New fire engine for underground parkings with LUKAS eDRAULIC

The Eschborn (Germany) volunteer fire brigade's second-generation fire engine for underground parkings is equipped with everything needed for operations in the cramped spaces of underground and multistorey car parks - including space-saving rescue tools.

Multistorey car parks for commuters

A current trend is the urbanisation of city centres. Both the number of commuters from periphery to centre and the daily intra-city traffic are increasing, leading to a substantial increase in the number of vehicles in city centres. To meet the increasing demand for parking spaces, more and more multistorey car parks are being built.

Rescuing in tight spaces

What does this development mean for rescue services? The number of heavily frequented car parks is increasing. If fire breaks out or people are trapped in their vehicles after an accident, the confined conditions pose a special challenge for the rescuers. In addition, in some car parks passageways are too narrow and ramps too steep. A study conducted by the German auto club ADAC showed that there are lots of deficits in car parks - especially as far as safety was concerned.

Well prepared for special requirements

With its new car park fire engine, the fire brigade in Eschborn (Germany) is ideally equipped when things get tight. The VW T5 GP is an agile transport vehicle with pneumatic suspension that allows its height to be adapted to low ceiling heights. 
A sturdy bulkhead divides its interior into crew and equipment compartments; the latter contains a compact extinguisher system, protective breathing apparatus and a KED sytem as well as a set of rescue tools from the LUKAS eDRAULIC series.

Compared with the complicated installation of power units, integrating the eDRAULIC tools in the vehicle was fast and easy.
They are ready for immediate use and without cumbersome hoses, they need less space for storage and operation. That gives the Eschborn brigade more freedom of movement for uncomplicated rescue work over several floors.
Working at full power, starting without delay, minimal storage space requirements - all very convincing arguments for the firefighters.

Car park fire engines are needed everywhere

In future, car parks in other places will also be in increasing need of agile vehicles with space-saving rescue tools.  Crowded facilities such as exhibition centres, stadiums or airports all need high-performance equipment that satisfies these conditions.

Photos: Uwe Bunzel