- Royal Schiphol Group puts ARFF vehicles of superlatives into service
- 13 PANTHER 8×8 in Amsterdam, 5 PANTHER 6×6 in Rotterdam and Lelystad
- All vehicles with the latest electronics: ADM, EBS, CTIS, DWD, EMEREC DEVS *
Over the coming months, Schiphol’s fire service will be phasing in 13 new Rosenbauer fire engines, also known as crash tenders. The airport’s fire service will be using them to deal with aviation incidents. The crash tenders belong to the largest and fastest category of fire engines. They will replace the current vehicles, which have reached the end of their service life after a period of 15 years.
Special Schiphol crash tenders
The new fire engines are equipped with the very latest fire-extinguishing technology. The fire service personnel can already fight a fire while approaching it in the vehicle, therefore extinguishing it even more quickly and safely. The vehicles can be driven while simultaneously extinguishing a fire, using large quantities of extinguishing agent in a short space of time: 13,300 litres of water, 1,600 litres of foam and over 250 kilos of powder. This extinguishing capacity will enable Schiphol to satisfy the strictest requirements in the future as well and allows the largest aircraft.
Schiphol has an unusual site, with a lot of grass and fields. The new vehicles have special wide tyres and are equipped with technical features to enhance their all-terrain capacity. Navigation systems and infrared cameras will enable the fire service to drive safely through the airfield in adverse weather conditions such as fog, rain or snow.
‘Schiphol’s fire service is permanently on call, day and night, ready to reach a runway within three minutes if necessary. We prioritise the safety of passengers and staff in our operations. I am proud of the fact that we will be using these advanced crash,’ says Dick Benschop, CEO of Royal Schiphol Group.
“A complex environment such as Schiphol requires its own approach to safety. With a fire brigade that has been specially trained for the airport and with its own equipment for the specific environment of Schiphol. I am proud and happy with such innovative equipment that we can also deploy outside Schiphol if necessary”, says mayor of Haarlemmermeer Marianne Schuurmans.
“The vehicles represent the very latest in firefighting technology. They offer exceptional performance, are safe to operate and are equipped with state-of-the-art features, including the Rosenbauer tracking and navigation system. We are very proud that Royal Schiphol Group has placed their trust in us”, says Dieter Siegel, CEO Rosenbauer International AG.
Training
The fire team’s emergency response service consists of approximately 150 employees who can operate the new vehicles. Over the past 18 months, all the firefighters have undergone intensive training to ensure that they have the right skills.
Rotterdam and Lelystad
This year, Rotterdam The Hague and Lelystad Airport will also deploy new Rosenbauer crash tenders, three and two respectively. These vehicles are somewhat smaller, however, as smaller aircraft land at these airports. They are six-wheel drive (6×6) vehicles that can hold up to 10,000 litres of water, 1,300 litres of foam and 250 kilos of powder.
Otherwise, the vehicles are virtually the same as those used at Schiphol. This standardisation offers advantages for the maintenance and management of the vehicles, the fire-fighting techniques and of course the education and training of the fire service personnel.
* ADM: Automatic Drive Management
EBS: Electronic Braking System
CTIS: Central Tyre Inflation System
DWD: Driver Warning Device
EMEREC DEVS: Airport Navigation System with Driver Enhanced Vision System
