The fire and rescue Unimog defied the elements at the first redMOGday held by Unimog general distributor Beutlhauser.

The fire and rescue Unimog defied the elements at the first redMOGday held by Unimog general distributor Beutlhauser.

Extreme weather events such as floods and forest fires are becoming more and more common – and prove that every second counts in an emergency. Rescue workers need to reach the site quickly no matter how rough the terrain, so it is essential that their equipment is cutting edge. The fire and rescue Unimog – also known as redMog – is made for missions like these. And it showed its true mettle at the first redMOGday held by Unimog general distributor Beutlhauser on 1 July 2023. A baptism of fire in front of a thrilled crowd.

Just like the fire brigade.

Nothing gets in the way of the Unimog when responding to a fire. It masters steep climbs at high speed, manoeuvres down precipitous slopes, overcomes twists and turns and can be depended on to get to the deployment site. The same applies to flood situations. Visitors to the first redMOGday could experience the reliability of the Unimog at first hand by riding over a specially modelled off-road landscape.

The Banzer Wald mountain inn in the Lichtenfels district of Bavaria offered just the right terrain. “Here we can showcase the capabilities of the Unimog up close”, said Claus Artmayer, Head of Municipal Technology at Beutlhauser. Offroad rides were given in the Unimog U 5023 with crewcab and Unimog U 5023 TLF 3000 from Rosenbauer to demonstrate their toughness. At the wheel: professional drivers from the Unimog Museum in Gaggenau.

More vital than ever.

The number of forest and field fires is rising making the fire and rescue Unimog more important than ever. And this became clear time and again at the redMOGday. "Last year we had 91 wildfires in the Lichtenfels district – more than ever before. They are often in rough terrain that cannot be reached in our standard fire-fighting vehicles", said Timm Vogler, Lichtenfels District Fire Officer. This is every-day work for the Unimog.

A tool for every task.

what the redMOG is capable of. In addition to well-known bodies from Schlingmann, Rosenbauer and BAI, various implements could be admired, such as cable winches from Maxwald, crane trailers from Schlang & Reichart, a Werner crane body and an ecotech fire hose system – a tool for every task.

Naturally, fire and rescue workers are a must at such an event. The Oberweissenbach fire brigade showed visitors their Unimog TLF 3000 with Lentner auxiliary body. THW Laaber presented a Unimog U 5023 with a mobile 1000-litre diesel filling station. It can be used to supply fuel to rescue workers who are cut off from the supply during deployment.

Fireproof and waterproof.

In addition to the tools mounted directly on the Unimog, electric tools for emergency services were presented at the redMOGday. Beutlhauser’s Municipal Technology department was ably supported by their Construction Equipment department. Among other things, various Milwaukee battery operated tools were presented – live demonstrations included. These tools are indispensable, for example, for freeing people from wrecked cars. Atlas Copco was also there showing off their range of waste water pumps. These can be used to pump out flooded cellars and homes.

redMOGday showed that, whether the Unimog is facing the forces of fire or water, when environmental disaster strikes, emergency services, rescue workers and people in need can rely on this Special Truck.