The Vienna Professional Fire Department has put six new Tatra Force T815-7 4x4 fire engines equipped with Allison 4500 fully automatic transmissions into service. The official handover of the vehicles took place on March 3 in the presence of the Mayor of Vienna, Michael Ludwig. The Vienna Professional Fire Department opted for this vehicle configuration in order to achieve maximum robustness, off-road capability and performance for operations in difficult terrain and disaster situations.

Vienna, Austria, March 2025 - The professional fire department of the city of Vienna was established in 1686, making it the oldest professional fire brigade in the world. At the same time it is one of the most state-of-the-art and best-equipped fire departments worldwide. Covering an area of 415 square kilometers, it includes inner-city areas as well as large forested areas such as the Vienna Woods (Wienerwald) and regions that are extremely difficult to access. The new fire engines based on Tatra Force 815-7 4x4 chassis with Rosenbauer body and Allison’s 4500 fully automatic transmission, complement the existing fleet of fire engines. They were procured specially for use in forest and vegetation fires as well as for disaster situations with destroyed or flooded roads.

The Vienna Professional Fire Department required these special vehicle characteristics in order to achieve maximum robustness, off-road capability and striking power, while at the same time increasing vehicle control and comfort for the crew. In order to be able to move an 18-tonner quickly and in a controlled manner over extremely rough terrain during an emergency, engine power and torque must be fully transferred to the wheels. Allison's fully automatic transmission with its torque converter and uninterrupted full-power shifts provides excellent acceleration and continuous traction.

Thomas Huber, Chief Fire Officer at the Vienna Professional Fire Department, says: “We need uncompromising performance and operational readiness. Our drivers must be able to rely on the performance of the vehicles and have them under control at all times. A fully automatic transmission makes the work of our emergency services much easier. The intelligent transmission logic thinks for itself and supports the driver both on the road and, above all, off-road."

The Tatra Force 815-7 4x4 as TLFA 3000 with a body by Austrian manufacturer Rosenbauer is powered by a 6-cylinder diesel engine and an Allison 4500 fully automatic transmission. Powered by a Cummins engine rated at 291 kW (around 391 hp), the 18-ton truck reaches a (limited) top speed of 100 km/h (62 mph). The all-wheel drive delivers off-road capability at all times. The vehicle has a water passage capability (fording depth) of 120 cm and a superb hill-climbing capability of 68%. The extinguishing water tank holds 3,200 litres plus 300 litres for self-protection. Thanks to the pump-and-roll function, the extinguishing process can also be continued while the vehicle is driving.

The Vienna Professional Fire Department has been using vehicles with Allison fully automatic transmissions for over 40 years and is convinced of their performance and robustness. “These torque converter transmissions are the perfect solution for fire service. They provide excellent traction and thus rapid acceleration, which is especially crucial in city traffic to prevent vehicles from being left behind,” says Thomas Huber.

The integration of body and pumping equipment is also key to the effectiveness of a fire truck. “With an Allison transmission as part of the driveline, the chassis, body and pump work together efficiently,” explains Robert Kerschl, Head of the Tatra Center at the Austrian Tatra importer, Tschann Nutzfahrzeuge GmbH. “In addition, the torque converter powershift transmission enables the Cummins engines to develop their full torque power. As a result, the Tatra Force chassis deliver uncompromising traction and acceleration to emergency vehicles.”

The integration of Allison transmissions into Tatra vehicles is carried out by NIMDA, the official Allison Authorized Distributor in the Czech Republic.

The 4500 fully automatic transmission has been optimized by Allison Transmission specifically for the requirements of emergency vehicles. Christian Bock, Area Sales Manager at Allison, explains: “We recommend fully automatic transmissions for such vehicles - their easy operation and smooth driving simplifies the job of the emergency crews. Drivers don't have to change gears and can fully focus on the task. The torque converter offers excellent starting capability without virtually no slipping or rolling back, which is particularly important when fully loaded and on unpaved surfaces. And when changing gears, there is no interruption in traction, instead there is a seamless transfer of power to the drive wheels.”

Allison fully automatic transmissions were specifically designed to cope with extreme operating conditions and offer exceptional robustness, reliability and durability. Helmut Sonnendorfer, Customer Service Manager at K&W Drive Systems, the Allison Authorized dealer in Austria, confirms: “Since the first fire engines were tested and handed over in 1985, I can only remember minor issues and not a single serious transmission failure in the fleet of the Vienna Fire Brigade, which at times operated more than 100 Allison fully automatic transmissions. The Allison transmissions simply work without any problems, and I am particularly pleased that the customer has been completely satisfied with Allison Transmission for decades. However, if a fault should occur, our strength is that we are able to help quickly together with the workshops of the respective vehicle manufacturers or directly with our technicians.