The command vehicle takes the lead on incident response and serves as a mobile center for response management and coordination at the incident site. This vehicle is staffed by the supervisor in charge of responding to the respective incident and a crew member who communicates with the control center and documents the incident response.  

There are three different models in the fleet of large airport crash tenders:

The Rosenbauer Panther 8x8, the Rosenbauer Simba 8x8 HRET, and the Ziegler Z8 XXL.

The Ziegler Z8 XXL has two V8 engines with an output of 960 kW / 1,304 hp, increasing to over 1,030 kW / 1,400 hp for max. 3 minutes in emergency operation. The Ziegler Z8 XXL boasts a 12,500-liter water tank plus 800 liters of foam agent and 500 kg of extinguishing powder, which can deliver at a rate of 10,000 liters per minute. The vehicle has an extinguishing arm that can release extinguishing agents from a height of up to 15 meters. There is an additional turret on the front of the vehicle.

The Rosenbauer Panther 8x8 has two engines with a total output of almost 1,500 hp. The extinguishing agents are 12,500 liters of water, 800 liters of foam agent and 500 kg of extinguishing powder. They can be delivered via two turrets. The main turret is installed on an articulated arm and can be raised to a height of up to 16 meters. It has a maximum output of 6,000 liters per minute. The front turret can deliver extinguishing agents with a maximum output of 4,000 liters per minute.

The Simba 8x8 has two V8 engines each with an output of 450 kW / 599 hp and 2,500 Nm of torque.  It has a water tank with a capacity of 12,500 liters and can also carry 1,500 liters of foam agent and 500 kg of extinguishing powder. These extinguishing agents are delivered at a rate of 6,000 liters per minute.

The Ziegler water tank fire truck was designed especially for Frankfurt Airport, as the vehicle’s chassis had to be lowered in order for it to navigate the roads underneath the terminal buildings.
The new Ziegler vehicles can carry 2,700 liters of water and 300 liters of foam agent. Among other things, these extinguishing agents are released via two 80-meter rapid intervention hoses. A 5.5-meter light mast is fitted to the roof of the vehicle. Our water tank fire trucks also contain tools and equipment for first aid. The vehicle fleet is currently made up of two different modes. The older version is visibly longer than its newer counterpart and is gradually being phased out. Each vehicle can carry four crew members: a machine operator, a crew leader, and a two-person rapid intervention team.  

The “Tetris” Fire Truck

This image shows the contents of our water tank fire truck in their entirety, comprising tools and equipment for technical and medical support.  

Firefighting hoses and equipment as well as the vehicle crew.  

The rescue ladder truck is an essential component of an ICAO firefighting unit.

It enables passengers to be evacuated quickly, whether the aircraft is on a taxiway or a runway.

With an extended length of over eight meters, the rescue ladder allows  passengers to be safely evacuated even from the top deck of an Airbus A380.

The command vehicle takes the lead on incident response and serves as a mobile center for response management and coordination at the incident site. This vehicle is staffed by the supervisor in charge of responding to the respective incident and a crew member who communicates with the control center and documents the incident response.  

The Ziegler water tank fire truck was designed especially for Frankfurt Airport, as the vehicle’s chassis had to be lowered in order for it to navigate the roads underneath the terminal buildings.
The new Ziegler vehicles can carry 2,700 liters of water and 300 liters of foam agent. Among other things, these extinguishing agents are released via two 80-meter rapid intervention hoses. A 5.5-meter light mast is fitted to the roof of the vehicle. Our water tank fire trucks also contain tools and equipment for first aid. The vehicle fleet is currently made up of two different modes. The older version is visibly longer than its newer counterpart and is gradually being phased out. Each vehicle can carry four crew members: a machine operator, a crew leader, and a two-person rapid intervention team.  

The “Tetris” Fire Truck

This image shows the contents of our water tank fire truck in their entirety, comprising tools and equipment for technical and medical support.  

Firefighting hoses and equipment as well as the vehicle crew.  

The small emergency vehicle provides versatile support for the fire truck rapid intervention team during incident response.

The vehicle and its two-person crew can also be deployed to handle smaller emergencies in their own right, such as oil spills or animal rescues.

The compact design of the vehicle enables the Fire Department to respond quickly and flexibly to a wide range of situations, including in confined spaces.

The turntable ladder truck is an important element of the Airport Fire Department’s building firefighting unit.

It is specially designed for rescue operations at height and for firefighting on higher floors. Fully extended, the basket can reach an impressive height of 30 meters.

Thanks to its flexible configuration options, including an upper section that can turn at an angle of up to 90°, the turntable ladder can reach areas that are hard to access.

A two-person crew can control and monitor the vehicle from the basket and on the ground.

AB-Rüst is a specialist unit comprising a hook loader truck with crane and the “Rüst” roll-off container.

The vehicle is operated by one person and is added to the firefighting unit as required.

Equipped with a wide range of materials and tools for complex technical relief in particular, it is deployed in cases where the equipment in the water tank fire truck is not sufficient.

Supplemented by a crane that makes it possible to lift and maneuver heavy loads, AB-Rüst significantly expands the potential use cases, making it particularly valuable for complex technical incidents.

AB-GAS is a specialist unit designed for incidents involving hazardous substances and radiation protection.

Comprising a hook loader truck and the “GAS” roll-off container, the vehicle is operated by one person and is added to the firefighting unit as required.

The container houses various measuring instruments, protective clothing and instruments such as hazardous material pumps.

AB-GAS is also equipped with additional breathing apparatus to ensure optimal preparation for incidents involving hazardous substances and radiation protection.

AB-CO2 is a specialist unit comprising a hook loader truck and a special roll-off container for CO₂ extinguishing agents.

The vehicle is operated by one person and is attached to the firefighting unit as required.

The roll-off container houses numerous CO₂ canisters that are used specifically for firefighting in buildings. CO₂ is particularly useful as an extinguishing agent, as it minimizes the damage caused by extinguishing the fire and protects sensitive materials and electronics.

The Airport Fire Department has around 70 roll-off containers with a wide range of different configurations. They can be loaded onto the hook loader trucks as required.