The Rosenbauer Group is one of the worlds three largest manufacturers of fire-service vehicles and firefighting equipment, based in Leonding, Austria.

Rosenbauer supplies the fire fighting sector in over 100 countries with a wide range of custom fire and rescue apparatus and services. It produces its extensive series of fire fighting vehicles and aerials in three continents, to both European and US standards.

The world around us is constantly changing. Based on the megatrends in firefighting, Rosenbauer is already designing the firefighting vehicle of tomorrow – today.

The future trends such as the silver society, gender shift and individualization suggest that the working methods of fire departments will change fundamentally. The CFT, therefore, stands for an ergonomically optimized vehicle that can be adapted to a wide variety of requirements and operated intuitively. Connectivity, globalization and knowledge culture reflect the importance of communication and digitization in our society. The networking of man and machine will become increasingly important and will also make a decisive contribution to the success of operations. The topics of mobility, new ecology and urbanization are important when it comes to environmental protection and traffic. The Concept Fire Truck is electrically powered and is, therefore, environmentally friendly, maneuverable and safe.

In June 2020, the CFT becomes the RT (Revolutionary Technology), a new vehicle series that brings the advantages and functionalities of the CFT into series production. The series development will be completed in 2021 with practical tests at the first customers Berliner Feuerwehr, Brandweer Amsterdam Amstelland and Dubai Civil Defense

In road driving mode, the Concept Fire Truck has a ground clearance of 250 mm. If necessary, the vehicle can be lowered by 100 mm at the scene, thus providing convenient access for driver and crew. The CFT can be easily raised to a ground clearance of 350 mm when driving over rough terrain, and even to 480 mm when crossing flooded roads.

Against the backdrop of future trends such as the Silver Society and the gender shift, Rosenbauer anticipates the need for a reduction in removal heights and is already focusing on the ergonomic stowage of equipment in the vehicle. The lowerable undercarriage allows all CFT equipment to be easily reached from the ground. The usual hinged steps have been omitted and there is no need to climb onto the vehicle roof.

The remote-controlled crawler manipulator has compact dimensions, can be loaded with up to 750 kg and is multifunctional due to the capacity of the modules. Both the simple transport of heavy objects such as the hydraulic rescue device or a portable pump and the use of a water turret for firefighting operations are examples of applications that are possible without any problems with the crawler manipulator.

Compared to a standard vehicle with the same maneuverability, the CFT offers more space in the equipment compartment. Water and foam tanks could be installed in various sizes, as the vehicle is designed to easily grow with the requirements of the wheelbase. The rear compartment also offers individual and innovative solutions. For example, the CFT has been equipped with a lifting platform to accommodate various manipulation systems.

An integrated high-performance LED surround lighting ensures 20 times higher luminosity in the CFT than in conventional firefighting vehicles. The extreme luminous intensity of the LED strip running horizontally on the vehicle enables homogeneous and glare-free light and shadowless illumination when working at the scene. In addition, the Concept Fire Truck is equipped with a cornering light and warning lights.

In the cockpit, the CFT is equipped with a rotating driver and commander’s seat. A conference seating arrangement for the crew cab was chosen to improve communication during the operational trip and during the operational briefing. The main control station serves as a central information point for all occupants.

The CFT is equipped with a WiFi access point as well as the Rosenbauer EMEREC operations management system. The wireless control panel allows the functions of the CFT, as well as drones, to be controlled from any location. In the event of technical problems, the built-in background assistance system also enables external access to the vehicle and remote diagnosis if required.