30.04.2021

Tadano fire crane

Germany’s Darmstadt fire brigade has taken delivery of a 70 tonne Tadano ATF 70G-4 All Terrain crane converted for fire, rescue and recovery duties.

Replacing an aging fire service crane, the ATF 70G-4 features a six section 52.1 metre main boom and a nine to 16 metre bi-fold swingaway. The crane can travel with axle loads of 10 tonnes with 3.4 tonnes of counterweight, its swingaway and hook block on board.

In order to get it ready for active duty, the crane, which was purchased second hand, underwent a number of modifications including the addition of sirens and signals, additional lighting and camera systems, extra loading boxes and storage and bespoke decals. Supplied with a warranty and service package, the crane will be used to recovering larger vehicles or performing special rescue operations.
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Darmstadt fire brigade's newly converted Tadano ATF 70G-4 All Terrain crane

Volker Reibold, head of technology at the Darmstadt fire brigade, said: “We just didn’t have the budget for a new crane so it had to be a second hand one. But the problem there is that there is no second hand market for fire service cranes. That left us to find a standard crane in line with our requirements and budget and retrofit it.”

“We were able to view an ATF 70G-4 at a crane rental company and found that this crane was just what we were looking for. It’s easy to operate, easy to maintain and exceptionally reliable thanks to the dual engine concept. We also didn’t want a crane that needed some kind of degree just to be able to operate it. An overloaded cockpit with dozens of displays wouldn’t be much use to us at all. The Tadano cab is very tidy, and every switch is clearly labelled, which makes life much easier for our drivers and operators.”

Located to the south of Frankfurt, Darmstadt provides fire protection for more than 160,000 residents.