The Number One
in Tokyo.

Tokyo Fire Department receives its very first Econic.

Japan, Land of the Rising Sun – and of cutting-edge technologies. A fact that speaks for itself: even in the world's fourth-largest export nation, they rely on vehicles made in Germany. In Japan's capital, an Econic is now also part of Tokyo Fire Department's vehicle fleet. It is also the first Econic to be delivered to Japan.

Ordered for the world's biggest sporting event.

Originally, the Econic 1835 L was ordered for fire brigade use in the Olympic Village during the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Local structural conditions require a vehicle with a height of less than 3.20 m. Even though bodybuilder Rosenbauer has constructed the Econic's cab for an added interior height of 20 cm compared to the standard low cabin, the vehicle's total height of 3.14 m including its turntable ladder allows it to easily pass below the many underpasses leading to the Olympic village.

In case of emergency, Bayer AG's plant fire brigade moves out with two Econic HTLF 40/20-5.

But even though its deployment at the Olympics has been postponed by a year due to worldwide measures to control the pandemic, the truck is by no means confined to the depot. Because it's simply made for deployment in the busy city of Tokyo, which has a higher population density than New York City. "Usually, comparable Japanese ladder vehicles are equipped with three axles. The Econic 4x2 is more compact and therefore much easier to steer through a crowded cosmopolitan city like Tokyo," says Hajime Matsui, Sales Manager at Y-Engineering Company Ltd., which sells Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks on the Japanese market.

The cab's low total height makes the Econic an ideal basis
for turntable ladder bodies.

Hajime Matsui, Sales Manager, Y-Engineering Company Ltd

On the road in the megacity.

Fire protection, disaster control, medical emergencies: In a city that tops the list of major metropolitan areas with its more than 14 million inhabitants, the Tokyo Fire Department can't go home early. Operations on buildings that are often very high and narrow-spaced require the very best equipment. "The low total height of the cab makes the Econic an ideal basis for turntable ladder bodies," says Hajime Matsui. The new Econic 1835 L is equipped with a more than 30 m long fire ladder made by fire brigade equipment company Rosenbauer from Karlsruhe, Germany. Since all vehicles have the Tokyo Fire Department logo prominently on the front, the Mercedes-Benz lettering was attached to the right above the windscreen.

Watch Econic in action.

Take a look at the Econic with turntable ladder during a training session of the Tokyo Fire Department:

Open YouTube video

The convincing safety features of the Econic with its DirectVision cab are also an important aspect during use in the city. Thanks to its low seating position compared to a conventional truck, the driver sees eye to eye with other road users – and can therefore react more swiftly to dangerous circumstances. In addition, the driver is supported by a safety control system, which is specially developed for Japanese fire fighting vehicles.

 

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Disaster control with the Unimog.

In addition to the Econic, other Special Trucks have also entered the fire brigade's vehicle fleet. In March 2020, two Unimog U 5023 with fording capability, equipped with Rotzler Treibmatic cable winches, were delivered to the Tokyo Fire Department for use mainly in disaster control. Earthquakes, water masses, forest fires – the offroad specialists have to keep all that at bay. Every year, especially during “Tsuyu”, the Japanese rainy season, there are torrential rainfalls that cause floods in Tokyo.

Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks thus provide a reinforcement to the fire brigade of Tokyo in a wide variety of application scenarios. And other Econic trucks will follow that first one to the island of Japan – for sure.

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