Disaster prevention
Source: BUS Rheinland-PfalzResponsible authorities are
- the municipalities for fire protection and general assistance,
- the districts for supra-local fire protection and supra-local general assistance,
- the districts and independent cities for disaster control and
- the state for the central tasks of fire protection, general assistance and disaster control as well as for the tasks of preventive hazard protection. In order to fulfil its central tasks, the state has set up a "Fire and Disaster Control" department at the Supervisory and Service Directorate in Trier and maintains the Fire and Disaster Control School in Koblenz for training purposes.
In addition to the fire brigades, the aid organisations and the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (Hesse/Rhineland/Saarland State Association) are also deployed as supporting specialist units in disaster control. The training and further education in disaster control builds on the specialist training of the Rhineland-Palatinate fire brigades and aid organisations. The state has set up the Fire Brigade and Disaster Control School in Koblenz as a central training centre.
In future, all non-police requests for assistance will be received and coordinated by eight Integrated Control Centres. The integrated control centres thus form a uniform reporting header.
EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS
Early warning systems serve as a tool to detect emerging hazards such as fires, severe storms or other unexpected dangerous situations at an early stage. In this way, those at risk can be informed as quickly as possible. To this end, citizens have access to apps that they can install on their mobile phones as early warning systems.
KATWARN
KATWARN forwards official warnings and recommendations for action to the affected people. The content, timing and scope are decided solely by authorized authorities and security organizations.
KATWARN only reports official warning information from competent authorities, institutions and control centres. Since the responsibility for warnings in Germany is distributed among different institutions depending on the danger situation, the use of KATWARN may differ from region to region.
NINA
With the Federal Government's Emergency Information and News App, or NINA for short, you can receive important warnings from civil protection for various hazardous situations, such as the spread of hazardous substances or a major fire. It is being tested alongside other warning devices as part of the nationwide warning day. The nationwide warning day will take place for the first time on 10 September 2020 and will be held annually on the second Thursday in September from then on.
- Warning system KATWARN
- Federal Emergency Information and News App (NINA warning app in the Playstore)
- Federal Emergency Information and News App (NINA warning app in the Apple Store)
- Nationwide Warning Day
In accordance with Section 2 Para. 1 No. 2 of the State Act on Fire Protection, General Assistance and Disaster Control (LBKG), disaster control is the responsibility of the district. It performs this as a mandatory task of self-administration (see Section 2 Para. 2 LBKG). In the course of disaster control, the district must take measures to protect life, health and the environment from the occurrence of a disaster. The district does not have its own forces at its disposal to fulfill its duties. From alert level 4 (disaster threshold), it is responsible for all local emergency services.
The Rhine-Lahn district has various disaster protection units to carry out its tasks:
Management service
A technical operations management team is set up under the leadership of the district fire service inspector. This consists of the managers of all specialist services involved in disaster control. Its task is to manage and coordinate the operational measures. If necessary, the district administration provides the command staff. Its tasks include assessing the operational situation as well as coordinating and monitoring the operational measures.
Hazardous materials train
The Rhein-Lahn district has a special hazardous materials train to provide assistance in the event of imminent danger from hazardous substances and goods. This consists of five sub-units, which are attached to the local fire departments in Bad Ems, Birlenbach-Fachingen/Diez, Hahnstätten, Lahnstein (North Station) and St. Goarshausen. This ensures that a unit can be called to the scene quickly if necessary.
Chief emergency physicians/organizational managers
In the Rhine-Lahn district, the group of chief emergency physicians (LNA) consists of 6 physicians and the group of organizational managers (OrgL) consists of 4 members. All are honorary civil servants of the Rhine-Lahn district. In the event of major incidents and disasters, their task is to form a "Health Section Management", which is subordinate to the Technical Operations Management. Its tasks include coordinating medical personnel, ensuring optimal medical care for the injured and affected and coordinating the means of transport and destination hospitals.
Rapid response groups (SEG)
The Rhein-Lahn district sets up the SEG on the basis of the LBKG and the framework, alarm and deployment plan for health care and support as part of the rescue, medical, care and catering service as well as psychosocial emergency care (RAEP Gesundheit).
This is the medical, care and catering service in civil protection with its own management unit. The districts make use of the helpers from the aid organizations. In the Rhine-Lahn district, the district association of the German Red Cross (DRK) and the Malteser Hilfsdienst (MHD) have agreed to participate in disaster control.
