TECHNOLOGY FOR CRITICAL SITUATIONS: FIRE DEPARTMENTS IN LEONDING RELY ON PALFINGER

Fires, accidents, and increasingly frequent natural disasters: when every minute counts, dependable technology that combines strength, precision and reliability is essential. For many years, the three volunteer fire departments serving the Leonding area have relied on PALFINGER products to safely handle even the most demanding situations. Today, six PALFINGER units are in service.

The collaboration between PALFINGER, its distribution partner Kuhn Ladetechnik, and Leonding’s fire departments is a partnership proven in daily operations. The PALFINGER solutions are key components of the vehicle setup: alongside the two loader cranes PK 42002 SH and PK 300 TEC, the fleet also includes two hookloaders and two tail lifts for emergency response.

During the presentation of the new vehicles, Andreas Klauser, CEO of PALFINGER, emphasized the importance of volunteer fire departments in Austria: “Fire departments make an indispensable contribution to the safety of our society. Technical requirements are high, and solutions must perform reliably even under the most challenging conditions. With our products and our dedicated employees, we help ensure that firefighters can carry out their demanding work safely, every day. This is how we put responsibility into action.”

Expanded operational capabilities for Leonding

The new specialized vehicles strengthen the technical response capabilities of Leonding’s volunteer fire departments – particularly when heavy loads must be precisely lifted, moved, or secured under demanding conditions.

“Especially the more frequent and intense severe weather events, as well as increasingly complex technical operations, are placing growing demands on volunteer fire departments – on top of our existing responsibilities. This makes our collaboration with companies like PALFINGER all the more important, as they provide the expertise and experience to deliver solutions we can rely on in the field,” says Klaus Tonhäuser, Fire Chief of the Leonding city fire departments.

Strength through collaboration

PALFINGER supports fire departments not only with its products, but also as an employer: several hundred of the company’s employees are active members of volunteer fire departments and are released from their work duties for emergency operations. For this commitment, PALFINGER has been recognized multiple times as a “fire service-friendly employer.”

The cooperation between local fire departments and PALFINGER also ensures direct knowledge transfer. Through this network, PALFINGER gains first-hand insight into how its product solutions perform under the most demanding conditions. In line with its Strategy 2030+, the company stays close to its customers and develops solutions based on real operational requirements. A high-performance fire service vehicle is only made possible through close coordination between all parties involved — from the vehicle producer to PALFINGER as the supplier of lifting solutions and the bodybuilder Kuhn Ladetechnik to the fire truck manufacturer Rosenbauer.

This direct exchange contributes to the continuous development of key components and systems for fire trucks — such as loader cranes, hook lift systems, and tail lifts. They enable fast loading and unloading of equipment, support the transport of heavy machinery, and ensure maximum efficiency and safety during operations. With these qualities, PALFINGER demonstrates its value worldwide in disaster relief and humanitarian missions.

PALFINGER also offers fire departments the opportunity to practice the operation of loader cranes virtually. The VR simulator makes training safer, more structured and more efficient. It thus provides an ideal complement to practical exercises and helps ensure everything runs smoothly when it matters most.