Large disaster control exercise in Cottbus: 500 emergency services in action!

Large disaster control exercise in Cottbus: 500 emergency services in action!

In Cottbus on July 4, 2025, a comprehensive disaster control exercise was carried out in the Spreeauenpark, which was dedicated to the fictional scenario of a mass casualty incident (MANV) during a summer concert with around 5,000 guests. Triggered by a sudden storm and a lightning strike, there was panic among those present, which resulted in around 90 “injuries”. Over 400 emergency services from the city and the region, including the emergency services of the city of Cottbus, disaster control units from surrounding districts, the fire department, police, Bundeswehr and the technical relief agency, worked hand in hand to overcome the challenges of the emergency. That reports Niederlausitz Current.

What was particularly notable was the high level of participation of more than 130 employees from the Medical University of Lausitz (MUL-CT), who were not only active in the coordination but also in the medical care of the “patients” under the extreme conditions of the exercise. Internal communication during the exercise took place via telephone and runner to ensure that regular clinical operations were not disrupted.

Real-time readiness testing

The exercise under the title “MANV ZEUS 2025” focused on improving resilience, speed and coordination in a state of emergency. Prof. Dr. mult. Eckhard Nagel found that such exercises make a significant contribution to optimizing internal processes and patient logistics under extreme conditions. The aim was to train operational readiness and supply structures in a realistic manner. The “injured” were given realistic make-up and transported to the clinic, sometimes even by helicopter. It was an impressive example of the cooperation between different organizations that have to make themselves available in practice in order to be able to act quickly and efficiently in a real crisis situation, as the MUL-CT explains on its website: MUL CT.

The Spreeauenpark was closed to the public during the exercise in order to allow the emergency services to work undisturbed. The citizens in the area had to adapt to the increased emergency vehicle traffic in the area around the MUL-CT and on the Cottbus city ring road.

Training for the future

The need for such exercises is also underlined by the growing importance of specialized education and training programs in the field of emergency management. The Medical University of Lausitz offers a master's degree in crisis and emergency management. The prerequisites for this are a bachelor's degree in a medical or medical-related field and relevant professional experience. The training imparts relevant skills that are of great importance in future crisis scenarios and are intended to optimize operational readiness in an emergency. Those interested can find further information on this bzGK.

The calmness and professionalism with which the participating emergency services acted showed that Cottbus is well prepared for crisis situations. Such exercises are important not only to sharpen one's own skills, but also to ensure the safety and health of the population in an emergency.