New fire trucks for the airport

On February 1, two state-of-the-art airport fire trucks began service at Saarbrücken Airport. The vehicles represent a long-term investment in the safety of passengers and all flight operations, and are both more powerful and more economical than their predecessors.

Airport CEO Thomas Schuck officially commissioned the two new Advancer FLF 60/100 fire engines with a performance presentation. They will replace the two Panther vehicles with immediate effect.

"With the new vehicles, we are working towards the highest level of safety for passengers and airlines in the long term. The models are state-of-the-art and, with their modern equipment, will meet not only current but also future requirements. What's more, they are more economical than the previous vehicles. Nevertheless, I hope that the new vehicles will not have to be used more often than their predecessors," said Tomas Schuck.

The "Advancer" from Albert Ziegler GmbH, an international specialist company for emergency and incident management, has a 10,000-liter water tank, a 1,100-liter foam tank, a 450-kg powder extinguishing system, and an innovative 120-kg CO2 extinguishing system. With a roof launcher and a front launcher, extinguishing agents can be used in parallel and independently of each other. Thermal imaging cameras and laser-assisted extinguishing agent alignment ensure maximum efficiency. Extensive automation allows the crew to concentrate fully on fighting the fire.

The new vehicles are therefore more powerful and, weighing 30 tons on a standard chassis, also significantly lighter than their predecessors, which are almost 20 years old. In addition, they are approved for regular road use and the supply of spare parts is guaranteed for their entire service life. A total of €1.15 million was invested in the two "Advancer" vehicles, including firefighting equipment and special features. This investment will pay for itself in the medium term thanks to its cost-effectiveness.

The "Panthers" are being sold. One of them will be used in a stone factory in Saarland in the future.