Putting out fires, saving lives and running toward danger - besides courage and drive, all these activities demand a huge amount of passion, too. The management team and many of the staff at Schlingmann are themselves members of fire departments, so they know what it means to follow this very special vocation. They do their best to bring this inner conviction to bear in their product development. For well over 100 years, Schlingmann has stood for customized transportation, and since 1936, it has specialized in fire department vehicles.

Fire departments face a number of challenges, especially the extreme weather events of recent years, but also new hazardous situations and a shortage of personnel. The ideal solution, of course, would be to have a special vehicle for every potential situation - unfortunately, that is both uneconomical and impractical in terms of space. On the other hand, existing vehicles cannot be expanded and refitted as required, either. As a result, there is an increasing demand for innovative solutions such as the VARUS CASTRA from Schlingmann. According to the manufacturer, this new concept offers the perfect combination of a fully equipped fire truck and a flexible logistics vehicle.

On the one hand, Schlingmann has fitted the CASTRA with everything you would expect on a conventional fire truck - side equipment lockers for quick access, a high-performance fire pump, a high-volume water tank and a spacious crew cabin. On the other hand, what is new on the CASTRA (which comes from the Latin for "store") is the design of its tail area. With the water tank and pump moved further forward, space has been created behind a tail lift for a logistics area that can accommodate up to three standard roll containers. Depending on the nature of the call-out, this area can be kitted out with exactly the equipment the crew needs - and in next to no time. At the same time, the CASTRA's concept offers the benefit of having all the equipment needed for a wide range of first-response scenarios - no matter what is loaded in the logistics area.

Schlingmann GmbH & Co. KG (49201 Dissen, Germany)
Website: www.schlingmann112.de