The Tauberbischofsheim Volunteer Fire Department looks back on over 160 years of tradition and tireless dedication. Over the decades, the Tauberbischofsheim Fire Department has continuously evolved and now uses state-of-the-art technology—including for cleaning its operational gear. For just over two years, this gear has been washed and dried in the department’s in-house laundry facility using professional washing equipment from STAHL. To ensure the best possible care for the health of the firefighters, an operational hygiene plan was developed. For the plan to be effective, it is important that the protective gear be made available again as quickly as possible. „With STAHL’s equipment, our clothing and gear are ready for duty again within 24 hours. And the quality of the cleaning is excellent,“ explains Stefan Lindtner, fire chief of the city of Tauberbischofsheim.
Before the in-house laundry facility began operations, the protective clothing was cleaned by an outside contractor. It usually took a week for the textiles to be returned to the firefighters. Due to the long wait, the gear was often not sent to the cleaner—a health risk that is now a thing of the past thanks to the in-house laundry facility and the hygiene protocol. With this change, Tauberbischofsheim also moved away from the concept of personalized uniforms and switched to a shared uniform pool. Given the high cost of the uniforms and the force’s size of around 200 firefighters, this was an economic decision that pays off.
The decision to set up an in-house laundry facility at the fire station was driven not only by the need for speed but also by economic considerations. STAHL’s excellent value for money was a key factor, and STAHL’s experts provided planning support during the setup. Part of the storage area was converted into a laundry room with the help of a new wall, which was relatively easy to implement since there was already a water connection and a tiled area. After the equipment was installed, STAHL trained the two full-time equipment technicians on how to operate it, and they have been managing the laundry room’s operations ever since.
