The Mercedes-Benz Unimog is no ordinary vehicle. Portal axles, 4×4 drive, a wading depth of over 800 mm — it gets to places where a conventional fire tanker (CAS) stops and calls for help. That's exactly why, in countries with a high risk of forest fires — Spain, France, Portugal, Greece — it is used as the basis for a light forest firefighting vehicle. Combined with a professionally designed body, it becomes a piece of equipment that can operate completely independently in remote terrain.
What does the FPS body offer?
The body we build for the Unimog is not just a tank on a flatbed. It's a complete module integrating a water tank with a capacity of up to 3,000 litres, an auxiliary foam-concentrate tank (80 l) and an independent motor pump unit delivering pressure of up to 27.6 bar and a flow rate of 390 l/min. Independence from the vehicle's engine means the pump works even when stationary in the field.
Added to this is an enclosed storage area with roller shutters — hoses, fittings, hand tools, all quickly to hand. A platform with a ladder on the roof. And the entire module can be lifted off the chassis and replaced with another — for floods, technical rescue or winter use. A single Unimog can therefore take on different roles depending on the season.
We build the bodies to order, in red or white finish, configured precisely to the unit's needs.
Why does this barely exist in the Czech Republic?
Czech firefighting equipment has historically focused on heavier tankers (CAS) on Tatra or Liaz chassis — vehicles excellent for built-up areas, but limited in inaccessible terrain. For a long time, forest fires weren't seen as a major risk. That's changing — the dry summer of 2022, the fires in Bohemian Switzerland and climate change in general all suggest that the need for light off-road equipment will grow. Equipment standards and the grant system haven't yet caught up.
In the Czech Republic, UTVs/SxS fitted with a firefighting module are most often used for callouts in inaccessible terrain. It's a compact and affordable solution — a module with a tank, pump and equipment is simply mounted on the bed of a vehicle such as a Polaris Ranger, and the unit can get through where even a Unimog couldn't squeeze. The trade-off is, naturally, a smaller tank capacity and a limited amount of equipment you can take with you. But for a first response, or to support a larger unit in the field, a UTV does a good job.
Who does it make sense for today?
Forests, national parks, military training areas, industrial sites in remote locations, or rescue services that need more than standard equipment. If you're looking for a solution for your force or your site, get in touch with us directly.