Rosenbauer International : Schiphol Group relies on Rosenbauer

• 18 PANTHER in high-end design with a wide range of special equipment
• All Schiphol Group ARFF vehicles from Rosenbauer by 2020
• New fleet with optimum life cycle performance

Rosenbauer, the world's leading fire service outfitter, has received an order from airport operator Royal Schiphol Group for the delivery of 18 ARFF vehicles. The Schiphol Group is re-equipping Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Lelystad Airports: 13 PANTHER 8x8 ARFF vehicles will be commissioned in Amsterdam, three PANTHER 6x6 ARFF vehicles in Rotterdam, and two PANTHER 6x6 ARFF vehicles in Lelystad. All will be equipped with 16.5 m STINGER HRETs and high-end on-board extinguishing technology. With the new PANTHER fleet, the Schiphol Group is equipping itself for the further growth of the three airports, and is significantly increasing the effectiveness of its fire brigades: Rotterdam will in future meet the fire safety requirements of an ICAO and EASA Category 8 airport, while Lelystad will meet Category 7 standards with the new vehicles.

Airport of Superlatives
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is one of the largest aviation hubs in the world, with 63 million passengers a year, six runways, and a surface area of 2,800 hectares. Around 479,000 aircraft movements were recorded in 2016, with 322 destinations served and around 3,000 aircraft of ICAO Category 10 (Airbus A380, Boeing 747-800) handled. The infrastructure is currently being expanded, and a new terminal building will be built, which will increase the capacity of the Dutch hub by 14 million passengers from 2023.

Vehicles of Superlatives
The vehicles for Amsterdam Airport are identical PANTHER 8x8s of the new generation equipped with a STINGER high-reach extendable turret (HRET). 'They are state-of-the-art in terms of technology, safety, and ease of use, and, equipped with numerous special options, they are perfectly adapted to the conditions at Amsterdam Airport,' says Steve John, area sales manager at Rosenbauer.

The vehicles reach a top speed of 140 km/h and have special wide tires, which in conjunction with a central tire pressure control system, provide greater traction, especially on unpaved terrain. The teams are better protected than ever before in the ECE R29/3 crash-tested cabs; drivers are supported by state-of-the-art electronics (EBS, ADM, DWD) and a high-performance airport navigation system (EMEREC DEVS).

The extinguishing technology's key components include a high-end pump unit with an electronically controlled around-the-pump foam proportioning system, an additional dry powder unit, two roof turrets, and an extinguishing lance (piercing tool). The main and bumper turrets can be operated with maximum power during driving, while the extinguishing lance can pierce an aircraft wall to deliver water into the cabin. The HRET, turret and piercing tool are operated via joysticks from the PANTHER cockpit. Color and thermal imaging cameras show on a display where the operators are aiming with the turret and extinguishing jet, and where they are deploying the piercing tool.

Sustainable Operation
The Schiphol Group has opted for Rosenbauer's PANTHER following an extensive international selection process. Decisive for awarding the contract were the superior technical concept and an excellent price-performance ratio. 'Of great importance to the customer was the lowest possible maintenance and service costs over the entire product life cycle,' adds Steve John. Behind this are the environmental goals of the Schiphol Group, which aims to make its airports zero-waste airports by 2030, with the Amsterdam hub becoming the most sustainable in the world.