By Hans Wilhelm Saure, Peter Amenda and Peter Hell
It’s insane. The Berlin Grunewald is on fire. And cannot be deleted. Ammunition and explosions made it impossible for the fire brigade to be deployed on the ground for hours. But one gets there where no one else is allowed to go. Blasting robot Teodor.
The robot is controlled by Bundeswehr General Jürgen Karl Uchtmann (63), commander of the Berlin State Command. “We were here with 20 emergency services and were requested by the fire brigade at six o’clock this morning. We bring Teodor to the scene of the fire to clarify the situation on site.”
The Bundeswehr’s remote-controlled “Teodor” (telerob explosive ordnance disposal and observation robot) is used to defuse ordnance and explosive devices. The lifting arm of the tracked vehicle equipped with 4 cameras (375 kilograms) can be equipped with tools as well as shooting devices.
The Bundeswehr’s remote-controlled “Teodor” (telerob explosive ordnance disposal and observation robot) is used to defuse ordnance and explosive devices. The lifting arm of the tracked vehicle (375 kilos) equipped with 4 cameras can be equipped with tools as well as shooting devices Photo: Bundeswehr
It can lift or recover 20 kilograms and transmits the data to the operations center. Robots like Teodor have already been used in Afghanistan to clear mines or detect booby traps.
In the case of the dangerous fire in Berlin
With the dangerous fire in Berlin’s Grunewald, Teodor comes where it is too dangerous for the fire brigade’s forces – in the 300-meter zone. There he should track down fire nests.
Aerial photos of the Berlin fire brigade show the heavy smoke development Photo: Berlin fire department/dpa
However, his first mission had to be canceled because of another explosion on the site in the evening.
► After hours of explosions and on the burning blast site of the Berlin police, the fire brigade could not get closer than 1000 meters to the fire for a long time. For a long time, extinguishing work was unthinkable. Until late Thursday afternoon. The extinguishing work could begin.
Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf
That said fire department spokesman Thomas Kirstein. “The restricted area of 1000 meters remains in place. But it is possible that we as a fire brigade can now work in certain areas up to 500 meters,” said Kirstein. “That means some of the extinguishing work has already started.” The extinguishing water had already been provided in advance.
“Every minute that we don’t hear detonations or something happening at the blast site is a good time for us,” Kirstein said. “We will now be able to use the fire brigade’s forces in parts up to 500 meters.”
Going even further, only Teodor can come at the moment!
