INTERSCHUTZ 2022: Worth the wait

The biggest fire trade show for seven years finally makes its return after much anticipation… and exceeds every expectation 

After seemingly endless delays and headaches related to the ongoing Covid nightmare, Interschutz 2022, held in Hannover, finally made landfall last month and boy, was it a doozy! The time away only made the fire industry’s hearts fonder as we all anticipated its return and return it did, in a big way. The long interval between the last show ensured every exhibitor was able to showcase their newest innovative products and services in an industry that has evolved substantially in the last seven years. It was a jam-packed week of non-stop action, with the Fire Buyer team at action stations to make sure we made the best of it all.  

“Against a backdrop of increasing threat scenarios, it was high time after seven years for an INTERSCHUTZ to take place again in a physical, on-site format,” reported Dr. Jochen Köckler, Chairman of the Deutsche Messe Managing Board. “This trade fair was all about networking, developing ideas, discussing solutions and expanding international networks. As a result, INTERSCHUTZ is now more than just a product show – it is a shaper of sustainable security architecture on a national and global scale,” he continued. 

Interschutz was not just a place for returning companies, though. Debutants like Fotokite also were given the spotlight to show off what visitors to the show have been missing out on. Fotokite produces the Fotokite Sigma, an industrial grade tethered drone system that aids fire and rescue teams with a bird’s eye perspective of a location, featuring thermal and RGB video streams that can be viewed simultaneously from a central ruggedised tablet. The Fotokite Sigma launches with the push of a button and is fully autonomous when in flight and can operate indefinitely. This means that teams require minimal training to operate the drone and can focus their attention on the task at hand instead of piloting the drone. 

Current emerging trends that made themselves apparent in this year’s show was a focus on sustainability. A strong vehicle presence, led by industry giants Rosenbauer, Magirus and Volkan showcased the latest fire engines and accompanying technologies as well developments on electric and hybrid fire engines in response to the increasing preference for more environmentally-friendly transportation.  

Rosenbauer also debuted a new rescue fireboat with help from PALFINGER MARINE to expand their forest fighting repertoire. It will be utilised by offshore fire departments to fight fires in places that aren’t readily accessible by land and guarantees the safety of its staff by keeping distance from the raging flames. Another added bonus of the fireboat is that it is surrounded by its extinguishing agent, meaning that a limitless supply of water can be continuously pumped on-site which will prove instrumental in taming some of the most aggressive blazes that fire services face; it couldn’t have come at a more crucial time, too, as increasing climate concerns means that forest fires are on the rise. 

Rebecca Morpeth Spayne,
Editor, International Fire Buyer
Tel: +44 (0) 1622 823 922
Email: editor@firebuyer.com