Fire truck chassis with power-conserving electric pump system

A method for operating electrically powered pumps of a firefighting apparatus having a movable fire truck chassis and a battery array movable with the movable fire truck chassis, the battery array being operatively connected to provide power for at least one component of the firefighting apparatus, the firefighting apparatus having a drive motor carried by the movable fire truck chassis and operatively connected to drive movement of the movable fire truck chassis, the drive motor being operatively connected to receive power from the battery array, and a pre-connect pump having a pre-connect inlet and a pre-connect outlet and being electrically powered by the battery array, the method comprising:

• operating a controller, the controller being operatively connected to the pre-connect pump having the pre-connect inlet and the pre-connect outlet, the controller controlling activation of the pre-connect pump under a standby condition selected to maintain the firefighting apparatus in a state of readiness to pump firefighting fluid, with the controller reducing a power-consumption rate of the pre-connect pump as compared to operating the pre-connect pump under an idle condition, while maintaining the standby condition, and with the standby condition requiring pumping by at least one of the electrically powered pumps for maintenance of the standby condition.