Safe to the scene: Günzburg Fire Brigade trusts AL-KO VT Trailer Control
The fire brigade ensures safety – and needs it too: when travelling quickly to an emergency, they are often on the road in large vehicles with utility trailers. A product from AL-KO VT ensures that these combinations stay securely on track – as is the case with the Günzburg Fire Brigade.
As fast as the fire brigade – but always with safety in mind
Whether fires, accidents or disasters – the fire brigade must always reach the scene as quickly as possible. After all, every minute counts when lives are at stake. However, at the high speeds necessary for operations, firefighters also risk their own safety on the road.
A particular challenge is manoeuvring 12-tonne fire service vehicles with utility trailers at high speeds. For example, traffic safety trailers need to be brought quickly to the scene of an accident on the motorway. Often, the traffic situation is unclear; with added wind, weather, or rutted surfaces, the situation can become dangerous for both drivers and other road users.
Overtaking and changing lanes are especially risky with the additional load in tow. The trailer can begin to sway or develop a snaking motion. In addition, due to the size of the main fire vehicles, the trailers are usually not visible in the rear-view mirror. This means the driver must continually check the mirrors – at speeds of up to 110 km/h, in scenarios that demand complete attention on what is happening ahead.
New control system increases fire brigade safety on the road
The Günzburg Fire Brigade uses an intelligent solution to keep their towing combination under control: the anti-sway system AL-KO VT Trailer Control (ATC) for utility trailers from AL-KO VT.
The system continuously monitors the trailer's driving behaviour. Using sensors, the ATC detects hazardous lateral movements directly on the trailer axle, even before a trailer ESP system on the towing vehicle can register the swaying motion. If limits are exceeded, the ATC is automatically activated and uses Bowden cables to engage the trailer's brakes. By briefly braking the trailer, the combination is stabilised and realigned. This reduces lateral acceleration and defuses the hazardous situation. The entire process is barely noticeable for the driver – they can concentrate fully on the traffic situation.
ATC was, until recently, only available for recreational vehicles. The reason: up to now, this system only functioned in this way when the trailer's weight remained relatively constant. This is usually the case with leisure trailers: the payload is typically quite low, and the unladen and permissible weights are close together. With utility trailers, however, the total weight depends on each load. To ensure ATC could also provide greater safety for utility trailers, the engineers at AL-KO VT expanded the ATC. The new ATC for utility trailers now adapts dynamically to the respective load weight – and keeps them safely on track.
Günzburg Fire Brigade
To ensure the system is always ready for action, ATC performs a self-test every time the trailer is hitched. A green light indicates that the ATC is active. The driver then knows that, even in critical situations, the trailer will remain securely on track behind the towing vehicle. On average, the system registers one hazardous situation per operation for the Günzburg firefighters. The driver no longer has to worry about these, and can focus solely on reaching the scene of the incident as quickly as possible to save lives.
“The ATC is a great asset to our fire brigade,” says Christoph Stammer, commander and chief fire officer of the Günzburg Fire Brigade. “The more our drivers can concentrate on the traffic around them, the safer our operations will be for ourselves and other road users.”
You can find information about the Günzburg Fire Brigade here.
