Fire brigade equipped with new Unimog.

Floods, moorland fires and rough terrain have been a constant challenge for the Gronau Fire Brigade for years. With the new all-terrain Unimog U 5023, the brigade is now specifically strengthening its fleet for operations where reliability, payload and traction are essential.

Udo Lindenberg is coming along.

The approximately 51,000 inhabitants of the town of Gronau (Westf.) in the district of Borken are in good spirits. They can walk to neighbouring Holland, cycle along the “Flamingo Cycle Path” and there’s always a lot going on in Germany’s only rock’n’pop museum.

The people of Gronau have always been fond of music. After the First World War, a broad music scene of all genres developed here. Not least with the neighbouring Dutch, numerous orchestras and bands were founded and operated very successfully over the following decades to this day. The city’s most famous son: Rock music legend Udo Lindenberg (born 1946).

It is no coincidence that even the Gronau fire brigade pays the greatest respect to the founder of the “panic orchestra”: All new vehicles are decorated with the city skyline - which of course includes Udo Lindenberg with his distinctive hat. No panic in Gronau, of course.

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Unimog fire service presentation.

Operations with consequences.

Although: During the snow disasters in November 2005 and August 2010, each brought a minor panic. The river Dinkel overflowed its banks, causing flooding in the Epe district that reached depths of up to 80 centimetres in some places. “We got that under control, but then we reacted and rethought the issue of the vehicle fleet,” recalls David Meyer, deputy head of the technical department

And when the nearby Hündfelder Moor burned a year later, it was obvious: No need to panic - but the fire brigade needs vehicles that are at home in difficult terrain. After a few suitable new purchases, however, it was time for another brand new Unimog.

The fire brigade had already had excellent experiences with the Unimog in the past. A Unimog 401 TLF 8 and two U 1300 L RW 1 rescue vehicles (in use until 1984, 2005 and 2009) were always true companions for the fulltime and volunteer emergency services.

Ein Mercedes-Benz-Lkw mit eingeschaltetem Blaulicht steht in einem Wald, neben einem Stapel frisch gehackter Baumstämme. Der Hintergrund zeigt eine Dämmerungsstimmung.

Ein Mercedes-Benz Feuerwehrfahrzeug mit Blaulicht fährt durch hohes, trockenes Gras in einer ländlichen Umgebung, umgeben von kahlen Bäumen und bewölktem Himmel.

Ein roter Einsatzfahrzeug von Mercedes-Benz, ausgestattet mit Blaulicht und der Aufschrift „112“, steht auf einer Wiese vor einem modernen Gebäude.

Well equipped for tough situations.

Recently, an all-terrain U 5023 arrived at the yard as a so-called equipment supply vehicle. The platform under the tarpaulin offers nine pallet spaces, for example for sandbags. Alternatively, it can also be converted to a roller container: Whether it’s flooding or vegetation fire - Gronau has ready-to-go containers for numerous operational situations.

The Dhollandia vertical lift makes loading and unloading much easier. The U 5023 was equipped with a tyre pressure control system in order to cope well with boggy terrain. The vehicle body was built by Eggers Fahrzeugbau in Stuhr

Project carried out in collaboration with the Unimog main distributor:
RKF-BLESES GmbH

Fire brigade equipped with new Unimog.

Udo Lindenberg is coming along.

Operations with consequences.

Well equipped for tough situations.

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