Firestone Tyre Takes Top Honours in Emergency Services Test

Emergency, rescue and police vehicles often participate in jobs where lives are at stake. Therefore they require a tyre that delivers top performance while offering durability and dependability. In the US, specialist magazine Police Fleet Manager rated a number of tyres for their suitability, and Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations (BATO) reports that its Firestone Firehawk GT Pursuit was shown to be "the best tyre for this demanding job." The Firehawk GT Pursuit was rated top overall tyre and secured top position in wet-oriented performance.

“We knew the Firehawk GT Pursuit was a great tyre, and the results of this test further reinforce our belief with solid facts,” said Phil Pacsi, BATO’s vice president, Consumer Marketing, US & Canada Consumer Tire Sales division. “We’re excited about the Firehawk’s excellent performance. To rank first overall, when put through the real-world conditions pursuit vehicles face every day, offers real-world data first responders can depend on.”

Testers at Tire Rack partnered with Police Fleet Manager to evaluate original equipment and aftermarket pursuit tyres in several categories: ABS braking on dry pavement, ABS braking on wet pavement, vehicle dynamics on a dry road course and vehicle dynamics on a wet road course. For each of these objective, instrument-measured areas of performance, each test driver was asked to complete a subjective impression assessment for each tyre. All tyres were tested on a wet and dry road course at Tire Rack headquarters in South Bend, Indiana. Designed with 180- and 90-degree turns, short straights, cone slalom series and static circles, the tyres were tested in the real-life conditions which drivers of police and emergency vehicles are often forced to face when on the job.

Overall results, in which the Firehawk GT Pursuit ranked first were based on all four objective measurements plus all four subjective impressions, as well as wet and dry results. Tyre rankings were also equally weighed between various sub-categories of performance, including tyre response in slalom, tyre cornering around static circle, braking distances and total lap times.

In addition to leading the competition as Police Fleet Manager’s “clear, stand-alone overall winner of the 2009 test,” the Firestone Firehawk GT Pursuit took top rankings in the objective measurements of wet slalom speeds (transient response) and wet stopping distances. The Firehawk GT Pursuit also placed first in the subjective driver assessment ratings of wet steering response and wet braking traction.

The Firestone Firehawk GT Pursuit is specifically designed for law enforcement use and to withstand the demands of high-speed emergency situations. The tyre combines wet and dry handling with an emphasis on quick steering response.