Specialists in difficult terrain
These modified water-tank fire engines are specially designed for operations in hard-to-reach, rough or mountainous terrain. One vehicle each will go to the Eggelsberg Volunteer Fire Brigade in the district of Braunau, the Schlägl Volunteer Fire Brigade in the district of Rohrbach, the Oberdambach Volunteer Fire Brigade in the district of Steyr-Land and the Kemating Volunteer Fire Brigade in the district of Vöcklabruck. From there, the Tatras will in future be available for operations throughout Upper Austria.
A strong network is being strategically expanded
The new vehicles complement one of Upper Austria’s great strengths: its dense network of local fire brigades. The specialised F-KAT units are designed to provide regional support and can be called upon additionally for larger or particularly challenging operations. In addition to the Tatras, the four units will in future also be equipped with pick-up trucks fitted with specialist forest fire equipment, as well as small off-road vehicles.
The mandatory equipment for water-tank fire engines and small fire engines has also been expanded to cover wildfires. This ensures that local operational readiness and specialised support are even better integrated.
LBDSTV Michael Hutterer emphasises: “The delivery of the four vehicles in Upper Austria shows that the planning carried out over recent years was sound and forward-looking. The year 2026 has so far been characterised by prolonged periods of extreme heat and low rainfall. The number of forest and vegetation fires that have occurred in Upper Austria to date also shows a significant increase. With these new vehicles, we are specifically strengthening our fire services’ ability to provide rapid and effective assistance, even under difficult terrain conditions.”
Versatile in disaster response
The new Tatras are not intended solely for forest and vegetation fires. Their high off-road capability also makes them valuable assets in other disaster response operations. Following mudslides, storms or other incidents, they can reach incident sites that are no longer accessible to standard fire engines.
#schongenial, as this ensures even more flexible and effective disaster relief throughout Upper Austria.
