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Behind the Wheel, episode 2: the Magirus Fire Fighter Academy

Release Date: 08 Feb 2016
The Magirus M68L is the world's tallest turntable ladder

In the second episode of its ‘Behind the Wheel’ web series, CNH Industrial takes you to Ulm, Germany, the home of its global firefighting equipment brand Magirus. A group of visiting journalists are put through their paces at the brand’s Fire Fighter Academy. Watch them as they travel up the world’s tallest turntable ladder, take practice aim with powerful water hoses and take a spin in the famous Dragon fire engine. Watch the video on the CNH Industrial YouTube channel: youtu.be/upXIfsEF4YA

Magirus has been dedicated to developing innovative firefighting equipment and improving fire protection technology for more than 150 years. Many of the fire engines you will see in your lifetime are likely to have originated from the brand’s headquarters in Ulm, Germany. Ulm happens to be the birthplace of legendary theoretical physicist Albert Einstein and so as his brilliant equation finds its roots there, so did the vision of a volunteer firefighter in 1864. That vision has evolved into an international manufacturer of cutting-edge firefighting equipment and the technology that goes along with it. But what one may not know is that Magirus doesn’t just make the machines and send them off into the world, they also provide intensive training to go along with it.

A new video produced by CNH Industrial, parent company of Magirus, takes viewers through a crash course at the Magirus Fire Fighter Academy in Ulm.

Watch the video on the CNH Industrial YouTube Channel: youtu.be/upXIfsEF4YA

In the video we get a taste of what the Magirus Fire Fighter Academy is all about with a number of field-based exercises including water hose target practice and ladder maneuvering. The video’s participants were also treated to a bird’s eye view of the surrounding area as they get lifted up in the world’s highest turntable ladder: the M68L. The ladder reaches 68 meters (223 feet): that equates to a 20-storey building, 22 meters taller than the Statue of Liberty and a meter higher than the world’s highest cliff jump.

They also go for a spin in the Magirus SUPERDRAGON 8X8, a powerhouse of a machine designed for complex fire safety tasks at modern airports. This model series features a twin engine power pack, produced by CNH Industrial’s powertrain brand FPT Industrial. If both engines are put into action, the vehicle can reach up to 1,120 horsepower. It can also reach 85 kilometers per hour in 25 seconds and drive at 70 kilometers per hour while spraying water, foam or powder and pump up to 8,000 liters per minute.

Fire Fighter Academy

Magirus takes direct responsibility for its products, which it designs for and sells to fire brigades in over 150 countries. The brand develops a special relationship with each fire department from the very start in order to understand its individual mission requirements. The handover of the vehicle is by no means the last step in this relationship, but the beginning of one with firefighters around the world as they learn how to best use their new equipment and then later to refresh their knowledge and stay up to speed with the latest technologies through ongoing education.

The Magirus Fire Fighter Academy was established to train firefighters on how to use their new equipment to the fullest extent as well as operating it reliably and safely. Through this training program, Magirus offers its expertise to train all firefighters, from leaders to volunteers, who want to get the absolute most from their equipment. Knowledge is transferred through a mix of seminar and hands-on activities to develop know-how and skills. It covers the entire spectrum from operator and driving safety training to courses on tactics and practice missions with real-life conditions. 

​London, February 8, 2016

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