The German federal states of Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania have started to take delivery of 46 new Euro VI Tatra Force 815-7 4x4 forest fire pumper vehicles, equipped with Allison 4500 Series fully automatic transmissions, following a Europe-wide open tender.
Vehicles to fight wildfires
LSTE Brandenburg, a state school and technical facility for fire and disaster protection, and the central police service of the state of Brandenburg specified and ordered the bespoke vehicles on behalf of the ministries of the interior to fight increasing numbers of wildfires in rough terrain.
Both states have large, forested areas and have experienced numerous, and in some cases devastating, forest fires in recent years. As former military training areas with the possibility of ammunition in the ground (legacies of former ammunition depots from the Second World War), firefighting efforts are significantly hampered.
Tatra Force 815-7 4x4
It has a remarkable gradient-climbing capability of 78%, equivalent to approximately 38 degrees
The Tatra Force 815-7 4x4 has a TLF-W body type ‘Brandenburg’ from Czech body builder, THT Polička. It is powered by an Allison 4500 Series fully automatic transmission and a 6-cylinder Euro VI Cummins diesel engine rated at 291 kW (390 hp). The 18-ton truck reaches a maximum speed (limited) of 100 km/h (62 mph).
The all-wheel-drive delivers off-road capability at all times. The TLF-W has a water passage capability of 110 cm and can drive through water up to 110 cm. It has a remarkable gradient-climbing capability of 78%, equivalent to approximately 38 degrees. The extinguishing water tank holds 4,800 liters and an additional 180 liters of foam compound. The pump-and-roll function enables extinguishing operations to continue while the vehicle is in motion.
Vehicles Maximize robustness, off-road capability
Following successful testing and approval, the first vehicle was handed over to the Kolkwitz municipal fire brigade on February 8th at Tatra Force’s manufacturing plant in the Czech Republic. Eleven vehicles are destined for Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and 35 for Brandenburg, where they will complement the existing fire appliances of the volunteer fire departments.
The LSTE required these special vehicle properties to maximize the vehicle's robustness, off-road capability, and power, while at the same time providing enhanced control and comfort for the crew. Moving an 18-ton truck quickly and efficiently in extremely rough terrain requires the complete transfer of engine power and torque to the wheels. Allison's fully automatic transmission with its patented torque converter and uninterrupted full-power shifts delivers excellent acceleration and continuous traction.
performance and safety
Fully automatic transmission makes the work for our volunteer emergency services much easier"
"We depend on uncompromising performance and safety," said Maurice Kuhnert, Head of Technology at LSTE. “Drivers must be able to trust the performance of the vehicles and be in control of them at all times. Fully automatic transmission makes the work for our volunteer emergency services much easier. The intelligent transmission logic thinks for itself and supports the driver both on the road and, above all, off-road."
“In recent years we've had an increase in large forest fires, which requires more of these powerful special vehicles”, said Maurice Kuhnert, Head of Technology at LSTE.
forest fires and climate change risk
“The forested area in Brandenburg is approximately 1.09 million hectares which represent about 37% of the state’s total surface area. Large parts of it are already considered at high risk of forest fires and climate change has not even been taken into account. We expect the new TLF-W to be significantly more effective in fighting fires and to relieve our emergency services.”
The Allison 4500 Series™ fully automated transmission is supplied to Tatra and supported by NIMDA, the official Allison Authorized℠ distributor for the Czech Republic.
automatic transmissions for vehicles
The easy operation of the vehicles and the jerk-free driving simplifies the job of the drivers immensely"
“We recommend fully automatic transmissions for such vehicles, especially since the fire crews are often volunteer firefighters with comparatively little driving experience”, said Stephan Marker, Area Sales Manager at Allison Transmission.
“The easy operation of the vehicles and the jerk-free driving simplifies the job of the drivers immensely. They do not have to change gears and can concentrate fully on the task. Allison's patented torque converter multiplies engine torque during start-up and acceleration. And when changing gears, there is no interruption in traction, but a seamless transfer of power to the wheels.”
Vehicle efficiency
The integration of body and pumping equipment is also crucial to the overall efficiency of a firefighting vehicle. “Having an Allison transmission in the drive train enables the chassis, body, and pump to operate together efficiently,” said Lars Friedrich, Sales Manager Germany for THT Polička / TATRA Trucks at the German Tatra distributor Friedrich GmbH und Co. KG.
“In addition, the torque converter powershift transmission enables the Cummins engines to unleash their full torque. As a result, the Tatra Force chassis can implement uncompromising traction and acceleration to emergency vehicles.”
Allison fully automatic transmissions have demonstrated outstanding reliability and robustness in the toughest conditions and as a result, are used by numerous fire departments worldwide.