Helping Save Lives for a Quarter of a Century: 25 Years of Magirus Articulated Turntable Ladders

In 1994, the specialist firefighting company introduced the first turntable ladder with an articulated arm – a paradigm shift in turntable ladders – and one which has, quite literally, helped save numerous lives over that period. Magirus is celebrating the anniversary with an exhibition in front of the Ulm Minster in Germany, and a limited special edition of 25 articulated ladders.

25 years ago, Magirus the firefighting brand of CNH Industrial N.V., presented the first turntable ladder with an articulated arm. Thereby revolutionizing turntable ladders. This model’s special feature was a five-part ladder set with a 3.50-metre-long articulated arm that could be angled by 75 degrees in the uppermost ladder section. It allowed precision alignment of the rescue cage even in confined spaces, thus facilitating ladder extension to dormer windows, recessed galleries, gable rears and skylights – common in historic building across Europe and across the world. The articulated-arm turntable ladder thus took over where normal turntable ladders ended – and provided access that has helped rescue countless individuals. Today, it is one of the most frequently requested turntable ladder designs in the world.

Celebration and vehicle exhibition in front of the world’s highest church tower

Magirus celebrated this special anniversary with invited guests from the political sphere, fire departments, associations and the press. Marc Diening, CEO of Magirus, pointed out that for over a century, the name Magirus has stood for ladder development like no other company: "The introduction of articulated-arm technology is an outstanding milestone that has revolutionized the application possibilities of turntable ladders as rescue equipment, creating a new segment that has become the standard in many parts of the world today."

Investors of the first firefighting ladder as we know it today

When firefighter, inventor and company founder Conrad Dietrich Magirus invented the first free-standing, mobile turntable ladder almost 150 years ago, it was a revolution. One which has saved the lives of countless individuals the world over. This development has left its mark on Magirus to this day, and the revolution has become a story of evolution that the company has continued to write ever since.