Emergency services conduct large-scale disaster response drills in Germany and Austria

Emergency services across Germany and Austria conducted a series of large-scale disaster response exercises on September 26-27, 2026, to test preparedness for various crisis scenarios.

In Germany, significant drills included a nationwide weather emergency simulation in Rhineland-Palatinate involving over 3,500 personnel, and a major medical task force exercise in Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt. The latter, titled ‘Schwebender Adler,’ simulated a NATO alliance scenario involving an attack on an eastern partner, requiring 24-hour medical station operations.

Other specialized drills included a train fire simulation in the Spessart tunnel, medical training for gunshot and explosion injuries at Rostock University Medicine, and a hazardous material accident drill involving ÖBB in Austria. In Austria, responders also practiced flood response in Katzelsdorf and a passenger ship fire on the Danube near Perg.

These exercises aimed to test communication channels, inter-agency cooperation, and the ability to manage mass casualty incidents under extreme pressure, including low visibility and high-stress environments.