Major fire on the railway line in Siegburg, forest fires in Brandenburg, German fire brigades help with extinguishing work in Sweden and similar operations made headlines in the summer of 2018. The experts have learned lessons from their experiences: Many dangers were and are not taken sufficiently seriously!
At the upcoming annual conference of the Association for the Promotion of German Fire Protection (vfdb) from May 27th to 29th in Ulm, the topic “Underestimated Dangers” will be at the beginning of an extensive congress program. Around 600 experts from Germany and abroad are expected. The host is the Ulm fire department.
Climate, society, technology
'Climate, society, technology – everything is changing?' is the motto of the conference, which deals with the sometimes serious changes of the last few years and presents fire departments, rescue services, and disaster relief services with new challenges.
“Climate change has long been scientifically proven. That’s why extreme weather conditions – whether heat, but also cold, heavy rain or storms – should no longer surprise anyone,” says vfdb President - Dirk Aschenbrenner.
Digitalization possibilities and opportunities
Dirk Aschenbrenner adds, “And we have to react to it as much as possible before something happens.” The same, says Aschenbrenner, applies to social changes and demographic developments.
He continues, “Above all, we need to keep up with technical developments, especially when it comes to averting danger. Digitalization with all its possibilities and opportunities should not be a free choice for us, but rather a duty.”
Aschenbrenner reiterated his call for a digital pact for the fire and rescue services in Germany.
Smart Cities
The approximately 50 lectures include contributions on vehicle technology, training, and current topics
Digitalization takes up a lot of space during the Ulm Congress. Among other things, it covers topics such as “Smart Cities: The Fire Brigade as Part of a Networked City”, “Smartphones and Tablets in the fire service” and “Routing and Prioritization of Emergency Vehicles in the urban traffic of the Future”.
The approximately 50 lectures include among other things, contributions on vehicle technology, training, and current topics in fire protection and developments in rescue services.
timber construction
An interactive survey deals with timber construction and its importance from a planning and fire-fighting perspective. Another set of topics deals with contamination and the risk of cancer among firefighters, while another is about a research program for detection, combat, and self-rescue in the earliest phase of a fire.
Here, six partners from science and industry are working together on solutions for faster fire detection and fighting. But press and media work and their preparation for special events are also examined.
vfdb annual conference
In addition to the lecture program, the vfdb annual conference is traditionally considered a good opportunity for participants to exchange experiences.
Hansjörg Prinzing, Senior City Fire Director and Commander of the host - Ulm fire department, says, “The vfdb annual conference is a very good opportunity to exchange ideas and develop further.” An accompanying specialist exhibition also gives an impression of various practical applications.
