Large-scale operation in Upahl: Fire departments rehearse an emergency at the Arla dairy!

Large-scale operation in Upahl: Fire departments rehearse an emergency at the Arla dairy!

In Upahl, a small town in northwest Mecklenburg, an important operational exercise recently took place at the Arla dairy. Several fire departments in the area, including Upahl, Hanshagen, Plushow/Naschendorf and Grevesmühlen, simulated an emergency that resembled an explosion in a drying tower and a fire in the workshop building. Alexander Ehlers, fire chief of the Upahler local fire department, emphasized the enormous importance of cooperation between the fire departments and emphasized that such exercises are essential in order to be best prepared for emergencies. Ostsee-Zeitung reports.

During the exercise, not only technical aspects such as communication and operational coordination were practiced, but also the rescue of injured people. Two injured people were rescued from the roof using the Grevesmühlen fire department's turntable ladder and four others were taken out of the heavily smoking workshop building. Such scenarios are a direct preparation measure for real emergencies such as those that have occurred in the past. N-TV highlights that the causes of fire incidents in the dairy are often unclear, which further emphasizes the need for regular drills.

The importance of fire drills

Fire drills are a proven method of preparing companies and their employees for emergencies. These planned exercises are intended not only to test evacuation procedures, but also to check the functionality of fire protection systems. Loud Economic knowledge Annual fire protection training is even required by law for many companies. As a rule, such exercises should be carried out 2 to 3 times a year, especially if the risk of fire is high.

The development at the Arla dairy also shows how important such exercises are. In addition to the continuous training, a project was launched to strengthen cooperation between the fire departments of the Grevesmühlen-Land district, which started four years ago. The training was completed in 2022, and twelve members from different fire departments now belong to the management group, which supports the operations manager in difficult situations.

Challenges for the dairy

The Arla dairy is a major employer in the region with around 500 employees. Nevertheless, there have been repeated critical incidents in the past. In addition to a fire in the technical room in 2020, which caused high costs and led to the disposal of several tons of food, there was a dangerous incident in 2024 with an exploding detergent canister. Fortunately, there were no major injuries in these incidents. The Baltic Sea newspaper cites that the company is making efforts to further increase security and thus minimize the risk of future incidents.

With these challenges and the constant willingness to continue training and improving safety measures, the Arla dairy in Upahl shows how important effective prevention strategies are. In a region that relies on safe food production, it is crucial to be well prepared and proactively address challenges. However, despite all seriousness, the focus on community and cooperation should not be missing - after all, they are the backbone of every security measure.