Scania facilitates emergency services

Text: Alexander Farnsworth 

A 27-page booklet in 17 languages describes for emergency response crews the ins and outs of Scania P-, G- and R-series trucks.

Emergency response crews like firefighters use the ‘Product information for emergency services’ booklet for training.

The intention is to become familiar with onboard systems to be better prepared when responding to an accident.

Subjects covered include opening the front grille, locating the engine air intake and cab air suspension hoses, the electrical system, safety equipment like airbags and belt tensioners, cab dimensions and weight, adjusting seats and steering wheel, vehicle fluids and overall cab structure.

“It is about gaining access to the interior of the truck to save a life in case of an accident,” says engineer Bengt Edlund, who authored the booklet together with technical information officer Anders Ankarberg in May 2009.

The booklet grew out of an informal survey of emergency response crews in Sweden and Norway asking them what information would be helpful to them when responding to an accident involving a Scania truck.

“Our ambition was not to tell emergency responders how to do their job. We just wanted to show them what a Scania truck looks like underneath everything and where to find things,” says Edlund.

Tips and examples

• Spraying the engine air intake with carbon dioxide stops the engine. Air intakes are located either under the grille on the passenger side of the engine, or high up behind the cab.

• To stabilise the cab before a rescue, there is room on the backside of the cab for two adjustable jacks to prevent the cab from falling backwards. And a convenient hole in the chassis allows a heavy-duty belt to be attached preventing the cab from falling forward.

• A schematic of the cables in the cab shows them running around the windshield and floor. Don’t cut there if you think you need the electrical system at a later stage or if you are afraid of short circuiting the system.

• Hinges for the doors can be accessed through the grille. Caution: Doors can weigh 60 kilograms.

• A mechanical backup system exists to move the steering wheel up or down. A hexagon key is located in the box under the steering wheel.

• The rear bulkhead of the cab can be used to anchor a hydraulic press and won’t crumble under pressure.

Download the booklet: www.scania.com/emergency-services