I grew up in the fire station – I lived there for 22 years,” says Thomas Schlicht, laughing. He joined the youth fire brigade at the age of ten, so it was almost inevitable that he would follow in his father’s footsteps later on. Gerhard Schlicht headed the Unterlüß plant fire brigade from 1988 to 2003, a position that Thomas took over in 2009. His wife, Angela, also has close ties to the company, working as a logistics coordinator at Rheinmetall Landsystems. “Rheinmetall and the fire brigade are a big part of our lives,” says the former soldier of the Bundeswehr, also a trained master craftsman and technician. The Barbara 7 armoured fire engine is more than just an emergency vehicle: it symbolises the new direction taken by the plant fire brigade.

The situation at the Unterlüß site has changed fundamentally since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “People used to point fingers at us,” recalls Schlicht. “Today, we employees are proud to be working to ensure the security of our country.” However, the turning point brought challenges as well as progress. Rheinmetall built Europe’s largest ammunition plant at the site in record time, with an annual production capacity of up to 300,000 rounds of artillery ammunition. This meant that the fire brigade at the plant had to be expanded significantly, from five full-time staff members to 29. This development was personally overseen by the plant’s chief fire officer and the Rheinmetall Corporation’s fire safety officer.

Schlicht reports that recruiting new employees went surprisingly smoothly. “The great thing is that they are all people who were already firmly established in the working world. They all have experience of working with the volunteer fire brigade.” However, the plant fire brigade received more than just personnel reinforcement – it also received unparalleled non-human support in the form of the armoured fire engine Barbara 7.

Barbara – patron saint on eight wheels

“Our main concern was that we needed to protect our firefighters better. Since 1899, we have been firing different calibres into the heather landscape on our test site, and our team works in areas contaminated with ammunition,” explains Schlicht. The solution was found quickly: a MAN Rheinmetall recovery vehicle which was converted in-house. Barbara 6, the “little sister” with a capacity of 10,000 litres of water and an armoured cabin of Level 2 standard, has been in active service since 2021. Its unique feature is that firefighters do not have to leave the vehicle, as the extinguishing unit can be operated entirely by radio remote control. Barbara 7, the latest firefighting vehicle built by Rheinmetall, is now providing life-saving support for the Unterlüß plant firefighting team. The 13,000-litre water tank offers additional flexibility in the event of a fire, and the further reinforced Class 3 protective armour means that the passengers can survive even large explosions unscathed.

However, progress at the site is not limited to the fleet: a new fire station is already under construction. “It’s a gigantic building,” says Schlicht enthusiastically. According to a letter of recognition from the state authorities, the Unterlüß plant fire brigade is one of the largest in Lower Saxony, with a particularly high hazard potential. With 125 fire calls, 189 assistance calls, 53 ambulance calls, and 424 fire watch assignments last year alone, the emergency responders are kept busy. Fortunately, Thomas Schlicht and his team are always ready. They have ­Barbara at their side, and the will to make a valuable contribution to the safety of their colleagues.