Unimog in the Fire and Rescue sector
In an emergency, every second counts and in the more difficult to reach areas, that’s when our fire and rescue services demand Unimog.
Multi-role Mercedes-Benz Unimog adds flexible, ‘go anywhere’ capability for Cornwall Fire & Rescue Service
Fire officers in Cornwall have responded to the increasing frequency of wildfires and flash floods by commissioning an extreme off-road Mercedes-Benz Unimog that can be kitted out to tackle both types of incident and much more besides. The ultra-high mobility Unimog UHE will transport mission-specific ‘pods’, each of which is packed with specialist equipment.
Fire and Rescue Unimog - Extremely tough. On and off the road.
Devastating forest fires in southern Europe, record floods along the Danube and Elbe rivers in central Europe, frequent hurricanes and autumn storms across the continent as well as catastrophic hail storms and earthquakes: The number of natural disasters is increasing all over the world – and this means more large-scale and specialised operations for fire and rescue services and disaster response teams. For the emergency services – and their vehicles – the key tasks of rescue, fire-fighting, extrication and protection are more challenging than ever before. Thus, rugged, reliable vehicles which are also extremely agile in off-road terrain are of paramount importance today.
Rescue services around the globe put their trust in the Unimog: “Compared with the previous model, which served us faithfully but which is now 30 years old, the Unimog U5023 represents a whole new dimension,” says Joachim Bauer, local manager of the Technisches Hilfswerk (Federal Agency for Technical Relief) in Laaber, Germany. “The increase in load capacity from around two to roughly four tonnes makes us twice as effective because we can bring double the amount of equipment to the incident in just one trip.
Technical highlights of the Unimog U 4023 / U 5023.
You need to be a tough cookie to guarantee maximum performance in the harshest of conditions. The Unimog is ready for the challenge thanks to its offset welded frame, torque tube technology for extreme diagonal torsional flexibility up to 600 mm, excellent angle of approach /departure, portal axles giving a high ground clearance, all-wheel drive and differential locks, not to mention high traction and excellent gradient climbing ability.
01 Self-protection system: A special feature for performance that pushes the limits – a self-protection system that damps down the tyres and windscreen if the flames get too close.
02 Heat protection: The heat protection package available from the factory includes a special covering for all important cables to protect them from extreme heat or other damage. In addition, all of the Unimog’s major assemblies and technical components are mechanically protected.
03 Fording capability to 1.2 m: The drive system is designed to enable the vehicle to ford depths of up to 0.8m or, on request, 1.2m.
04 Tirecontrol plus tyre pressure control system with simplified operation: With the push of a button, you can select from the modes “Highway”, “Sand” or “Cross Country”
to automatically adjust the settings – this is also possible while the vehicle is in motion.
05 High-performance transmission: The typical Unimog transmission not only takes the load off the driver with practically oriented features like Electronic Quick Reverse, off road gear reduction and the EAS electronic automated shift system, but it also contributes to improving safety.
Read about the Suffolk Fire and Rescue Unimog and it’s system of demountable ‘Pods’ to expand it range of duties.
The Unimog U 216 – U 530: fully prepared for action in a compact design.
Even more compact dimensions (width: from 2150 mm, height: from 2820 mm) for manoeuvrability in the tightest spaces
+ Short wheelbases: 2800 mm to 3900 mm
+ Small turning circle (from 12.6 m) for outstanding manoeuvrability and agility
+ All-wheel steering
+ High-torque engines with 115 to 220 kW (156 to 299 hp) and 650 to 1200 Nm torque
+ High-performance gearbox with practically-oriented graduation
+ Driving speeds of up to 90 km/h on surfaced roads
+ Hydrostatic EasyDrive system: continuously variable speeds up to 50 km/h
+ Dual circuit load-sensing hydraulics for driving and controlling attachments/implements
+ Mechanical front PTO shaft delivering 160 kW, for example for mud and water pumps
+ Generous panoramic cab
+ New camera monitoring system with up to three cameras improves visibility of immediate surroundings
+ High payload (10 t –16.5 t permitted gross vehicle weight)
+ Collaborations with various attachment and implement manufacturers for wide range of applications
