The Lippstadt Fire Service, a voluntary fire brigade with wholetime firefighters, serves a community of roughly 72,000 residents. With a team of approximately 100 wholetime and over 400 on-call firefighters, it is well equipped to tackle the many challenges they face. Today, particular emphasis is placed on delivering technical assistance, which is increasingly replacing conventional firefighting incidents.
Like many other fire and rescue services, the Lippstadt Fire Service faces various incident scenarios that go far beyond simply putting out fires. Providing technical assistance, such as opening doors, working with other emergency services and dealing with storm damage, is an important part of the job. The River Lippe, which flows through the centre of Lippstadt, poses additional challenges, especially during floods and heavy rains. To cope with these demands, the Lippstadt Fire Service relies on state-of-the-art and versatile technology.
Use of the Schäffer telescopic wheel loader 6680 T
The Schäffer telescopic wheel loader 6680 T is a key component of the Lippstadt Fire Service’s technical equipment. This compact and agile machine delivers a range of up to 5 metres and a capacity to lift loads of up to 3 tonnes thanks to its telescopic arm. These features ensure that the telescopic wheel loader is an indispensable tool for technical assistance and logistical support.
Wide range of applications
The telescopic wheel loader 6680 T is an ideal and practical tool for many scenarios. When using the pallet fork, vehicles can be unloaded and cargo transported. The multifunctional bucket with gripper arm can be used as a service tool to clear fallen trees and debris from roadways. The telescopic wheel loader proves particularly effective during flood and water incidents when transporting sandbags and positioning flood barriers.
The Schäffer telescopic wheel loader 6680 T has an operating weight of roughly 6 tonnes and a lifting height of 4.95 metres.
Safety and operating comfort
A decisive advantage of the Schäffer telescopic wheel loader is the good all-round visibility from the cab, which ensures a high level of safety at the incident site. The articulation joint guarantees ease of manoeuvrability, even in tight spaces. These features are particularly valuable, as the telescopic wheel loader is frequently operated by on-call firefighters who have a background in agriculture and are, therefore, familiar with such machines. Boris Surendorf, Head of Technical Services for the Fire and Rescue Service of the City of Lippstadt, claims: “The good all-round visibility and the telescopic range of up to 5 metres enable us to work safely and efficiently. Manoeuvrability of the machine, particularly in tight spaces, is a major advantage.”
Farmers are a valuable resource
A good percentage of the on-call firefighters of the Lippstadt Fire Service are farmers who are well-versed in handling machines like the Schäffer telescopic wheel loader 6680 T. “Our farmers are very familiar with this type of equipment and can apply their expertise directly to the incident,” explains Boris Surendorf. “And we obviously make use of this resource willingly within the fire service. In fact, the telescopic wheel loader is often alerted and dispatched even before an incident commander. The efficiency of this resource is maximised thanks to an emerging pool of trained operators from the farming community.”
The tines of the pallet fork can be folded up to enable safe road transport to the incident site.
Boris Surendorf, Head of Technical Services for the Fire and Rescue Service of the City of Lippstadt, is delighted with the investment in a telescopic wheel loader.
Future perspectives and expansions
The Lippstadt Fire Service plans to further expand the range of applications for the telescopic wheel loader. These plans also involve acquiring a working platform to enhance flexibility when attending storm-related incidents and using chainsaws. This expansion will broaden the range of applications for the telescopic wheel loader and improve the operational efficiency of the fire service.
When summarising the advantages of the machine, Boris Surendorf says: “The Schäffer telescopic wheel loader 6680 T has proved to be a valuable addition to the Lippstadt Fire Service. Its versatility, performance and operator-friendliness make it an indispensable tool when responding to modern-day incident scenarios. Thanks to this investment, the Lippstadt Fire Service is now better equipped to respond effectively and efficiently to the diverse challenges of fire and disaster protection in the future.”