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A wildland fire truck engine emergency combustion oxygen supply apparatus for the prevention of stalling of the engine in an oxygen depleted environment. The apparatus has a storage tank mounted on the vehicle for the storage of oxygen, nitrous oxide, or air, a feed line fluidly connecting the stora

A wildland fire truck engine emergency combustion oxygen supply apparatus for the prevention of stalling of the engine in an oxygen depleted environment. The apparatus has a storage tank mounted on the vehicle for the storage of oxygen, nitrous oxide, or air, a feed line fluidly connecting the storage tank to the engine air intake, a feed valve, and a manual or automated feed valve actuator.

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What is claimed is: 1. Vehicle engine emergency combustion air supply apparatus for the prevention of stalling of the engine in an oxygen depleted environment, the engine having an engine air intake, the apparatus comprising: a) pressurized air storage tank mounted on the vehicle, the tank having a

What is claimed is: 1. Vehicle engine emergency combustion air supply apparatus for the prevention of stalling of the engine in an oxygen depleted environment, the engine having an engine air intake, the apparatus comprising: a) pressurized air storage tank mounted on the vehicle, the tank having a pressurized air storage capacity adequate for supplying all of the combustion air required by the engine for a selected escape period; b) feed line fluidly connecting the storage tank to the engine air intake; c) feed valve; and d) feed valve actuator in communication with the feed valve. 2. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the feed valve actuator comprises an automated feed valve actuator. 3. Apparatus as recited in claim 2 further comprising an ambient air oxygen sensor in communication with the automated feed valve actuator. 4. Apparatus as recited in claim 2 further comprising a feed flow rate sensor installed in the feed line, the feed flow rate sensor being in communication with the automated feed valve actuator. 5. Apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein the vehicle has an engine tachometer and the apparatus further comprises a tachometer link providing communication between the tachometer and the automated feed valve actuator. 6. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 further comprising a feed backflow preventor. 7. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the engine has an air filter housing with a filter air intake chamber, wherein the engine air intake is the filter air intake chamber, and wherein the feed line is fluidly connected to the filter air intake chamber. 8. Apparatus as recited in claim 7 further comprising a feed backflow flap for the filter air intake chamber. 9. Apparatus as recited in claim 7 further comprising feed line pressure activated feed backflow flap for the filter air intake chamber. 10. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the vehicle has an operator position and the feed valve actuator is a manual actuator switch affixed to the emergency vehicle in an actuator position readily accessible to an operator in the operator position. 11. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 further comprising a refill assembly. 12. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 further comprising an automated control system. 13. Vehicle engine emergency combustion air supply apparatus for the prevention of stalling of the engine in an oxygen depleted environment, the engine having an engine air intake, the apparatus comprising: a) one or more pressured air storage tanks mounted on the vehicle, the tanks having a total pressurized air storage capacity adequate for supplying all of the combustion air required by the engine for a selected escape period; b) one or more feed lines fluidly connecting the storage tanks to the engine air intake; c) one or more feed valves; and d) feed valve actuator in communication with the feed valves. 14. Apparatus as recited in claim 13 wherein the feed valve actuator comprises an automated feed valve actuator. 15. Apparatus as recited in claim 14 further comprising an ambient air oxygen sensor in communication with the automated feed valve actuator. 16. Apparatus as recited in claim 14 further comprising one or more feed flow rate sensors installed in the feed lines, the feed flow rate sensors being in communication with the automated feed valve actuator. 17. Apparatus as recited in claim 13 wherein the vehicle has an engine tachometer and the apparatus further comprises a tachometer link providing communication between the tachometer and the automated feed valve actuator. 18. Apparatus as recited in claim 13 further comprising a feed backflow preventor. 