The forest fire module specializes in ground-based vegetation firefighting using fire engines. This unit is alerted via the European Response and Coordination Center in Brussels in the event of major forest fires within and outside the EU under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. It is formed by the fire departments from Bonn, Königswinter, Leverkusen, Düsseldorf and Ratingen and has already been deployed in Greece and France.
The exercise in Bonn will focus on the tactical approach of the emergency services to vegetation and wildfires. Straw bales are set alight to create a scenario that is as realistic as possible. The aim of the exercise is to contain the spread of the fire front and then secure the burning area so that the ground fire cannot flare up again.
Experts from the "@fire" and "Waldbrandteam" organizations, which specialize in vegetation fires, are on site as technical advisors. The training content for technology, tactics and the basics of foreign operations was developed together with the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK) in Bonn and is to be used in future for the standardized training and further training of other German EU forest fire units that are currently being set up.
Firefighters and civil defense personnel from Finland present
In addition to the participating fire departments, representatives of the Finnish fire department and the Finnish Civil Defense will also be present at the exercise. The main aim of their visit is to exchange experience and knowledge and to intensify cooperation within Europe. Finland also participates in the EU civil protection mechanism and has a comparable forest fire unit.