A singular
ladder truck.

On duty in a bustling metropolis

Santiago de Chile: welcome to the capital of Chile, home to almost six million people. Located in the southeast of the city—more specifically, the commune of Ñuñoa—is the third-largest fire department of the long and narrow country on the Pacific coast of South America—with about 1,100 firefighters in its employ! This number is quickly put into perspective considering Ñuñoa alone has a population of more than 200,000. But the tasks and responsibilities of the first responders don’t end there. The Cuerpo de Bomberos de Ñuñoa—which is what the Ñuñoa fire department is called in the native Spanish—is also responsible for the neighboring communes of La Reina, Macul, Peñalolén, and La Florida, an area with a total population of about one million.

The cuerpo de bomberos de Ñuñoa gets serious backup

Founded in 1933, the Ñuñoa fire department is made up of eleven fire stations that have different jobs aside from fighting fires. One station, for instance, is on the scene of traffic accidents, another is tasked with handling hazardous substances.

The Ñuñoa fire department has been a Rosenbauer customer for many years. Currently eight and soon eleven Rosenbauer vehicles are deployed at all eleven locations.

One of the stations specialized in firefighting and high-rise operations has recently purchased a new vehicle: a Viper turntable ladder with an N55 pump and a working height of 30 meters (100 feet). The ladder is mounted on a Rosenbauer Commander Custom chassis. In the jargon of the Chilean firefighters, this apparatus is simply called the M2.

Many things in one: a viper turntable ladder and rescue gear . . .

The apparatus is not just a mere turntable ladder but also a vehicle capable of transporting a large number of portable fire ladders. Additionally, the Viper also serves as an auxiliary vehicle for rescue operations, carrying a complete batch of rescue equipment, including a rescue cushion. With Rosenbauer Viper thus offers the versatility required by the firefighters of the Cuerpo de Bomberos de Ñuñoa. By the way, they were always involved in the construction process, from commissioning Rosenbauer America in 2021 to its delivery in 2023. This is not unusual for Rosenbauer—after all, we are all about perfecting a very specific product. Only a close collaboration with the soon-to-be users of the product can yield the exact thing that meets the requirements of the fire department’s specific area.

. . . and great extinguishing effect

The use of the Viper structure makes the vehicle capable of accomplishing extraordinary fire-fighting feats. The monitor at the top of the ladder can pump out 5,500 liters (1,500 US gallons) of water per minute. This  flow rate is still available at the maximum working height, making the Ñuñoa fire department optimally equipped for the architectural conditions of the neighborhoods in which it protects its fellow citizens from larger fires. Large residential buildings are very common there—and large buildings always present major challenges to fire departments everywhere.