The rapid response teams stationed in Bad Ems, Katzenelnbogen and Singhofen are generally only deployed when the regular rescue services have reached their performance limits. Depending on the size of the incident, either sub-units or the entire rapid response unit will be alerted.
Management
The "Management" rapid response unit consists of 3 people and a command vehicle. The tasks of this SEG include
- determining and assessing the situation at the scene
- coordinating the medical and support services
- requesting further sub-units if required
Medical service
The Rapid Response Unit "Medical Service" (SEG-S) consists of a team leader, a doctor, three team leaders and helpers. The rapid response group also has an equipment vehicle, an ambulance and two patient transport vehicles. Its task is to provide medical care to people in need of help.
Care service
The rapid response group "Care service" (SEG-B) is made up of a group leader, two team leaders and helpers. There is also an equipment van and two team transport vehicles. The tasks of the care service include
- the care of people in need of help and their temporary accommodation
- the provision of supplies.
Catering service
The rapid response group catering service (SEG-V) consists of a group leader, a squad leader, a field cook and helpers. Its task is to provide food for people in need of help and the disaster control units.
Emergency chaplaincy
The group of emergency chaplains currently consists of 32 people. These include chaplains from the Catholic and Protestant churches as well as "lay chaplains" from all service groups. Their tasks include in particular
- providing psychological support to the people affected and the rescue units present in the event of a major incident or traffic accident
- delivering death notifications
Federal Agency for Technical Relief
The Lahnstein branch of the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) is also based in the district. In addition to extensive technical assistance, two rescue teams and two special teams for assistance with water hazards are available in the event of a major incident.
Civil Military Cooperation (ZMZ)
Civil Military Cooperation refers to the use of Bundeswehr resources. As a rule, the district liaison command is alerted in the event of operations lasting longer than 48 hours, whereby the performance limits of local and supra-local assistance are reached. The tasks of the district liaison command include organizing the transport and accommodation of people in need of help and providing technical assistance (e.g. with power generators).
Central Disaster Preparedness Facility (ZELK) of the German Red Cross
The ZELK is divided into two areas: The medical equipment for treatment sites and the support service. The tasks of the ZELK include
- the provision and supply of materials for the treatment sites and affected persons
- supporting the medical service
- caring for patients
German Lifesaving Association (DLRG)
There are two local DLRG groups in the Rhine-Lahn district. The DLRG local group Bad Ems e.V. has three lifeboats, a plastic boat and two inflatable boats. The DLRG local group Diez e.V. has an emergency diving team with boat support. The task of the DLRG local groups is water rescue.
Medical Task Force (MTF)
The MTF is a federal unit that is deployed to support the regular medical service unit. An alert is generally only issued from alert level 4 (disaster threshold). Its tasks include, for example, the care and transportation of people in need of help as well as setting up a treatment area. The federal government provides the districts with special vehicles for this purpose. These are used by the aid organizations for internal purposes and, in the event of an emergency, are deployed nationwide with personnel.
KATWARN cell phone warning system
The Rhein-Lahn district introduced the KATWARN cell phone warning system at the end of October 2015. This means that all citizens can now receive official warnings and instructions on what to do in the event of danger free of charge via a smartphone app or by text message and email. KATWARN thus supplements the existing warnings via sirens, loudspeakers and the media.
The background to this is the desire to inform citizens as quickly as possible in the event of serious dangers such as major fires, chemical accidents or bombs. Anyone with a smartphone can download the free app onto their mobile phone, whether iPhone, Android or Windows Phone. After registering, the user then receives the official warnings for the user's current location as well as for other freely selectable areas. All they have to do is activate the so-called "guardian angel function" or select the areas on a map on the display. Alternatively, KATWARN is also available for users of an "old" cell phone (without a touchscreen) via text message and e-mail for a zip code area.
KATWARN was developed by the research institute "Fraunhofer Fokus". Another special service is that users throughout Germany can receive severe weather warnings from the German Weather Service (DWD) via KATWARN. KATWARN is also becoming increasingly widespread, with many districts not only in Rhineland-Palatinate using it for municipal hazard warnings, but also large cities such as Berlin, Hamburg and Munich.
The KATWARN app is available free of charge for iPhone in the App Store, for Android Phone in the Google Play Store and for Windows Phone in the Windows Store. Alternatively, KATWARN also offers free warnings with limited functionality via SMS/email to the area of a registered postcode. Simply send an SMS to the service number 0163/755 88 42: "KATWARN 12345 mustermann [at] mail.de" (for postcode 12345 and optional e-mail). Further information: www.katwarn.de .