In the event of a blackout: fire brigades become the first point of contact for citizens

Created: 10/15/2022, 6:00 p.m

The situation center of the Moosburg fire brigade during the severe storm on June 20th.

At that time there were widespread power failures and the fire brigade was the first point of contact for the citizens.

It could be very similar if there are longer power cuts in winter due to power supply bottlenecks.

According to District Fire Councilor Manfred Danner, every individual citizen can take precautions for this.

© Fire Department Moosburg

Should there be a blackout, the fire brigades would be the first point of contact for those in need.

Freising's district fire council has tips for citizens.

District

– The currently much-discussed catastrophe is unlikely, but it cannot be completely ruled out: a longer-lasting power failure due to energy shortages.

Should the lights go out next winter, the district's fire brigades will be the first important component of disaster management, which currently still has some gaps, especially at municipal level.

The Freisinger Tagblatt spoke to District Fire Councilor Manfred Danner about the emergency.

He also sees the local authorities as having a duty here.

They would have to spend more money on civil protection.

Fire brigades are being upgraded

"The fire brigades in the district are currently being equipped with emergency power generators," reports Danner - in addition to the systems that are usually already installed on the vehicles in order to be able to "spread out" accident vehicles, for example.

The reason for the additional civil protection investment is simple: should there be a power failure in the district, a building in each individual village would immediately be supplied with electricity and thus also with heat.

This means that every single fire brigade hall, no matter how small, is the first point of contact for the citizens of the respective municipality or district.

"The fire stations become beacons for people to come to," Danner explained.

Arrived at the guard, the Florian disciples then, in the best case, lead the people on to possible collection points, such as gymnasiums.

The fire brigade is also used as a substitute for the telephone

One thing should not be underestimated.

If the power goes out in the middle of winter, it would get cold very quickly in the apartments, which is why heated meeting places are necessary.

Here Danner sees the responsibility of the municipalities, because no fire station in the district can accommodate all citizens.

District Fire Councilor Manfred Danner: "Better to have than to need".

© Fire Department

The fire brigades will probably have to assume the most central role when it comes to a completely different problem: compensation in the event of a telephone network failure.

To put it plainly: If a medical emergency occurs locally, relatives would have to come to the station in person so that the control center there can be informed – unless a charged smartphone is available and the cell phone network remains stable.

This makes it all the more important to limit yourself to the most important calls via mobile phone in an emergency.

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Municipalities must provide warmth

Danner's bill calls for the municipalities: one emergency power unit at the fire brigade is by no means enough for each municipality.

Here the municipalities would have to buy more themselves, for example to be able to heat gymnasiums.

"But it's also about town halls and their computer systems, which actually have to remain connected to the network - not to mention the respective sewage treatment plants," emphasizes the district fire council.

The emergency list

• Mobile phone power banks

• avoid unnecessary phone calls

• have around 200 euros in cash in the house

• stock enough batteries, candles and matches

• Create networks with neighbors and look after the neighbors

• stock enough food and drink

Other critical infrastructures such as pharmacies or grocery stores would also have to think about how at least limited day-to-day business could continue in the event of a blackout.

Of course, without electricity, shopping would quickly become a problem – as would filling up with gas or withdrawing money from an ATM.

District Fire Councilor Danner: Take more money in hand

What annoys Danner in this regard is the fact that, in his opinion, cities and municipalities often act too hesitantly because comprehensive disaster control can be quite expensive.

"The municipalities now have to take money into their hands," is Danner's wish, so that they don't remain "in the dark".

Danner himself considers a longer power outage in Germany to be highly unlikely.

Nevertheless, the following applies here – in terms of emergency power generators and all other precautionary measures: “Having is always better than needing!” Danner also appeals to personal responsibility and common sense of each individual.

"Charged power banks for mobile phones, for example, are never a bad idea, as are enough batteries for flashlights and, of course, enough food and drink."

The fire brigades - here in Moosburg at a meeting after the storm in June - are currently being equipped with emergency power generators.

© Fire Department Moosburg

Since the so-called house emergency calls no longer work in the event of a power failure, according to Danner it is already important to strengthen personal neighborhood help and to form precautionary networks in order to be able to help people in need in an emergency.

The fire brigades of the district were dealing with a real disaster scenario when there were extensive power failures in Moosburg after a storm with heavy rain.

"That's when you saw what was missing."

At that time, however, very few citizens came to the fire station.

Well equipped thanks to strong fire brigades

The district fire council believes that rural areas would cope better with a power blackout than larger cities - because everyone in the country knows each other and many farmers have an aggregate.

"In the country you just have a barbecue if you have to," says Danner - in the city, on the other hand, you often don't even know your nearest neighbor.

(By the way: everything from the region is now also available in our regular Freising newsletter.)

In principle, the district is well equipped thanks to its strong presence of fire brigades: "With 85 locations, we are simply the strongest group," says Danner.

But it is important in any case: "Don't panic, and calmly look the thing that is coming in the eye!" In addition to the fire brigades, there are also other aid organizations such as the Johanniter, the BRK and the THW.