Marc Diening

For almost 100 years, Magirus Lohr has manufactured fire engines in Hönigtal near Kainbach in Austria. As a result of successful business developments in recent years, there is a requirement to accommodate potential growth. “Following increasing demand, we started a strategic search for a new location in 2017,” said Christian Reisl, Managing Director, Magirus Lohr, adding “Due to the specific topographic conditions, there is no possibility for expansion at the Hönigtal site.” Fire engines manufacturing plant The company has therefore determined a site in Zettling, located in the municipality of Premstätten near Graz, Austria, which, by 2020, will become a modern plant, comprising development and production facilities, a distribution centre as well as a point-of-sale for fire-fighting equipment. At 17,000m2 and an investment totalling some 10 million euros, the Company’s new location will operate to the latest standards and be ready to meet future challenges. Companies such as Magirus Lohr GmbH are the backbone of the Styrian economy" Regional Economic Councillor, Barbara Eibinger-Miedl underlines the importance of the company for the Graz location by stating, “Companies such as Magirus Lohr GmbH are the backbone of the Styrian economy. With Magirus Lohr, Styria has a leading company that turns tradition into innovation. The company’s new location is a result of successful developments over the past few years and creates the conditions for further growth and secures existing jobs in the region.” Uninterrupted fire engines production A key priority of Magirus Lohr is maintaining uninterrupted production during the transfer, whilst seamlessly optimising manufacturing processes. Magirus Lohr won the majority of tender lots advertised by the Austrian Federal Procurement Agency (BBG) for fire engines in late 2019. In addition, this site will continue as the manufacturing centre of excellence for crew cabins, group-wide components as well as responsibility for strategic market developments in Eastern Europe.  “Close customer relationships are the most significant element of Magirus’s philosophy,” said Marc Diening, CEO of the Magirus Group. “The new location will enable us to provide even better on-site customer support, and bring us closer to our customers, a fact already appreciated in Austria and abroad.”

Building firefighting vehicles can be best understood by firefighters themselves. That, at least, was the firm belief championed some 150 years ago by Conrad Dietrich Magirus - a passionate firefighter himself, not to mention the visionary and founder behind the company that bears his name. In keeping with this claim and tradition, Magirus is still committed to developing and manufacturing the most cutting-edge and reliable firefighting vehicles, ladders and integrated and portable fire pumps. Many employees at Magirus are trained firefighters who know exactly what a call-out requires - which just goes to show how timeless the words of Conrad Dietrich Magirus are. In the run-up to INTERSCHUTZ 2020 in Hannover, where it's set to showcase its latest innovations with its very own pavilion and stand, Magirus is now unveiling standard-compliant, natural gas-fueled (H)LF 10 as part of its "Innovative Drive Line" (iDL). Alternative drive technology The iDL has come to be synonymous with the latest developments in alternative drive technology that can be used in day-to-day applications reliably and without any compromises. "With the launch of the iDL, Magirus is taking what is currently technically feasible and what is required on a call-out and putting it into series production," explains Marc Diening, CEO of Magirus, when asked to summarize the focus of the new series. While many municipal authorities have had vehicles that run on compressed natural gas (CNG) in their fleets for some years now - successfully optimizing their CO2 emissions – the new (H)LF 10 marks the very first CNG-fueled fire engine. The (H)LF 10 is built on an Iveco Eurocargo “Natural Power” 4x2 chassis with a fully tested and homologated CNG installation, which features a tank with a 420 kg capacity and a fully automatic Allison torque converter transmission. Eco-friendly firefighting technology The 420 kg of CNG is enough to cover a distance of up to 300 km or power a pump for up to four hours. Not only that, but firefighters don't have to make any compromises when loading the vehicle, which fully complies with current standards. What’s more, the company's commitment to using the most eco-friendly firefighting technology available is not limited to just this drive system - it is also evident in the other innovative solutions used inside its vehicles. For example, they feature an innovative hydrogen-fueled hybrid power generator and battery-powered fans and rescue gear as standard, which help effectively reduce emissions over the long term. Magirus can be visited on site at Pavilion P32 at INTERSCHUTZ 2020.

