The Federal Ministry of the Interior, one of whose responsibilities is the Federal Police, has expanded the vehicle fleet of the Federal Police with "heavy personnel carriers" by concluding a contract for 33 Mercedes-Benz Tourismo buses.

Flexibility and practicality were the requirements stipulated by the Federal Police to the Mercedes-Benz product unit of EvoBus GmbH and the ServiceCenter for special-purpose vehicles. The Tourismo is the most suitable and cost-effective platform for realising different vehicle variants or vehicle lengths without modifying the vehicle concept. This is because it was developed on a modular basis, thereby ensuring the best possible adaptability and practicality when it comes to meeting customer requirements of all kinds.

The 33 Tourismo buses will be stationed throughout the Federal Republic as "heavy personnel carriers" and used for the many tasks facing the Federal Police. These include major operations such as football league matches, demonstrations or disaster relief, where large numbers of personnel need to be transported rapidly. To make the waiting time as pleasant as possible before going into action, the 32 kW air conditioning system can be separately controlled from the cockpit. In conjunction with the convection heating on the side walls this ensures an agreeable onboard temperature at all times.

 

"We are very pleased to be equipping the Federal Police with these new personnel carriers", says Director Karl-Heinz Meier, head of the Police Technology and Materials Management department at the Federal Police headquarters in Potsdam, who took delivery of the buses in Mannheim on behalf of the Federal Police. "They ensure that our police officers will be able to reach their operational assignments in safety, comfort and in an environmentally friendly manner". The Mercedes-Benz Tourismo touring coach provides the ideal conditions for this: with ESP (Electronic Stability Program), ABS (anti-lock braking system), ASR (acceleration skid control) and BA (Brake Assist) the Tourismo sets high safety standards in its class.

The police officers will not only travel safely in the new personnel carriers, but also with due regard to environmental compatibility: the powerful 300 kW (408 hp) engine of the Tourismo features the new BlueTec diesel technology, and meets the Euro 5 exhaust emission standard.

The Tourismo is equipped with the usual features of operational police vehicles: rotating beacons (blue lights), flashing front beacons and a special signalling system. Facilities have also been incorporated for stowing 40 protective helmets and riot-control shields.

The telecommunications and data processing equipment required for operational assignments was also installed by the EvoBus ServiceCenter. Additional power sockets for notebooks and mobile phones were a supplementary requirement by the Federal Police. Two tables are provided for situation briefings while en route to an assignment, and as further special equipment six of the 33 Tourismo buses are equipped as driver training vehicles.

Not only the interior facilities, but also the basic vehicle reflect the state of the art: it is not without reason that the technology, drive system, safety and life-cycle costs of the Mercedes-Benz Tourismo have made it the market leader among touring coaches in Europe. Mature series-production technology and reliable Mer*cedes-Benz major assemblies guarantee the necessary vehicle availability.

Known as the Federal Border Police until mid-2005, the Federal Police as a government agency of the Federal German Republic carries out a wide and varied range of security and policing tasks. It operates a correspondingly varied vehicle fleet ranging from cars and vans to trucks and buses, therefore the right vehicle is available for any operational purpose. With around 41,000 personnel, of whom more than 32,500 are fully-trained male and female officers, the Federal Police is available on a nation-wide basis with a high level of operational expertise, and makes a major contribution to the internal security of the Federal Republic and Europe.