Roofing fire at Vogelsbergschule: Fire brigade practices for an emergency!

Roofing fire at Vogelsbergschule: Fire brigade practices for an emergency!

A dramatic scenario developed at the Vogelsbergschule in Schotten: The volunteer fire brigade faced a simulated catastrophe where the roof structure was on fire! During the annual training exercise, a fictitious fire in the school's main building, in which around 600 students are taught, was reproduced. City fire inspector Rouven Keil reported that several people, including a teacher and ten students, were missing in the building. A real horror scenario for the emergency services!

With around 30 firefighters and a complete fleet, the core city armed forces moved, supported by the Götzen volunteer fire brigade and the Schotten mountain resistance. The exercise required extinguishing attacks from two directions: from the inside and outside. The fire brigade Nidda brought a turntable ladder to combat the "flames" from above, but a real use in Nidda let the exercise end. A fire in a former furniture factory demanded the attention of the emergency services!

challenges in exercise

The firefighters fought through the winding rooms of the over 50 year old school. Orientation was a challenge because the extensive ventilation system made the movements difficult. Equipped with breathing apparatus, the emergency services systematically searched for the missing persons. All eleven “victims” were finally found and handed over to the care of the mountain rescue service, which took over the first aid in the operational tent. City fire inspector Keil was satisfied with the process and the knowledge gained after the exercise.

The Schotten volunteer fire brigade has no large gear ladder, which is why it is dependent on the support of the fire brigades from Nidda and Gedern in an emergency. A modern turntable ladder vehicle costs around 1.2 million euros and is essential for effective fire fighting. The exercise impressively showed how important good local knowledge and teamwork are in an emergency!