A medical emergency, smoke in the cabin, or an evacuation – in the event of an incident on board an aircraft, action must be taken quickly and efficiently. And that’s exactly why Rosenbauer has once again improved its rescue stairs.

When it comes to operations on or around the runway, time is of the essence: Rosenbauer developed Aircraft Interior Access Vehicle, better known as rescue stairs in order to be able to come to the aid of passengers and crew as quickly as possible in the event of an emergency.

The vehicles have been designed to arrive on the scene of the emergency quickly and dock with the aircraft equally fast. This is not only to enable evacuations in a controlled manner, but also to allow firefighting and rescue teams quick and safe access.

Minimal set-up times, maximum security

The E5000 and E8000 rescue stairs have already proven to be the ideal vehicles that are optimally equipped for such scenarios. During the development, particular focus was placed on safety, simple operation, and the quickest possible setup time.

As a result, the crew can select the respective type of aircraft, in order to automatically extend the rescue platform to the correct height. The approach to the aircraft is supported by aids, such as distance sensors, camera imaging, and an overhead window, to ensure the best possible view in every scenario. The platform can be adjusted to match the aircraft fuselage, and the side rails can be manually docked onto it. This makes alignment easier and ensures gap-free and secure access.

Thanks to sophisticated technology, the platform and steps are held in a horizontal position regardless of the incline of the staircase. This means that both evacuations and rapid access by rescue teams can be undertaken safely.

Even easier to operate

At Rosenbauer, however, we continuously strive to improve products that have already been refined. This is precisely why the operating concept of the rescue stairs have been revised and the latest lighting technology integrated. Feedback from Rosenbauer’s customers has had a significant impact upon this further development.

The crew is now given a modern 10-inch touchscreen display, both in the driver’s cab and on the rescue platform, through which the rescue stairs can be controlled even more easily and intuitively. With the RBC LCS operating system, the rescue stairs fits seamlessly into the Rosenbauer product family.

This makes it easier for crew members to switch between the different vehicle types. The control panel in the driver’s cab is also mounted on a swivel arm that can be rotated to either the driver’s or passenger’s side. In this way you can have everything exactly where you want it to be. Not only the operation has been overhauled, but the intelligent CAN bus system has also been implemented on new, future-proof control units. With these safety-certified modules, it was possible to simplify the control architecture and reduce complex dependencies – true to the motto “less is more.”

Fine-tuning for optics and lighting

Rosenbauer’s engineers have also further improved the scene and staircase lighting systems. Instead of the previous LED spotlights, the latest LED light strip technology is now used, which ensures more homogeneous and improved illumination of the steps and the surrounding area.

This further increases the safety of passengers and emergency crews, especially when operating in the dark. The rescue stair’s rear has also been given a facelift: the lighting has been adapted to the appearance of the rest of the Rosenbauer fleet, and thus fits seamlessly into the modern and visually appealing vehicle range.

The innovations integrated into the rescue stairs are yet another example of how consistently Rosenbauer works on the further development of existing products and the introduction of new technologies. Rosenbauer is committed to providing maximum safety and efficiency in emergencies to emergency crews around the world with the best products for their daily work.