Large exercise on civil protection: rescue workers rehearse the emergency!

Large exercise on civil protection: rescue workers rehearse the emergency!

On May 7, 2025, an extensive major exercise in disaster protection took place in Goch on the Kässbrer company. Numerous emergency services took part in the exercise, including the German Red Cross (DRK) district association Kleve funds, the Goch fire brigade, the extinguishing group Asperden and the rescue dog squadron of Isar Germany. Niederrhein Nachrichten reported that the practice scenario contained a backward truck that during a operating summer festival in a crowd bounced.

In the course of the exercise, the emergency services reported several injuries that were on the ground. Two people were trapped under one trailer, while panic and disorientation were among those present, especially in children. The fire brigade took over the operations management and carried out the technical rescue. The rescue dog squadron of Isar Germany became active to search for missing people on the railing. The DRK set up two patients to supply the injured nearby and also provided a contact point for those affected.

appreciation of the exercise participants

The exercise received special attention from observers present, including DRK CEO Maria Anna Kaußen and the DRK-Kats representative Andreas Lamers, who praised the smooth process. Thanks also went to the district calling manager Katharina Görtz for the comprehensive preparation of the exercise. The injury actors, under the direction of the Rund group Isar Germany, consist of actors from various organizations, including the DLRG Bedburg-Hau, the DLRG Orsoy, the JRK Goch and the Maltese Hilfdienst Kleve. The Reffeling company, which gave rolls for a subsequent snack bar, also provided the physical well -being of the participants.

in parallel to this locally oriented exercise, an innovative approach to disaster protection is tested in Germany. tcrh emphasizes that a national situation is tested in the upcoming catastrophe-oriented EU aid mechanism (UCPM). For this purpose, a large-scale exercise in Baden-Württemberg was planned, which takes place from October 24th to 26th, 2024.

EU major exercise in Baden-Württemberg

The exercise focuses on coping with a hypothetical earthquake in the Upper Rhine ditch, which could achieve a thickness of 6.9. Over 800 emergency services are expected, including around 850 forces from different countries such as Austria, Greece, Switzerland and France. The site includes Mannheim, Bruchsal, Mosbach and Schwarzach. In addition to coping with the typical of the earth's damage and infrastructure failures, chemical, radiological and nuclear dangers are also simulated.

One of the main focus of the exercise is on the search and rescue (Search & Rescue) as well as on CBRN coping (chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear substances). International teams work closely together to gain knowledge for the future handling of disaster situations.