Supplied by local dealer Rossetts Commercials, the sole UK agent for the 6x6 variant (which was developed by German specialist Oberaigner), both new vehicles have purpose-designed bodies by WH Bence Coachworks, of Bristol.
They have been equipped with ultra-high pressure (100 bar, 38 litres/min) pumps, battery-powered hydraulic rescue gear and medical response equipment, including defibrilators, as well as communications systems.
Based in Midhurst, the Oberaigner vehicle can deliver a crew of up to five to any incident in any weather across the county – including deep snow and water.
Its 1,200-litre tank will allow crews to fight off-road heath and forest fires with water or foam for 30 minutes before needing to refill.
Meanwhile, the 1.8 tonnes of spare capacity allows incident-specific loads to be loaded and transported, assisted by its rear-mounted hoist.
As for the 5.0-tonne 4x4 Sprinter, this unit – which will operate from Storrington – has been fitted with a 400-litre tank and was specified to carry Environment Agency spill kits and rapid water rescue equipment.
West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service has been running smaller 4x4 Mercedes-Benz G-Wagens since 1999, while its specialist rescue and support teams also use Vito vans and a 4x4 Unimog.
“We wanted to move away from a ‘one size fits all’ approach and have more flexibility in our off-road fleet,” explains acting assistant chief fire officer Kieran Amos.
“These new 6x6 and 4x4 vehicles are not intended to be like-for-like replacements but represent a new concept for us in terms of equipment carried and operational capacity,” he continues.
“They give us options for future mobilising which can be tailored to the specific demands of each incident... We believe the Sprinters represent a significant improvement for our fleet and will enhance the response we can provide.”
“The Fire & Rescue Service works closely with Sussex Police and South-East Coast Ambulance, both of which operate extensive fleets of Mercedes-Benz vans,” adds county fleet manager Paul Mace.
“This, coupled with comprehensive research and our own positive experience, gave us the confidence to invest in these new vehicles.”
And he adds that Sprinters offer proven reliability that match the emergency services’ requirements in terms of weight, performance and economy, as well as supply chain and after sales back-up.
“These two, highly flexible vehicles will enable us to deliver a full range of capabilities in all terrains and all conditions, across a rural part of the county.”