It's not uncommon to hear stories about the difficulties that arise when rescuing severely overweight individuals, particularly in the tabloid media. But behind these sensationalist reports and their often mocking and pitying undertones, there lies a serious predicament. Rescue workers are increasingly faced with the problem of working out how to free heavy-set people safely and securely from precarious situations - not least because their standard kit isn’t cut out for such scenarios. Searching for ways to safely rescue injured people weighing up to 350 kilograms from elevated, tight corners, the high-altitude rescue workers from Munich fire service department turned to EPV Hackenfort, an engineering firm specializing in rescue systems, for help.

The solution devised was the innovative KK1 500RE rescue unit, which is soon due to celebrate its INTERSCHUTZ debut in 2020 in Hannover. Measuring just 2.0 x 1.0 x 1.5 meters during transportation, the extremely compact KK1 500RE comprises the tried-and-tested KK1 500 fold-up man basket and a special carriage big enough to accommodate more corpulent individuals on board a stretcher. Besides a special trolley that makes this piece of kit easy to maneuver around an incident site, the rescue unit also comes with a matching trailer that can be towed by passenger vehicles and trucks alike thanks to an exchangeable drawbar. To ensure the system is as versatile as possible, EPV Hackenfort also offers to make custom adjustments to suit the often distinct technical requirements among different rescue teams. Certified by the German Social Accident Insurance association (DGUV), the KK1 500RE rescue unit consists exclusively of high-quality and corrosion-resistant materials, meaning it's easy to clean and low-maintenance.