Mattijn de Graaf, R&D Director of the Holmatro Group, explains the design philosophy behind OmniShore, Holmatro’s all-new rescue shoring system

Tell me about Holmatro – what work do you do in the fire and safety sector?

Holmatro was founded in the Netherlands in 1967. We are a leading global supplier of rescue equipment and services. We have around 300 employees, located in the Netherlands, USA and China. Next to these three headquarters, our brand is represented in more than 160 countries by our extensive global sales and service network, consisting of more than 400 active authorized business partners.

Holmatro’s rescue equipment is mostly used in the fields of vehicle rescue, disaster rescue and special tactics. To make sure that our users can fulfil their specialized tasks, we aim to be the best-in-class industry market leader. We do this by using game changing technology.

What is OmniShore and why was it developed?

OmniShore is an all-new rescue shoring system, designed from the ground up. It was developed to make rescue shoring operations safer, faster and easier. That is not just a catchphrase, but the key focus of our design philosophy. We wanted to create a system that is compact, intuitive and above all safe.

How does this new shoring system support firefighters during rescue operations?

Holmatro OmniShore is the only solution that helps rescuers overcome all shoring challenges with a system of just six different struts and no fixed length extension pipes. Guaranteed to save weight and space on their truck.

In addition, OmniShore enables first responders to build every construction quickly and easily. Its patented Trident Coupler ensures a safe connection between two struts and offers a seamless setup of lengths up to 17 feet or 5.2 meters.

And finally, Holmatro OmniShore’s patented OmniLock system supports rescuers in monitoring and operating struts from a safe distance. This means less manpower is required and no one needs to be near a moving load.

In what kinds of situations is OmniShore designed to be used?

You can shore it all with OmniShore! It has been designed to do more with less, so with a limited number of components rescuers will be able to handle every shoring operation safely and successfully. Whether it’s vehicle shoring, trench shoring, high directionals or structural shoring, OmniShore can do it all.

In terms of innovation, what do the next few years look like for Holmatro?

Of course, we can’t go into too much detail about the patented innovations that we are working on at the moment. But innovation is in our DNA, so you can expect us to keep coming up with groundbreaking innovations that make the world safer, healthier and more productive.

This exclusive article was originally published in the June 2023 issue of International Fire & Safety Journal. To read your FREE digital copy, click here.