19. Apparatus as recited in claim 13 wherein the engine has an air filter housing with a filter air intake chamber, wherein the engine air intake is the filter air intake chamber, and wherein the feed lines are fluidly connected to the filter air intake chamber. 20. Apparatus as recited in claim 19 further comprising a feed backflow flap for the filter air intake chamber. 21. Apparatus as recited in claim 19 further comprising a feed line pressure activated feed backflow flap for the filter air intake chamber. 22. Apparatus as recited in claim 13 wherein the vehicle has an operator position and the feed valve actuator is a manual actuator switch affixed to the emergency vehicle in an actuator position readily accessible to an operator in the operator position. 23. Apparatus as recited in claim 13 further comprising a refill assembly. 24. Apparatus as recited in claim 13 further comprising an automated control system. 25. Vehicle engine emergency combustion air supply apparatus for the prevention of stalling of the engine in an oxygen depleted environment, the engine having an engine air intake, the apparatus comprising: a) pressurized air storage tank mounted on the vehicle, the tank having a pressurized air storage capacity adequate for supplying all of the combustion air required by the engine for a selected escape period; b) feed line fluidly connecting the storage tank to the engine air intake; c) feed valve; and d) automated feed valve actuator in communication with the feed valve. 26. Apparatus as recited in claim 25 further comprising an ambient air oxygen sensor in communication with the automated feed valve actuator. 27. Apparatus as recited in claim 25 further comprising a feed flow rate sensor installed in the feed line, the feed flow rate sensor being in communication with the automated feed valve actuator. 28. Apparatus as recited in claim 25 wherein the vehicle has an engine tachometer and the apparatus further comprises a tachometer link providing communication between the tachometer and the automated feed valve actuator. 29. Apparatus as recited in claim 25 further comprising a feed backflow preventor. 30. Apparatus as recited in claim 25 wherein the engine has an air filter housing with a filter air intake chamber, wherein the engine air intake is the filter air intake chamber, and wherein the feed line is fluidly connected to the filter air intake chamber. 31. Apparatus as recited in claim 30 further comprising a feed backflow flap for the filter air intake chamber. 32. Apparatus as recited in claim 30 further comprising feed line pressure activated feed backflow flap for the filter air intake chamber. 33. Apparatus as recited in claim 25 further comprising a refill assembly. 34. Apparatus as recited in claim 25 further comprising an automated control system. 35. Vehicle engine emergency combustion air supply apparatus for the prevention of stalling of the engine in an oxygen depleted environment, the engine having an engine air intake, the apparatus comprising: a) pressurized air storage tank mounted on the vehicle, the pressurized air storage tank having a pressurized air storage capacity adequate for supplying all of the combustion air required by the engine for a selected escape period; b) feed valve and feed line fluidly connecting the storage tank to the engine air intake, the feed valve and the feed line having hydraulic capacity, at a selected minimum tank pressure, for transmitting pressurized air to the engine air intake at a rate adequate for a design maximum engine rpm; c) feed valve actuator in communication with the feed valve; and d) feed backflow preventor for preventing or minimizing the loss, from the engine air intake, of air supplied from the air storage tank and preventing or minimizing the entrance of ambient air to the engine air intake. 36. Vehicle engine emergency combustion air supply apparatus for the prevention of stalling of the engine in an oxygen depleted environment, the engine having an engine air intake, the apparatus comprising: a) one or more pressured air storage tanks mounted on the vehicle, the pressurized air storage tanks having a total pressurized air storage capacity adequate for supplying all of the combustion air required by the engine for a selected escape period; b) one or more feed valves and one or more feed lines fluidly connecting the storage tanks to the engine air intake, the feed valves and the feed lines having a total hydraulic capacity, at a selected minimum tank pressure, for transmitting pressurized air to the engine air intake at a rate adequate for a design maximum engine rpm; c) feed valve actuator in communication with the feed valves; and d) feed backflow preventor for preventing or minimizing the loss, from the engine air intake, of air supplied from the air storage tanks and preventing or minimizing the entrance of ambient air to the engine air intake.