A special intervention has been carried out by Manitowoc Crane Care Germany, which has transformed a GMK3050 into a rescue vehicle for the Fire Department in Kessel, a city in Central-West Germany.
The GMK3050 was chosen for its lifting payload and its easy manoeuvrability, ideal features for rescue operations. It is a machine that is quick to install, compact and powerful, and it has been modified to work in the best way possible for this particular use.
It took 12 weeks to fully prepare the GMK for its new job. Flashing lights, beacons and headlamps were added to facilitate rescue operations at night, a universal NATO outlet was attached, generally used on military vehicles, and an electric motor with hydraulic connection was installed to allow the crane to be powered by different external energy sources or by emergency generators. They also built a large storage compartment for cables, chains and tie-rods, and a safety platform behind the cabin.
At the end of the modification process, before it was put to work, representatives of the Kessel fire service were trained in the management and maintenance of the vehicle.