A vacuum cleaner for the fire department

Customer:	Bremerhaven fire department
Extracted material:	Various hazardous materials
Industry:	Other
Vacuum cleaner:	DS 1750 GAS-Ex

The roughly 260 employed and 86 firefighters at the Bremerhaven fire department help keep the city safe around the clock. They respond to 23,000 calls each year. That means: there is an alarm on average every 23 minutes.

Problem

Since the fire department is responsible not only for fighting fires, but for conducting rescues as well, providing technical assistance in all kinds of accidents and helping with disaster relief, they need the most flexible vacuum cleaner available in their equipment. It must be able to collect a variety of dust or liquid substances, even if the firefighters do not know whether they are hazardous or flammable when responding to the call.

Solution

The vacuum cleaner currently in use by the Bremerhaven fire department was custom adapted to their requirements by Ruwac, based on the company's proven modular system. Of course, it can vacuum both explosive dusts and gases, as well as conductive and flammable dust.

Inside the waste container there is a disposable plastic bin for safe removal of the collected dust and liquid. The bin can be sealed with an airtight lid, labelled and then disposed of in accordance with local regulations without the risk of leaks. For larger volumes, a cyclone cover (supplied) for 200-litre drums can be used. This allows very large quantities of pollutants to be disposed of quickly, regardless of whether they are a dry or liquid consistency.

The vacuum is fitted with large casters and has a high-level trolley for increased manoeuvrability. It also has handles for lifting it over difficult terrain. The upper and lower parts are connected by quick-release fasteners.