The load on the emergency centers that answer the emergency call “112” has increased significantly in many cities and districts across the country compared to previous years. According to the Association for the Promotion of German Fire Protection (vfdb), the reason is primarily a dramatic increase in the number of emergency services.
“The situation is alarming,” says vfdb President - Dirk Aschenbrenner. The topic will be one of the numerous focal points at the upcoming annual conference, where around 700 experts from home and abroad will meet in Duisburg from May 27th to 29th. The association sees itself as an expert network for protection, rescue and security and participates in research and development in security measures.
Demographic factors
According to the rescuers, there are many reasons for the sharp increase in operations
According to the rescuers, there are many reasons for the sharp increase in operations. Demographic factors, for example, play a role: people are getting older, but as they get older they also become frailer and less mobile.
However, when the emergency services arrive, it often turns out that the patient could have been treated by their family doctor or by the statutory health insurance on-call service.
“Everyone involved must find ways to reduce the gap in medical care locally as quickly as possible,” emphasizes Dirk Aschenbrenner, adding “This also includes politics and the associations of statutory health insurance physicians.”
Use of modern digital technology
However, the efficient use of modern digital technology is also one of the prerequisites for being able to meet future requirements.
“This applies to all areas of our work – whether in fire protection, disaster control or rescue services, whether in the control centers or on-site. The topic of 'digitization' will therefore run like a common thread through almost all topics at the conference,” said Dirk Aschenbrenner.
Around 50 lectures will provide information on the current state of science and technology in security over the three days of the event. The topic complexes include, for example, the challenges posed by new vehicle technologies. Among other things, a lecture deals with firefighting in electric and hybrid vehicles.
Overview of the German fire departments
The organizer of the 65th vfdb annual conference is the Duisburg Fire Department
Congress participants also expect detailed first-hand reports on recent large-scale operations. Two executives from the London Fire Department will report on the fire at London's Grenfell Tower, which claimed more than 70 lives and caused headlines and discussions around the world.
Findings from the explosion at BASF in Ludwigshafen in 2016, which claimed five lives, and the G20 summit in Hamburg last year are also reported.
Presentations on the topic of 'Fire protection in the past and present' round off the event and provide an overview of the German fire departments, which have developed into modern service providers over the course of more than 150 years. The organizer of the 65th vfdb annual conference is the Duisburg Fire Department. The conference is accompanied by a specialist exhibition. It demonstrates how the latest developments can be implemented in practice.
Full swing for INTERSCHUTZ 2020
Meanwhile, preparations are already in full swing for INTERSCHUTZ 2020, which begins in Hanover in two years. The vfdb is the ideal sponsor of the event, which is organized by Deutsche Messe AG and will last from June 15th to 20th.
The main theme there will also be networking. INTERSCHUTZ is the only trade fair in the world that interlinks rescue, fire services, fire protection, and civil protection in one place. Around 1,500 exhibitors and more than 150,000 visitors attended the last INTERSCHUTZ in Hanover in 2015. The German Fire Brigade Day will be held parallel to INTERSCHUTZ 2020.
