Fire service & disaster relief
A truck for all emergencies.
For several months now, the first Zetros in Costa Rica — a Zetros 2733 6x6 — has been in service with special firefighting units.
Scarlet Zetros supports Costa Rica's firefighters in rescue operations.
It's often unbearably hot, sometimes stormy, and always risky. When the emergency alarm goes off in Costa Rica, rescue teams are confronted with many uncertainties. One thing they do know for sure: even getting to the scene will be a real challenge. Costa Rica is a country of extremes: impressive volcanic mountain ranges, torrential rivers, dry lowlands and the rough Pacific coast alternate with lush rainforests, swamps and alluvial plains on the Atlantic Caribbean coast.
To be able to operate under these extreme conditions, the Costa Rican fire department was looking for an equally extreme vehicle. Its reputation as a robust cab-behind-engine truck preceded the Zetros. As the first vehicle of its kind, a Zetros 2733 6x6 has been in operation in Costa Rica for special units for several months now.
Flexible, highly off-road-capable truck for nationwide rescue operations.
The Benemérito Cuerpo de Bomberos de Costa Rica, the state firefighting service, manages the emergency call centre and 75 fire stations across the country. In total, the Bomberos, the firefighters, therefore have to constantly monitor 51,100 km². In addition to classic firefighting missions, there are also other tasks, such as mountain rescue and responding to problems with critical infrastructure.
Often the Bomberos put themselves in danger during emergencies. The Zetros is intended to provide a bit more safety on operations — and above all the certainty of actually reaching the incident site. Because that cannot be taken for granted. For this reason the cab-behind-engine truck will be deployed nationwide – and will be able to fully demonstrate its mobility and robustness off metalled roads.
As an important member of the fire brigade, the truck also wears a uniform: its fire-red paintwork even makes it look like a bombero. The many and varied logistical tasks of the off-road specialist depend directly on the particular emergency – whether it is floods, building and forest fires, or disaster relief after earthquakes.
While electricity generators and light masts are part of the Zetros's standard equipment, the truck is otherwise outfitted depending on the mission scenario. For rescue missions in caves and mountains, the equipment includes mobile kitchens, tools for high-angle rescue, ropes and tents. On forest missions it is usually about wildfires: portable pumps, water tanks, fire hoses, shelters and tools for cutting firebreaks are brought to the scene by the Zetros. The G-USAR special unit, in turn, requires equipment for rescue after structural collapses. Location devices, diggers, engines and chainsaws, for example, find their place in the roomy body of the red giant.
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Lift for efficient loading.
Because most emergencies don't announce themselves before they occur, rapid action in an emergency is one of the most important guiding principles. Refitting emergency vehicles must not become a time-consuming bottleneck. The large and, above all, heavy boxes of rescue equipment must be loaded on board quickly; often every minute counts.
The Zetros is designed for simple and fast loading. It is therefore equipped with a vertical lift at the rear that helps to prepare the truck efficiently for transfer and ensures rapid operational readiness on site.
“With the Zetros we will in future be able to reach even the most remote deployment sites and provide assistance there.”
At home in any terrain.
“Conventional trucks are limited to road traffic – uneven terrain, rocks or flooded roads are hardly accessible to them,” explains the Benemérito Cuerpo de Bomberos. “The Zetros, however, will lift our previous limitations thanks to its diverse capabilities.”
Decades of off-road know-how and innovative technology combine in the Mercedes-Benz Zetros to form a modern truck concept for extreme tasks. While the Euro III engine is mounted under the bonnet on the front axle, the driver sits behind it – the result is a calm and safe driving behaviour. Permanent all-wheel drive, differential locks, steel-sprung external planetary axles with drum brakes, and a reinforced frame provide the necessary robustness in forests and mountainous terrain. For the Zetros, gradients of up to 70 per cent are no problem. And thanks to a wading depth of up to 1.19 metres, it also makes its way through Central America's waterways with ease.
Among the firefighters there is nothing short of complete satisfaction, as the newcomer has fully met expectations after just a few months in service. This has therefore provided a clear recommendation for more Zetros in Costa Rica's rescue fleet.
Mercedes-Benz on site.
AutoStar Vehículos assisted the fire department in the selection and acquisition of the new Zetros. Since 2003, the general agency has managed the distribution, sales and after-sales service of the Mercedes-Benz brand. Three facilities with workshops in the province of San José in and around the provincial capital of the same name provide comprehensive advice and customer service. In addition, AutoStar is certified for the inspection, warranty and maintenance of Mercedes-Benz vehicles and has a training center for commercial vehicle customers.
Learn more about AutoStar Vehículos S.A.:
www.autostar.cr
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