM APPARATUS DETAILS
The Model 1 can be tailored with department-specific graphics, paint and powder-coat finishes, loose equipment, hose and nozzle packages, equipment mounts, storage solutions, and operational details that make the apparatus fit the department from the day it enters service.
ENGINEERING, VISUALIZATION & FACTORY SUPPORT
Each Model 1 is developed through detailed engineering, specifications, layouts, drawings, and 3D visualizations so departments can see the apparatus take shape before production begins. Ridgehound then builds, inspects, delivers, and supports the finished apparatus as one coordinated system.
A PROVEN PLATFORM. BUILT FOR YOUR DEPARTMENT.
The Model 1 combines purposeful design, meaningful configurability, proven components, and factory support in one highly capable wildland apparatus platform.
Tell us how your department responds, what terrain you operate in, and what the apparatus needs to accomplish. Ridgehound will help build the right Model 1 around it.