At the Steinmühle: One of the largest exercises of the past ten years
Fire departments can be called upon not only on New Year’s Eve, but throughout the entire year. For this reason, it is important to be able to carry out the necessary measures as routinely and effectively as possible. One of the largest fire department drills of the past 10 years took place in late November on the campus of the Steinmühle School and Boarding School in the Cappel district.
With a fleet of well over 20 vehicles and more than 70 emergency responders, the Steinmühle schoolyard and the adjacent Steinmühlenweg were filled that evening. Countless flashing lights and uniformed firefighters and emergency medical personnel—an unusual sight in this location. The drill being conducted here simulated an emergency response at the learning center for grades 5 and 6 and the adjacent bilingual elementary school. The simulated scenario: After a celebration by the students on the lowest floor of the building, a fire broke out and spread to the upper floors. According to the scenario, children were in danger, some suffered smoke inhalation, and had to be evacuated.
Evacuation Using a Turntable Ladder
Just as they would in a real emergency, firefighters rolled out hoses to fight the “fire” with water from the nearby Lahn River. Paramedics from the Malteser, who arrived with three ambulances, rushed to the scene with their equipment to provide medical assistance. The evacuation wasn’t possible without a turntable ladder. So it was extended and positioned in such a way that the girls and boys could be guided outside by the rescuers as quickly and safely as possible.
Various fire departments involved
On site were the fire departments of Marburg-Cappel, Marburg-Mitte, Marburg-Ronhausen, Marburg-Bortshausen, and Marburg-Moischt, as well as the City of Marburg’s incident command team and the Malteser. Also present as exercise observers were the leadership of the Marburg Fire Department, additional executives from the City of Marburg’s Fire Safety Division, and observers from the Malteser. The exercise command center was simulated by an employee of the Marburg-Biedenkopf control center. The youth fire department, the honorary and senior divisions, and individuals from the personal circles of the operational department served as role-players—and, of course, students from the Steinmühle School & Boarding School.
The result of a successful collaboration
The impressive fire drill, which lasted just under three hours, is the result of a successful collaboration between the Marburg-Cappel Fire Department—located not far from Steinmühle—and Jonathan Gröb, a teacher at Steinmühle. Gröb is not only a math and physics teacher, but he is also responsible for fire safety at Steinmühle.
All in all, the drill is viewed by both sides as a win-win situation. On the Steinmühle grounds, emergency responders encounter a wide variety of buildings, each of which presents different challenges for responding to an emergency. For the students and staff at Steinmühle, the drills conducted in different buildings provide reassurance about what to do in the event of a fire and give them an idea of what might happen if…