Ronja Kemmer, member of the German parliament, visited the mutual Magirus and Iveco site in Ulm, in June. During a personal conversation with Marc Diening, President & CEO of Magirus, she showed great interest in the Ulm-based company with its long-standing tradition and was duly impressed by the upcoming developments in the field of firefighting and disaster protection: “The world of fire and rescue services is also in transition. Seeing the opportunities that arise for Magirus in Germany, but also worldwide, as a result of digitisation, networking and alternative drive technologies are really exciting.” Future-Oriented Drive Technologies Subsequently, during the guided site tour, she gained a detailed insight into the far-reaching competences of both companies in Ulm where more than 1400 people are employed. The focus was on Iveco's most recent developments in future-oriented drive technologies for trucks and on the Defence Vehicles segment. The visit was rounded off with a tour of the production facility and the customer centre, with product demonstrations, and a ride on the turntable ladder. Ronja Kemmer is a directly-elected member of parliament and in December 2014, when elected, was the youngest member of the German Bundestag.

Fire departments from all over the world gathered at the Congress Centre Ulm (Germany) on Friday evening where for the sixth time in a row the Conrad Dietrich Magirus Award – also known as the ‘Oscar of the Firefighting Industry’ – was presented. The São Paulo Fire Department was delighted to take home the coveted award as ‘International Firefighting Team 2018’ for its firefighting operation in a high-rise. The top three international nominees also included the Prague FD, which entered its fire-fighting deployment at a historic hotel as well as the Mexico City FD, which was honoured for its work after an earthquake. Regularly Outstanding Performances The Volunteer Fire Department from Waltershausen received the award for its 100 km charity run The title ‘National Fire Department Team 2018’ was received by the Volunteer Fire Department from Treuenbrietzen (Germany) for its operation fighting the largest forest fire in Brandenburg’s history. The Special Prize for Social Engagement also went to a German team: the Volunteer Fire Department from Waltershausen received the award for its 100 km charity run. The winners’ courageous missions saw them fight off stiff competition from teams from all over the world and they were subsequently honoured at the awards ceremony in front of some 600 invited guests. “With the Conrad Dietrich Magirus Award, we not only show our respect for every single operation and thank every firefighter for their individual commitment, but also highlight the regularly outstanding performances of fire departments around the world bringing them to the attention of the public”, says Marc Diening, Magirus CEO, in his welcome speech. Providing Humanitarian Aid “This year’s competition has also seen outstanding performances – from firefighting to technical and social assistance to disaster relief – all of which are exemplary in demonstrating the daily importance of firefighters in our society.” The coveted Conrad Dietrich Magirus statues were presented this year by the German aid organization ‘humedica e.V.’ and ‘Team Hahn Racing’, five-time winner of the European Truck Racing Championships. Since 1979, humedica has provided humanitarian aid around the world, especially after major natural disasters such as earthquakes or tsunamis. Wolfgang Groß, who founded the organisation 40 years ago with his brother and who sponsored the awards together with medical emergency team member Daniel Warkentin, was impressed by the operations presented: “People were evacuated from burning houses; entire villages protected from fire. Teamwork can save lives – this evening, we’ve seen impressive cases of this. It is also something that we, too, see over and over again in our missions.” Perfectly Functioning Team Perfect teamwork is the distinguishing feature of the ‘International Firefighting Team of the Year 2018’ Teamwork is also the priority of the second sponsor of the evening. ‘Team Hahn Racing’ has won the European Truck Racing Championships five times. Since 2017, they have entered international truck racing competitions as the ‘Iveco Magirus Bulls’. “Navigating a 1,100-horsepower truck in extreme situations is only possible with a perfectly functioning team”, says driver Jochen Hahn. Together with his colleague Rijk Schuhmacher, he paid tribute during the evening to all of the fire department team members on stage. Perfect teamwork is the distinguishing feature of the ‘International Firefighting Team of the Year 2018’. On May 2018, a 25-storey high-rise in the middle of São Paulo went up in flames. Within seconds, the flames in the dilapidated building spread to two other buildings. Up to 150 squatters were living in the former building of the Federal Police. In a joint effort, 170 members of the São Paulo Fire Department fought to control the fire and bring all persons to safety. Fire Department Team As rescue operations in the building were underway, however, the building abruptly collapsed. With combined strength, the forces searched the debris and simultaneously fought the fire. The firefighters worked for nearly 300 hours; seven people lost their lives in the fire. With its submission, the São Paulo Fire Department prevailed against teams from all over world and was thus able to take home the coveted Conrad Dietrich Magirus Statue. In addition, a visit to the best-known fire brigade in the world, the Fire Department City of New York (FDNY), awaits the winners. This year, the Special Prize was also given at international level and was won by a fire department team from Germany. The athletic team of the Volunteer Fire Department from Waltershausen in Thuringia was awarded the ‘Special Prize for Social Engagement’ for its 100 km fire department charity run. Firefighting Training Course The Conrad Dietrich Magirus Award was again supported by renowned companies in the firefighting industry The athletes were able to donate € 14,500 to Paulinchen e.V. – an initiative for children with burn injuries. In addition to the coveted award, the athletic team won an individual firefighting training course with the Magirus Fire Fighter Academy. An expert jury comprising Paul Baxter, Commissioner Fire and Rescue New South Wales, Michel Bour, Secretary General of the World Firefighters Association CTIF, Danielle Cotton, London Fire Commissioner QFSM, Hermann Kollinger from the Austrian Fire Department magazine ‘Brennpunkt’ and Markus Görtler from Magirus chose the best applications which were then published online for the public to vote for. The entry that received the most votes from the jury and the online voters, was declared the winner. In 2018, the Conrad Dietrich Magirus Award was again supported by renowned companies in the firefighting industry. Emergency One (UK) Ltd., ENDRESS Elektrogerätebau, DÖNGES as well as LUKAS/VETTER/AWG who provided support during all phases of the competition – from the application announcement and submission process to the awards ceremony in Ulm.

