Bavaria’s fire brigades see a need for modernization in civil protection in the Free State. “Time is of the essence,” said Johann Eitzenberger, chairman of the State Fire Brigade Association (LFV) in view of increasing flood and storm conditions and in view of the consequences of the Ukraine war. The fire brigades must be organized in such a way that they can also provide effective help on a regional basis – “throughout Bavaria, throughout Germany, throughout Europe”.
Overall, civil protection in Bavaria is well positioned and the structures are working. The fire brigades are still striving for some improvements: The association calls for the establishment of disaster control camps in every district and every independent city. For example, special emergency vehicles and filling systems for sandbags would have to be kept available there, as well as equipment for fighting forest fires, camp beds and tents. “We see the state as having a duty here to offer the local authorities targeted funding,” said Eitzenberger.
The flood disaster in the Ahr valley last year showed that cross-border aid works. But there was also room for improvement. “For example, it was noticed that the forces deployed should be as self-sufficient as possible in disaster areas,” said the LFV boss. This means that they need their own food, sanitary facilities and their own ambulance. The already burdened region should not be put under organizational strain by the arriving helpers. The fire brigades would also like a common data pool that all organizations and authorities involved could access – for example, equipped with geo, weather and analysis data. “In civil protection, this data could be used to fundamentally monitor the current situation, to identify and evaluate possible imminent disasters at an earlier stage,” said the LFV boss. For example, you can quickly clarify which vehicles or emergency services are needed and which “tactical recommendations” need to be made. According to its own statements, the LFV represents around 7,700 fire brigades in the Free State with 880,000 members.