Urgent deployment: DRK practices blackout precautions in Pritzwalk!

Urgent deployment: DRK practices blackout precautions in Pritzwalk!

In an impressive exercise, the German Red Cross (DRK) simulated a large-scale power outage in Falkenhagen, near Pritzwalk, on September 26th and 27th. Under the title “Blackout”, 41 volunteer forces from five DRK teams trained, including teams from Pritzwalk, Wittenberge, Kyritz, Neuruppin and the Mansfeld-Südharz district. The aim was to be prepared for an emergency and to sensitize the population to such crisis situations, reports maz-online.de.

The first day of the exercise began with a theoretical briefing on important topics such as alarming, emergency supplies, logistics and technology. The helpers then loaded their vehicles with material, set up camp beds and positioned a mobile heater. At 7 p.m. the electricity was switched off and the building had to be operated using an emergency generator. This put the emergency services to the test and created a realistic training environment.

Prepare for emergencies

On the second day, the volunteers set up sleeping spaces for up to 50 people, created a children's and information corner and provided seating. Experts from the supply unit took care of feeding the visitors and emergency services, while the technical service transported drinking water and set up a central distribution point. Parallel to the exercises, the Open Industrial Estate Day also took place in the region, which attracted around 200 interested people.

The importance of such comprehensive exercise scenarios is underlined by the recommendations of the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance. They recommend creating personal emergency supplies that are designed to last at least three days, while aiming for self-sufficiency for up to ten days. A corresponding brochure, “Disaster Alarm!”, offers valuable tips and checklists for emergency preparedness that can be individually adapted, such as bbk.bund.de reported.

Important components of emergency preparedness

The recommended contents of an emergency backpack include essential items such as medication, first aid supplies, a battery-operated radio and sufficient food. Personal documents such as ID, cash cards and vaccination certificates should also not be missing. The information from zdfheute.de According to them, it is best to put together the materials yourself to take individual needs into account. The cost of such a self-packed backpack is around 120 euros.

Such exercises and comprehensive information not only strengthen disaster protection, but also raise awareness among the population about crisis prevention. Prignitz District Administrator Christian Müller was on site and found out about the DRK's activities. The successful exercise is to be repeated next year in order to further promote cooperation between preparedness groups and to raise citizens' awareness of emergency preparedness.