WYOMING, Minnesota (September 22, 2025) – Rosenbauer America, a leading manufacturer of fire apparatus, today announced its participation at the 35th Annual ARFF Working Group Symposium. As part of this, guests have the opportunity to attend a Rosenbauer America customer appreciation event and live vehicle demonstration, providing a first-hand look at the future of aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) with the PANTHER electric.
The event will be held on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm ET at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut.
Attendees will have the unique opportunity to ride in the cab of the PANTHER electric and experience its power and nearly-silent operation. This is more than a presentation—it is a live experience designed to showcase the vehicle’s revolutionary capabilities. Guests will also enjoy complimentary refreshments and a barbeque.
The PANTHER electric represents a monumental step forward in sustainable and effective ARFF response. Its innovative design and technology deliver uncompromising performance while significantly reducing environmental impact.
Key features and functions of the PANTHER electric include:
- Zero Local Emissions and Ultra-Quiet Operation: The all-electric powertrain eliminates exhaust fumes and drastically reduces noise and vibrations, creating a healthier and safer working environment for firefighters and airport personnel.
- Superior Acceleration and Driving Dynamics: With a powerful electric drive, the PANTHER electric outperforms its diesel counterparts, accelerating from 0 to 50 mph (80 km/h) in less than 25 seconds, ensuring a rapid response to any emergency.
- Full-Performance Firefighting Technology: The vehicle’s high-voltage batteries and electric pumps deliver the same powerful firefighting capabilities as a conventional PANTHER, with a pump flow rate of up to 2,250 GPM (9,000 liters per minute) and a turret throw range of up to 300-feet (100 meters).
- Integrated Energy Backup System (EBS): An on-board diesel-powered EBS provides seamless, continuous power to the pump and other systems, guaranteeing full operational readiness even during extended or unforeseen incidents.
- Rapid Charging Capabilities: The PANTHER electric can be fully charged from empty in approximately 45 minutes with up to 300 kW charging, and a typical operational charge can be achieved in as little as 15 minutes, ensuring a fast turnaround between responses.
To experience the next evolution of ARFF technology, noted event details are as follows:
Where: Foxwoods Resort Casino, Rainmaker Room, 350 Trolley Line Boulevard, Mashantucket, CT 06338
When: Wednesday, September 24, 2025, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm ET
Transportation: Shuttle bus departs from Mohegan Sun at 5:30 pm ET
About Rosenbauer America
Rosenbauer is the world’s leading manufacturer of firefighting vehicles and equipment. With a history of innovation spanning over 150 years, Rosenbauer is a full-line manufacturer, providing pumpers, aerials, rescues, and other specialized apparatus to fire departments across North America from its facilities in Wyoming, Minnesota; Lyons, South Dakota; and Fremont, Nebraska. Rosenbauer America is part of the Rosenbauer Group, which operates in more than 100 countries and is a trusted partner to fire services worldwide. The company is dedicated to developing and providing the most advanced and reliable firefighting technology to save lives and protect property. Learn more at www.rosenbaueramerica.com.
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Posted: Sep 23, 2025
Keeping It Safe Robert Tutterow
It was not that many years ago that I saw a drone on display at FDIC International that was being promoted for use in the fire service. I do not recall having either a negative or positive reaction and did not give the idea much thought.
As with a lot of new things, I could not relate to its possibilities based on my historical perspective. Here we are in 2025, and thousands of drones are now owned and used by fire departments. I had not realized how popular they had become until about five years ago when I asked a battalion chief in a large department if it had a drone. The response was, “Yes, I think we now have 15 of them.”
We do not have to look far to see how other industries are incorporating drones. Restaurants are now using drones, which are usually contracted, to deliver takeout food orders within a few miles of their locations. A drone food delivery was made in my neighborhood a couple of days before I wrote this column. And, a few of the big-box stores and online retailers are now using drones for package deliveries. How crowded will the skies be in just a few more years?
I am embarrassed to admit that I never gave firefighter safety a thought when it comes to drones. Then, I was reading some words of wisdom from the late Chief Alan Brunacini and came across one of his timeless tactical truths: “Make the unknown known.” I think that is where the value of how drones are being used today has a tremendous safety value. They provide added insight into situational awareness and can make the unknown situation known, and in a quicker time frame. Think of how many firefighters have lost their lives or were injured because of a lack of situational awareness.
Drones with thermal imaging cameras and live video streaming are probably default features to have on a department’s first drone or part of other features on a larger drone. It is amazing how small and inexpensive live, high-quality video cameras have become. These features have value at both structural and wildland fires. In fact, I doubt there has been a large wildland fire without the use of drones in recent years. With the right equipment, they can provide precise geographical location and atmospheric conditions.
I suspect that though drones are now common in many departments, we are still at the cutting edge of their influence on our service delivery. And, with the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI), the famous Yogi Berra saying is most definitely apropos: “The future ain’t what it used to be.” At a technology conference I attended last year, there was a lot of talk about drones. Drones have been developed that can apply water to a fire. There are studies indicating the viability of using a “swarm” of drones for wildland fire suppression. At this same conference, it was almost a foregone conclusion that many departments will have drones dispatched to a scene at the same time responders are alerted. The drone will inevitably arrive on the scene before the first-arriving ground units and will send real-time information to the responding units.
I have heard architects who specialize in fire station design state that it might be wise to have an area designated for a future drone pad for larger, possibly staffed, drones. First responder capabilities will be enhanced with larger drones, again possibly staffed with paramedics, to respond to EMS calls.
Despite the promise of innovative technologies and enhanced drone capabilities, there are a couple of limitations that will be difficult to overcome. The first limitation is battery life. It is true that batte
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