Only a month before completion, a seven-storey housing development in Mount Gravatt (QLD) found itself in limbo, when the developer realised that a crucial fire protection solution had been overlooked. In hot pursuit of a fire pumpset with a short lead time, suppliers across Australia were quickly contacted, with Kelair Pumps Australia found to have the fastest delivery time of an AS2941-2008 standard Fire Hydrant Pumpset.
"Normally a fire pump would take around four weeks to build, test and dispatch due to lead times of various parts," said Paul Hodgkinson, Building and Fire Sales Manager QLD, Kelair.
"But now that these pumpsets are in-stock, clients can have them delivered in approximately 5 days."
Typically, the size, cost and volume of Fire Hydrant Pumpsets prevent suppliers from being able to keep them in-stock.
However, recent changes to the Kelair workshop have led to an increase in production efficiencies.
"By producing in volume and refining manufacturing processes to result in reductions in labour times, we have managed to gain good cost reductions to build each pumpset," said Mr Hodgkinson. "The greatest thing about this is that we are now able to pass these savings onto our customers."
Benefits of a short lead time
Shorter lead times provide a range of benefits to both the customer and supplier, and according to Mr Hodgkinson, Kelair is proud to be able to have their branded Fire Pumpsets on the shelf and ready to go.
"In the case of the development at Mount Gravatt, our short lead time of the product meant that the developer was able to begin gaining building approvals from the Fire Brigade and Council sooner rather than later," said Mr Hodgkinson.
"This reduced the project downtime and saved the company from large losses in revenue."
As well as this, being able to provide increased speed in supply, the team at Kelair have been able to forge closer bonds with their clients.
"The short lead times mean that we are in contact with our clients much faster and more frequently, and are able to develop a greater rapport with them. Overall it's a fantastic new addition to the Kelair service," said Mr Hodgkinson.
The build
Kelair's Diesel Fire Hydrant Pumpsets are built in Kelair's Sydney factory, with certain parts such as the control panels, made especially for Kelair.
A range of additional components are also available in-stock, and can accommodate for any slight modifications required.
Every Diesel Hydrant Pumpset is tested as a completed assembly to the requirements of AS2417 Grade 2 and AS2941. This includes a 90 minute full load test ensuring full compliance, reliability and peace of mind.
Once the test comes up satisfactorily, the pumpset is ready to go.
For more information on the Kelair Diesel Fire Hydrant Pumpsets please contact
Paul Hodgkinson on 0404 467 196 (QLD division) or your local office on 1300 789 466.
View the Diesel Hydrant Pumpsets Brochure here (PDF)
