OPEN SOURCE Fire engines et al

[Joe FShield+]

Hello, as a researcher I have a large scope on both ideas and different aproaches to problems, and recently I have been focusing on Open Souce hardware as a budget and future cost prevention measure, and also as a way to develop something state of the art but flexible and the can be "fixed" easily in house.

My question to all is - Can the open source concept be applied to firefighting equipment? (just like its been used for other areas like "os car Wikispeed" etc)

Does anyone know of any similar project in development?

My vision is a modular advanced vehicle (from a fire engine to an ambulance and all else in between) with all the standart capabilities at half the cost of purchase, upgradable, modifiable and above all safe (some recent fiber composits are promising high temp endurance and mechanical resistance) and maintanable with the assets available (be it the knowledge of the various people that compose a fire house, but also the specialised technical personnel that they employ or outsource)

Would this be something the community would benefit of or are the commercial solutions somehow still the only option?

If there is viability and interest I'd very much like to propose the development of a solution for this as a fully funded project.

Let me know what you all think ___Joe

PS: Check this out to see the OS concept applied to other areas:

Main Page - Open Source Ecology

Marcin Jakubowski: Open-sourced blueprints for civilization | Video on TED.com

just think fire truck instead of tractor.

[Miller337]

Good luck.