Blackout: District of Munich develops master plan for disasters
Created: 05/12/2022, 19:34
By: Martin Becker
It stays dark and cold when there is no more electricity flowing through the lines.
© Nicolas Armer/DPA
The district of Munich is working on an overarching concept to remain able to act in the event of a widespread power failure.
An expert opinion on this will be presented today, December 5th.
District
– The fact that the light goes out for a moment and you get by with candlelight or a flashlight: This idea of how a large-scale power failure would affect the energy crisis is as romantic as it is naïve.
The reality is far more uncomfortable.
Suddenly people are stuck in elevators or in an ICE that has stopped on the open route;
Freezers are thawing, in private households as well as in supermarkets;
At gas stations without electricity there is no more fuel, EC machines no longer spit out cash, telephone networks remain dead.
District of Munich: Opinion today in the district committee
The district of Munich and its 29 municipalities are also preparing for such a disaster.
Jörg Spennemann, who already managed the corona crisis, heads the "Staff for Extraordinary Events" (SAE) in the district office.
Today, Monday, December 5th, the members of the district committee will be presented with an expert report in a public session, which the district will also present to all its towns and municipalities two days later “at the working level”, as they say.
Authorities give tips on how everyone can prepare themselves
With all advance planning: the public sector alone cannot compensate for a comprehensive blackout - the personal responsibility of private households is required, from
food to water for flushing the toilet
, according to the district office.
The Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance, for example, has put together a brochure on how to prepare for a power failure.
The authority advises inquiring about
alternative sources
of heat in the event that the heating fails.
If you own a stove, you should make sure that you have enough wood or briquettes in stock.
A
battery-powered radio or crank radio
is an advantage in the event of a power failure.
If the light goes out, you should have a
flashlight, candles, lighter and camping or outdoor lamp
and enough batteries on hand.
Solar powered battery chargers or power banks can be of help in the event of a power outage.
It is also advisable to
have enough cash available
, since the ATMs will no longer work in the event of a power failure.
Emergency food stocks include, above all, long-life foods that are as ready-to-eat as possible.
These include, for example,
rusks, pasta, crispbread, oatmeal, UHT milk, nuts, biscuits, preserved fruit or dried fruit
, dry sausage or preserves.
Cooking facilities that are independent of the public supply are also helpful.
Smaller meals and warm drinks can be prepared with a spirit or camping gas cooker.
A summary and further links can be found on the homepage of the district office.
By the way: everything from the region is also available in our regular district Munich newsletter.
How well is the district of Munich prepared for disaster situations?
The district commissioned the report from KomRe AG in Berlin in February this year, shortly before the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The company, according to its own statement "Germany's leading provider in the field of mobile fuel logistics for emergency power and fail-safe communication in the event of a blackout", was commissioned to check how well the district is prepared for such a disaster situation.
Municipalities, fire brigades, aid organizations, utilities (electricity, water, waste) as well as institutions in the health sector and critical infrastructure were surveyed.
Proximity, local knowledge, accessibility for the citizens
"Due to legal responsibility and practical considerations - proximity, local knowledge, accessibility for citizens - the focus of hazard prevention lies with the cities and communities," said the press office of the district office when asked by Münchner Merkur.
"The aim is to keep the risk prevention and emergency care at a high level for as long as possible, even in the event of a widespread power failure."
These measures are necessary
From the point of view of the district office, at least the following five preparatory measures are necessary for the municipalities:
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■
All cities/municipalities must ensure that, in the event of a widespread and long-lasting power failure, they can at least remain able to work on their core tasks and react to acute dangers.
This includes fire departments.
■
A municipal crisis management team is to be planned in advance for each location.
■
Water supply, sewage disposal and waste management must be ensured.
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Provisions must be made with regard to the infrastructure for vulnerable groups of people (in particular residents of old people's and nursing homes or facilities for the disabled).
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Since in the event of a power failure it is to be expected that both the landline telephone network and the mobile phone network will fail, it is necessary to set up contact points (KAT beacons) in all municipalities to which citizens seeking help can turn, particularly in the case of medical emergencies. traffic accidents or fires.
Blackout: Municipalities at different stages
To what extent have the municipalities already fulfilled their responsibilities?
"Who is how far is very dynamic," says the district office.
The city of Garching and the municipality of Höhenkirchen-Siegertsbrunn, for example, have already set up their KAT lighthouses, while in Unterhaching the final test is still being carried out in terms of technology: "We are working on making it workable - but also on the question of how we can recruit the necessary specialist staff get the 'lighthouses' when public transport fails," says Unterhachinger town hall spokesman Simon Hötzl.
An emergency concept “from a single source” is being planned.
Concern about the blackout: This is how Bavaria wants to prevent power outages
In the event of a blackout, the municipalities in Bavaria are currently preparing emergency concepts. “Lighthouses” also play a role here.
The district office is gearing up - emergency generators to supply the civil protection units
The district itself has emergency power generators to supply the civil protection units and to maintain the core tasks of the administration.
The district office has also procured satellite telephones and satellite radios.
These should ensure communication with the municipalities and the emergency services in the event of a failure of the telephone network.
Another satellite-based communication system is in preparation.
"Plans are also underway as to how a fuel supply for vital areas can be ensured if the gas station network fails," says the spokeswoman for the district office.
You can always read all the news from the district of Munich with us.