As a firefighting vehicle, the Econic is equipped for all circumstances.

Demands on the fire brigade of the largest Mercedes-Benz truck assembly plant in Wörth are constantly increasing. With the further development of manufacturing processes and materials, the variety of potential hazards is growing – and with it the fire brigade’s requirements for their vehicles. In our series, we witness the development of an Econic 2635 into a truck for all challenges. The planning and definition of the requirements as well as the basic assembly process have already been completed. Now, in the third part of our series, we accompany the so-called shell construction meeting of the Econic, which is equipped as a fire-fighting and logistics vehicle. Here, the body manufacturer EMPL and the plant fire brigade work out the final touches for their new truck.

Made for firefighting.

Thomas Moigg, Sales Manager at EMPL, is certain: The Econic 2635 works perfectly as an emergency vehicle for the plant fire brigade: “Occupational safety is of course a big issue for fire brigades. To help others, responders must be able to protect themselves and keep operations running smoothly. The design of the Econic makes these tasks much easier for the team.”

In the event of a fire, the rescuers are under a lot of pressure. In addition, they have to carry more and more equipment. Getting in and out of the emergency vehicle can quickly become a challenge – but not with the Econic. Its low-floor design makes it easier for the fire brigade team than any other vehicle.

“The requirements of the plant fire brigade also relate to the spaciousness of the vehicle,“ says Thomas Moigg. “Access height is an issue, but so is cabin size. More and more equipment has to be carried or stored in the vehicle, which is not a problem with the Econic. The crew cab and the driver’s cab on this vehicle also offer enough space for three people. As far as the driver’s cab is concerned, there is nothing that compares to the Econic.”

Adaptable like no other.

The need for vehicles that have more than one function in the plant fire brigade fleet is growing. “On the one hand, this has to do with the fact that fire brigades are short-staffed and unable to operate many individual vehicles. On the other hand, you want to be flexible when it comes to logistics. The possibility of alternating the load is of great importance here,” explains Thomas Moigg.

As a manufacturer of special bodies, EMPL solves this problem by using roll containers that offer a wide variety of loading options. “New scenarios, such as battery fires in the factory, make this development unavoidable. With the Econic, the fire brigade will remain flexible at all times,” says Thomas Moigg.

The next challenge for the design engineers is the accommodation of the extinguishing equipment. Since the loading area of the Econic is located exactly where the extinguishing equipment and the water tanks are normally installed, they have to be moved to the front. The pump is operated via two control panels mounted on both sides of the Econic. This turns the Special Truck into a true hybrid of logistics and fire-fighting vehicle.

Professionals at work.

The Econic exceeds expectations.

The close involvement of customers in the production process is unavoidable with custom-made products such as this. As the team is relying on their vehicle in cases of emergency, the fire brigade’s constant feedback on the design and details of their truck is key. Therefore, before the final touches are applied, a shell construction meeting takes place at EMPL. The body experts present all the features of the Econic and, together with the plant fire brigade, make some more adjustments to the plans.