New fire engine for the Mayrhofen company fire brigade
The VERBUND company fire brigade in Mayrhofen is delighted about its new fire engine. The handover ceremony took place on 26 September in the presence of Deputy Mayor Monika Wechselberger and Pastor Jürgen Gradwohl. The new flagship was sponsored by Birgit Fiegl, the wife of the works group manager. The local volunteer fire brigades and the Mayrhofen Federal Music Band provided the appropriate festive setting.
“The entire vehicle is state of the art in firefighting technology and will make an important contribution to operational fire protection at the VERBUND power plants in the Zillertal. VERBUND has invested around 460,000 euros in this,” reports plant group manager Marco Fiegl, delighted with the acquisition.
“The modern emergency vehicle is not only a benefit for VERBUND, but also contributes to the safety of the entire market town of Mayrhofen in order to better meet the challenges that arise in emergencies,” says Mayor Jörg Moigg, recognising the benefits for the entire region.
On duty for company and region
The VERBUND company fire brigade has a total of 55 active members and works closely with the surrounding volunteer fire brigades in order to be able to respond quickly and effectively in an emergency. Each year, the team carries out an average of four firefighting operations in the company, fifteen technical operations and around one to two assistance operations outside the company.
In the event of fires/accidents in the power plant facilities, the company fire brigade in the Zillertal always responds first and, if necessary, calls in support from volunteer fire brigades in the surrounding area. “The cooperation with neighbouring fire brigades is very good, so that we can always fall back on the ‘volunteers’ and vice versa, of course. Like any other volunteer fire brigade, we are subject to the provincial fire brigade law and can also help our colleagues in the event of a major fire or an assistance mission due to severe weather or flooding, as we have access to the same equipment,” says Commander Daniel Sporer, emphasising how the cooperation works in practice.
Fire engine equipment
The new fire engine of the VERBUND company fire brigade in Mayrhofen replaces the old one built in 1991, a Mercedes-Benz Atego chassis with 15 tonnes and 299 hp. The all-wheel-drive emergency vehicle has a 2,000-litre water tank and a 100-litre foam tank.
The Rosenbauer superstructure also accommodates some special equipment that is specifically required in the complex power plant facilities. This includes twin-pack breathing apparatus, ventilation equipment, lifting bags, vehicle fire blanket, rescue and recovery equipment and a portable water cannon.
Effective operational fire protection is crucial for VERBUND, given the complex buildings with numerous hazards such as electricity, voltage, high pressures and long tunnel accesses. With the modern vehicle, the team is now optimally equipped for all possible operations in the power plants and beyond.
VERBUND power plant group Zillertal
The Roßhag and Häusling pumped storage power plants and the Mayrhofen and Gerlos storage power plants form the VERBUND power plant group Zillertal – one of Austria’s most powerful power plant groups.
Together with the Gunggl, Bösdornau, Stillupp, Spiegelwald and the Häusling CHP power plants, the Zillertal power plant group has an annual generation of more than 1,700 MWh, which corresponds to the average annual consumption of around 470,000 households.
