German fire brigade leaders discuss civil protection strategies

At the German Fire Brigade Association (DFV) federal congress in Berlin, leaders discussed the evolving challenges of civil protection and defense. Karl-Heinz Banse, President of the DFV, emphasized the necessity of providing emergency responders with adequate equipment, training, and protection to ensure they are prepared for emerging threats.

Grit Tüngler, President of the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK), identified three critical factors for successful civil protection: people, skills, and cooperation. She highlighted the importance of collaboration between federal agencies and existing fire brigade structures and called for increased resilience and preparedness among the general population.

The congress also addressed practical lessons from a significant three-day power outage in Reutlingen in June 2026, which affected approximately 7,600 households and several businesses. The outage, suspected to be caused by arson at a substation, demonstrated the value of prior training and pre-defined emergency reporting points in managing large-scale infrastructure failures.