The application period for the Conrad Dietrich Magirus Award is over. Two high-ranking juries of experts have assed all fire department team submissions and pre-selected the entries for the upcoming online voting. This task has been even more demanding because not only the number of applications in all categories has increased, but also the entire range of operation types has been convincingly shown. “We are very pleased about the great interest of fire department teams and the numerous applications received from many different countries. The high quality of the operations promises a very exciting competition,” says Marc Diening, President & CEO of Magirus, summarising the completion of the application phase. Festive Award Ceremony For the ‘Firefighting Team of the Year’, ten international and ten national missions can be chosen from In addition to the increase in the number of submissions, the even deeper commitment of the award sponsors shows the increasing importance of the award. For the ‘Firefighting Team of the Year’, ten international and ten national missions can be chosen from. In the category ‘Special prize for Social Engagement’, six teams are hoping for many votes in support of their social campaigns and projects. The winners of the title and the coveted statue will be announced at the festive award ceremony in Ulm (Germany) on March 1, 2019. For the first time, a partner from the UK, Emergency One, could be secured. Including Special Equipment “Firefighters are available 365 days a year in the service of society and often reach their limits during missions. With the Conrad Dietrich Magirus Award, this dedication receives special attention and appreciation beyond national borders. We are happy to support that,” explains Mike Madsen, Managing Director of Emergency One, about the sponsor’s commitment as a Gold Sponsor. The company is a provider of fire and rescue vehicles and the associated equipment in the United Kingdom. For the third time in a row, Endress Electrogerätebau GmbH and Dönges GmbH & Co. KG are also supporting the Conrad Dietrich Magirus Award. Endress develops power generation units for the world market, including special equipment for firefighting and civil protection operations, and has become the provider of electricity producers in Europe. Among other things, the system supplier Dönges furnishes fire departments with complete ranges of devices for their vehicles. Hydraulic Cutting Device LUKAS was the first provider to develop a hydraulic cutting device for rescue operations The company's portfolio also includes equipment, tools, warning materials, extinguisher and auxiliary devices, tool sets and illumination products. Vetter GmbH, AWG Fittings GmbH and Lukas Hydraulik GmbH are again among the Silver Sponsors. In 1972, LUKAS was the first provider to develop a hydraulic cutting device for rescue operations, thus laying the foundation for 40 years of experience in global deployment scenarios. The rescue device producer Vetter provides fire and rescue services around the world with specific equipment such as pneumatic rescue tents and lift cushions. As a global provider of firefighting fittings and fire protection devices, AWG Fittings supplies fire departments with sophisticated and innovative products.