| | (an article by David Holden, Editor of Emergency Services Times) |
| The Mercedes–Benz Unimog may be unfamiliar to many readers or, if familiar to some, you may have misconceptions regarding the vehicle’s suitability for fire and rescue operations. In fact, the Unimog’s suitability is twofold – firstly, its excellent off- road manoeuvrability while maintaining high levels of travelling and operating comfort mean it can get to a fire or through flood water quickly and comfortably; and secondly, its flexibility means it can be quickly adapted to best serve the array of incidents faced by today’s fire and rescue services. |
| A ‘do everything’ vehicle |
The Unimog has its roots in post World War II Germany’s demands for an agricultural tractor. The original idea arose from Albert Friedrich, Director of Aviation Motor Development at Daimler Benz, who envisioned a ‘do everything’ vehicle, with the first vehicles having a capacity for multiple PTOs, crawler gears and all manner of attachments. Today the concept is pretty much unchanged – the Unimog is purpose built for extreme terrain yet individually tailored for every application.
The Unimog ranges servicing the fire and rescue service are the ever flexible U300/U400/U500, and the highly mobile U3000/U4000/U5000.
The Unimog U300, U400 or U500 is a compact and professional off-road capable implement carrier, with four body and implement attachment areas and a high payload mechanical front PTO. Attachments include cranes, winches and snow ploughs plus, of course, fire fighting capabilities such as water and / or foam storage and pumps.
The cab offers up to three people optimum freedom of movement while the short bonnet and a high seat position, deep windscreen and side windows give the driver a fantastic view of all traffic and working areas. The 360° view is completed by the rear panorama window which offers an excellent perspective of the tipper / dropside body.
The Unimog U3000/U4000/U5000 range owes its unique manoeuvrability to its flexible ladder frame with tubular members, which guarantees excellent rigidity on the roads and superb flexibility off-road. These vehicles combine the traditional Unimog qualities, such as sturdiness, robustness, durability, reliability and the all-wheel drive concept, with the most modern engine and transmission technology, and ergonomics, as well as innovative working and operating comfort.
The range can be delivered with a crew cab, making it the ideal transport vehicle for up to six personnel. The size of the polyfibre cab will naturally impact on the amount of water and/or foam storage available on the vehicle, again demonstrating the flexibility of the Unimog. The vehicle can carry a maximum of 6000 litres of water, but even with a cab for six personnel there’s room for 3000 litres of water and 400 litres of foam fire fighting capability. Also, a roof hatch provides an ideal opportunity for fighting fires directly from the cab.
Features common to both product lines include: innovative frame designs, portal axles, coil sprung axle suspension, all wheel drive and differential locks at front and back. The result is high ground clearance, good angles of approach and departure with a 45° climbing ability, maximum tipping stability and excellent traction.
Additionally, the Unimog fording system keeps transmission and axles dry in water up to 1.2m. The engine, gearbox and driveshaft are kept dry, enclosed in an air pressure system, ensuring sustained periods of operation in flood affected areas.
The Unimog’s ability to reach incidents across otherwise inaccessible terrain is aided by its tyre pressure control system. This allows the driver to reduce the air pressure individually or in both axles from the comfort of the driver’s seat. The Unimog will then resist sinking into soft ground whilst at the same time increasing the surface area of the tyre and hence improving traction. When back on the road the driver can increase the tyre pressure again at the touch of a button, thereby reducing the wear on the tyres and improving the driving stability and travel comfort. |
The fire and rescue service market makes up only roughly 10% of all Unimog sales, with the vehicle’s predominant use being in the agriculture, energy and local authority sectors. The higher threat of forest fires in mainland Europe has meant that fire and rescue services in countries such as France, Portugal and Spain have been quicker than the UK to embrace the unique qualities of the Unimog, but Mercedes-Benz is already making in-roads, with fire and rescue services such as Cornwall, Northamptonshire, Kent, East Sussex, Oxfordshire, and Buckinghamshire already utilising Unimogs and others such as Surrey and Dorset interested in adding these multi-purpose yet practical vehicles to their fleets. Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service, for example, have a total of four Unimogs, three water tenders and one hose layer/retrieval unit.
Cleveland Fire Brigade (CFB) recently invested in a Unimog to replace its old Pinzgauer off-road vehicle and was bought as part of a capital replacement programme. Tony Marwood, Director of Support Services at CFB, said: “The vehicle, which can carry 1000 litres of water, hoses and ancillary equipment, has been acquired to provide the brigade with the latest technology. It works to Euro 4 legislation and will enhance our commitment to the environment. The Unimog increases our capability for dealing with spate weather conditions such as flooding, ice and snow and will also be used in areas where access can be difficult – such as the hills and moors, where grass and heath fires are dealt with.”
Extreme off-road capability coupled with full on-road speeds means the Unimog would fit equally well into rural or urban fire and rescue fleets. Yes, it costs more than a conventional fire appliance but that increased cost is more than borne out by the fact that the Unimog does a multitude of jobs – the versatility of the Unimog means you can change attachments rather than change vehicle.
No, it won’t reduce global warming or slow down climate change, but in response to the effects of climate change, be they wildland fires, floods or indeed both, the Mercedes-Benz Unimog’s suitability is unrivalled.
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Model ranges
