Essen Fire Department takes delivery of Tadano AC 4.080-1

Won in a formal tender

The brigade serves a city of around 600,000 people at the heart of the Ruhr region, working alongside volunteer fire departments, aid organisations and the youth fire brigade on everything from firefighting and emergency medical services to technical assistance, environmental hazard response and civil protection. The area’s dense development, narrow streets, long terraced rows and weight-restricted bridges shape many of its call-outs, and complex rescues frequently involve reaching people at height or shifting heavy loads.

Against that backdrop, the city procured its new all terrain crane through a formal tender. The AC 4.080-1 came out on top on the combination of operational flexibility, adaptability to varying deployment conditions, and the balance between lifting performance and the effort needed for fire-service-specific modifications. The official handover took place at Tadano’s facility in Lauf, overseen by sales manager Helge Prüfer.

Built for tight urban streets

A decisive point for Essen is the crane’s ability to travel with an axle load of just 10 tonnes when required, opening up weight-restricted routes without detours. At 2.55 metres wide and with a compact overall footprint, the four-axle machine can work in confined urban spaces, while its asymmetrical outrigger system lets each support be extended individually and steplessly — a real advantage in densely built-up residential areas.

The crane carries a 60-metre main boom plus a 16-metre luffing extension, giving the brigade the reach to carry out rescues over considerable distances and across obstacles — a common scenario given Essen’s typical building rows. It will also take on heavy-lifting missions, including operations with specialised rescue baskets, and technical assistance jobs where conventional heavy-duty rescue cranes reach their limits, as well as hazard mitigation work involving trapped people.

Into service after fitting out

Before the crane officially enters service, it will receive its final fire-service-specific equipment and vehicle lettering, after which the operating personnel will go through comprehensive training. The AC 4.080-1 will then join the Essen fleet in its striking red livery, ready for the brigade’s most demanding rescue and lifting scenarios.