Unimog in operation for UNIKE, the new Johanniter disaster relief unit

Johanniter choose technical support.

With increasing frequency, people get into difficulties due to natural disasters. In order to cope with these new challenges, rescue and emergency services place great value on having the necessary technical support. For the Johanniter too, investment in training and equipment has top priority. Current result of the increased in resources: the new UNIKE unit, and new vehicles that can cope with all weathers. Because there is an increasing need for vehicles that can navigate badly damaged or flooded terrain. That is why, besides motorbikes and quads, the Johanniter fleet in North Rhine Westphalia now also has four extreme off-road Unimog ambulance vehicles and two Unimog rescue vehicles.

– Dr Tobias Eilers, Press Spokesperson for Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe e. V. Landesverband NRW

Unimog impressive thanks to extreme off-road agility.

Why Unimog? Dr Tobias Eilers from Johanniter NRW can give a clear answer to this. “The Unimog can get to regions and areas that other vehicles cannot,” says the spokesperson. In emergencies, you can always rely on the all-rounder: “Its high fording capacity and ground clearance and the high axle spacing make it indispensable to us for rescue operations. Because that's when every second counts.”

Another point in favour of the Unimog: its robust design and the extreme versatility and variety of equipment. The Johanniter colleagues immediately made good use of this, and they themselves converted ex-army Unimog U 1300 L models to suit their needs. This way, the professional helpers can adapt their vehicles any time to suit changing circumstances. And if required, they can also obtain support from Unimog service partners.

First UNIKE major operation: Unimog goes into action.

The newly bought Unimog was able to show what it was capable of at the first UNIKE major exercise in 2017. The sun was shining in the morning, but the previous days had brought heavy rain. So the military training area of the Wahner Heide near Cologne presented the experienced Johanniter rescue workers with slush, mud and deep water holes. Best conditions, because the exercise was supposed to be as close as possible to real conditions in emergency operations.

The scenario of the exercise: a 20-strong group of outdoor athletes has been taken by surprise by severe weather and floods. “Search, find, rescue and get to hospital,” is the order, says Eilers. They travel into the area on quads and motorbikes to look for the casualties. A reconnaissance drone helps the search.

After the missing people have been found, the Unimog, which has received a radio message, goes into operation. Over uneven ground, deep ditches, mud and water, the off-road king only takes a few minutes to reach the location – carrying a team and heavy equipment. The injured people are expertly taken to the rescue platform, which provides space for up to four stretchers. Also on board: everything needed for first aid, including a defibrillator, an emergency rucksack and bandages. Then they move to “Clinic 50”, a field hospital set up on the area. After the fictional patients have been stabilised, they are transferred to the Johanniter air rescue helicopter.

More than 200 experienced emergency rescue helpers came to the major exercise of the NRW sector of the Johanniter, plus emergency personnel from NRW state commando forces. The perfect coordination between the various interacting sections of the rescue unit and military forces was demonstrated at its very best. And showed that the Mercedes-Benz all-rounder is always the perfect partner for emergency operations. Because whether flooded roads, mud, rocks, snow or ice are the problem: the Unimog always finds a way.

Source: Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks World