Fire engine for duty officers
The North and East Gelderland fire brigade is one of 25 regional fire brigades in the Netherlands. In total, 56 fire stations are active in 22 municipalities in this region. The area is home to over 870,000 people over a surface area of 3,000 km2. The responsibilities of the fire service at regional level include preparation for disasters and calamities, and they work closely with the GHOR (medical assistance during accidents and disasters), police force and municipalities. Mastervolt has developed an electrical system for the special vehicles for duty officers, who hold a supervisory position in crisis management. This was done in partnership with Contour Advanced Systems in Varsseveld, a system supplier and integrator, and Mastervolt dealer Wiegel Transport Equipment in Voorhout..
The vehicle, a Toyota Land Cruiser that complies with the Euro 5/6 emissions standard, is equipped with a smart alternator. Vehicles in which the alternator is not continuously activated while the engine is running can only maintain the starter battery. Charging one or more service batteries is therefore not sufficient in this situation. This makes the Mastervolt Mac Plus the perfect solution. This DC-DC charger ensures controlled charging of the service battery and provides a maximum charging current of 50 amps when driving. The Mac Plus monitors the service battery and compensates for voltage loss. The proven 3-step charging method ensures rapid, safe charging. Moreover, by stabilising the charge voltage Mac Plus protects the service battery and sensitive connected equipment, including essential communication and measurement devices..
Advantages of this system
- The electrical system can operate fully autonomously, independent of the grid.
- Euro 5/6 charging when driving is possible with the Mac Plus DC-DC charger.
- Power is stored in a special service battery that is separate from the starter battery. In this system, this is a Mastervolt 12V/130 Ah AGM.
- A stable power source for sensitive equipment.
- Intuitive operation and system monitoring via EasyView 5 (even under stressful conditions).
- Low system weight.
- The MasterBus USB Interface allows the system to be read and configured using a PC.
- Remote service and maintenance is available 24/7.
- Suitable for extreme situations and temperatures.
Customer feedback
Thomas van Dijk, Duty Officer for the North and East Gelderland Security Region (Veiligheidsregio Noord en Oost-Gelderland), is satisfied with the system: "The system has been extremely reliable so far. And that's essential. In the event of an emergency, the equipment must continue to function flawlessly even if the engine isn't running. That includes communication devices, the special laptop/tablet in the vehicle with various types of software specific to firefighting, the special on-board thermal imaging camera, 'sniffer' equipment and essential devices such as rechargeable torches."
Mastervolt is now a well-known brand among firefighters in Gelderland. Two mobile command units (MCUs) (two DAFs) have been set up in North and East Gelderland as well; these are powered by six MLI Ultra 24/5000 batteries and four Mass Combi Ultra 24/3500 units. Mastervolt was also closely involved in the design of the vehicles (Volkswagen Tiguan) for the chief duty officers.
System drawing
System components
- ChargeMaster 12/25
- AGM 12/130 (service battery)
- MasterBus USB Interface (for PC/tablet connection)
- MasterShunt 500
- Mac Plus 12/12-50
- EasyView 5
- DC Distribution 500
- Earth leakage switch
- Blue Sea 12V fuse box with negative connection