Vehicles and special equipment worth around 1.8 million euros were officially put into service
The Groß-Gerau district has further expanded its disaster relief capabilities and officially commissioned new emergency vehicles and specialized equipment at the district training center in Groß-Gerau. The district invested a total of approximately €1.8 million in the new equipment. The acquisitions were based on needs and development planning and were coordinated with the municipalities and aid organizations. The vehicles are available for both disaster relief and local emergency response.
The investments focus particularly on the increasing challenges posed by climate change. Following the experiences of the 2021 floods and several forest and vegetation fires, specialized vehicles for such emergencies have once again been procured. The urgent need for these vehicles is already evident: the two new water tenders for vegetation fires have already been deployed six times, even before their official handover.
District administrator christens new rescue boat “Manta”
District Fire Inspector Friedrich Schmidt and his deputy Andreas Möstl, together with District Administrator Thomas Will, welcomed representatives of the municipalities and aid organizations to the official vehicle handover.
The district administrator played a special role in the christening of the new rescue boat "Manta." Together with Laura Pfeifer from the DLRG Rüsselsheim (German Life Saving Association), he officially named the boat. The new water rescue vessel replaces an outdated boat belonging to the DLRG Rüsselsheim and will be deployed in the future as part of the district's second water rescue unit, together with the DLRG local groups from Raunheim and Kelsterbach.
Special vehicles for forest fires, floods and severe weather
The two new fire engines are specially designed for fighting forest and vegetation fires in difficult terrain. Thanks to their off-road capabilities, they can reach locations without paved roads. They are also suitable for flood situations and can traverse flooded roads with a water depth of up to 1.20 meters. The vehicles are stationed at the fire stations in Biebesheim and Rüsselsheim-Bauschheim.
The remote-controlled firefighting robot "Wolf R1" also attracted considerable interest. This specialized vehicle is used particularly in areas contaminated with munitions or in dangerous industrial and underground parking garage fires, where deployment by firefighters would be too risky. The robot is stationed at the Ginsheim-Gustavsburg fire station.
More firefighting water and modern command and control
To improve the firefighting water supply, two roll-off containers, each with a capacity of 10,000 liters, and a water transport vehicle with a capacity of 15,000 liters were also procured. These vehicles are primarily used in forest fires and large-scale fires and can also support the drinking water supply in crisis situations. All systems have already been used in initial deployments.
The new equipment is complemented by a modern command vehicle for the rescue service, which will serve as a mobile command post in major incidents. In addition, another command vehicle for rescue service staging areas will be stationed at the Raunheim branch of the German Red Cross, replacing an older vehicle.
With these investments, the Groß-Gerau district is sustainably strengthening its operational capability in the event of natural disasters, major incidents and exceptional emergency situations.
(District of Gross-Gerau – PSKGG)
