SDIS 33 – VMF – Ornano, Bordeaux rearSDIS 33 – VMF – Ornano, Bordeaux, France (rear)
VMF stands for Véhicule Multi-Fonction and it is indeed a multi-purpose light appliance. It is more or less a combination of a 'light water pump tender' (Fourgon Pompe-Tonne Léger, FPTL) and a multi-purpose van (Véhicule Tout Usage, VTU). VTU is roughly the French equivalent of a German KLAF/KLEF. It carries a variety of equipment for dealing with minor incidents of all kinds ('operations diverses', as the French call it) – basement floodings, cats up trees, dangerous reptiles slithering around, fallen trees, and the like. A VTU usually is manned by 2-3 firefighters. A Bordeaux VMF, on the other hand, turns out with a crew of 4 and, being equipped with a pump, water tank, and basic firefighting equipment, it can be used as a rapid response unit for fires. Its compact measurements are a great advantage in the tight streets of the city centre of Bordeaux.
Station: Caserne Centrale/Ornano
Chassis: Renault Midlum 4x2 220dCi
Bodywork: Camiva
Bordeaux, September 2009.
Picture added on 27 February 2010 at 06:45
Added by Rob Johnson on 08 June 2010.