A road traffic accident, casualties trapped in the wreckage. For the fire brigade, every minute now counts. Cutters, spreaders and lifting bags determine how quickly and gently those involved can be freed. Magirus has now been awarded Lot 6 of the Bundesbeschaffung GmbH (BBG) contract for exactly this kind of equipment. As a result, Austria’s emergency services will be able to procure Lukas’s battery-powered rescue tools and Vetter’s lifting bags directly through the BBG over the next five years.
Fast help on scene, simple procurement
The figures show just how important effective rescue technology is: in 2025, Statistik Austria recorded 37,825 road traffic accidents involving injury, with 47,041 people injured and 403 killed – around 15 per cent more than the previous year. In many of these accidents, fire brigades have to free people from vehicles. Rescue tools and lifting bags are therefore part of the standard equipment of every fire brigade. The BBG makes procurement easier: as the central public-sector purchasing body, it allows municipalities, fire brigades, the Austrian Armed Forces, police and the Red Cross to obtain equipment through framework contracts without having to run their own tender. For many emergency services organisations, BBG listing is also a prerequisite for receiving funding for such purchases. The new contract runs until 2031 and covers a call-off volume in the mid-single-digit millions. It replaces the previous contract, which Magirus had already won in 2022, confirming the trust it has built up in recent years.
Strong partners, new technology – experience it on site
This success is built on the close partnership with Lukas and Vetter that has existed since 2022. With its latest generation of equipment, Lukas has also developed a new battery system that gives emergency responders even greater flexibility at the scene of an accident. ‘This contract award is a strong endorsement of our team and our partnership with Lukas and Vetter. Together, we provide fire brigades with equipment that works reliably in an emergency and, in doing so, saves lives,’ says Julien Zaccaria, Head of Equipment & Robotics at Magirus. To ensure the equipment reaches those who need it, Magirus relies on direct contact: the field sales team is travelling throughout Austria, presenting the products to emergency services organisations. The first demonstrations are already being planned. Interested fire brigades and municipalities can get in touch with Magirus Austria in Premstätten.
Equipment as a growth area for Magirus
For Magirus, the contract award is also an important building block in the expansion of its equipment business. Alongside vehicles, the company is deliberately broadening its range of equipment for fire brigades and emergency responders. ‘Austria is a market of great importance to us, and our local team is doing outstanding work. But this success also shows just how much value equipment holds for Magirus as a whole. Our customers expect solutions from a single source – from the vehicle to the equipment. Because, in the end, only one thing counts on the scene: that emergency responders can rescue people quickly and safely. That is what we work towards every day, in Austria and worldwide,’ says Fatmir Veselaj, CEO of Magirus.
