Scania‘s fire tanker truck set to combat forest blazes
The worst-ever forest fires that raged in Sweden this past summer have highlighted the need for
Built on a standard XT 6×6 chassis, the truck features a water tank with the capacity to hold 6000
“What distinguishes this truck is the flexible attachment between the frame and body in order to cope with the uneven movement in terrain,” said Johan Sand at the Atteviks Scania dealership. “With a rigid attachment, the tanks might crack. It has also been equipped with heavy-duty threaded off-road terrain
The Eksjö rescue services previously had an ex-army Saab-Scania SBAT 111S 6×6 tactical truck – the acronym for Special Bulldog Allwheeldrive Tandem – from 1976, first on loan and subsequently donated by the armed forces.
“That was a really great truck in terrain but it was dated after 42 years and spares were increasingly difficult to obtain,” said Micael Carlsson, head of the Eksjö Rescue Services.
Carlsson‘s aim was to replace the vintage truck with a modern
“However, we didn‘t have the budget for a
Following discussions with the Scania dealership, a special-order chassis was designed using standard components with bodywork by Sala Brand.
“We‘ve not yet actively used the vehicle but our staff has trained with the new truck,” said Carlsson. “It performs almost as well as the SBAT with another level of comfort and safety.”
The Eksjö area was spared from forest fires last summer but the firefighting crews were kept busy in
“We stand ready to assist others with firefighting resources but I don‘t think that we‘ll be taking the truck on the road; with these
The Scania XT truck seats two but the Eksjö Rescue Services have other personnel carriers for crews.
“The real advantage is not having to pull the hose as far when establishing firebreaks.
“Considering payload, we could have built larger volume tanks but that would have adversely affected
VIDEO: Watch the fire truck in action: https://www.facebook.com/scaniagroup/videos/255507031779607/