Rosenbauer has fought off competition from across Europe to win through as preferred bidder for two major tenders in Germany. In early January, the Federal Ministry for the Interior placed an order for 61 standard LF-KatS vehicles on behalf of the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK), with an option to upgrade this to as many as 182 vehicles. They are part of a multi-annual procurement program in the course of which Rosenbauer has already delivered 308 vehicles of the same design. The last of these were handed over in March of this year. 

Last year, the State Office for Internal Administration of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania concluded a contract concerning the supply of 265 TSF-W vehicles with Rosenbauer Deutschland. It was the state’s largest fire truck procurement initiative in its history, funded by the state government’s “Future-Proof Fire Service” program, which was launched in 2019.

All-rounders in Efficient Technology
The LF-KatS firefighting vehicles are designed as all-rounders and are used for firefighting, pumping water over long distances and providing basic technical assistance. The extinguishing equipment consists of a permanently installed N25 firefighting centrifugal pump (FPN 10-2000 in accordance with DIN EN 1028), a 1,000 l water tank, a quick-attack unit and manual pressure outlets. To supply water over long distances, a portable fire pump is located in the front equipment compartment. A hose delivery system with 15 B-hoses is also installed here. On the roof is a box with a ladder fixture, a lowering device for the spare tire and a manually operated light mast, while the equipment compartments accommodate a lowering device for breathing apparatus and a heavy-duty slide tray for the fire service accident and tool kit. The vehicles are loaded with the standard equipment kit in accordance with DIN 14530-8; the equipment is provided by the end customer.

As an independent tactical unit, the LF-KatS vehicles have enough space for a full crew (1+8). All seats are equipped with 3-point seat belts and a helmet holder – two with holders for SCBA. The vehicles sit on an all-wheel-drive chassis from Mercedes-Benz (Atego 1327 AF 4×4) with a permissible gross vehicle weight of 14 metric tons. They are manufactured in the Radgona plant in Slovenia, Rosenbauer’s center of competence for vehicles in the ET (Efficient Technology) series.

Compact basic vehicles
The TSF-W portable pump vehicles are also multi-purpose vehicles that are used for rapid first attacks in firefighting operations and in the provision of technical assistance. They are produced at the Neidling plant in Lower Austria, Rosenbauer’s center of competence for compact vehicles. They sit on chassis frames with a permissible gross vehicle weight of 7.2 metric tons (Iveco Daily 72C18) and are equipped in accordance with DIN 14530-17 (Equipment for a pumping appliance). The superstructure houses a 1,000 l water tank and FOX portable fire pump stored on an inclined pull-out holder (PFPN 10-1000 in accordance with DIN EN 1028), which can be operated both within the vehicle and outside. Continuous LED strips in the roof trim on the left and right as well as a pneumatically extendable light mast provide powerful illumination of the surroundings. The docking cabin has room for a crew (1+5) or brigade unit, and four seats are equipped with holders for SCBA.

“We are delighted with the two major orders with a combined value of around €46.5 million and see them as an endorsement of our outstanding partnership with the German fire service and disaster protection organizations,” said Ronald Reisinger, Managing Director of Rosenbauer Deutschland. “The two vehicle concepts are also attracting major interest from other customers, and we’ve already received a number of additional orders for identical LF-KatS and TSF-W vehicles.”