Dramatic exercise by the fire department: general staff action in a flood emergency!

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On November 22, 2025, 126 fire departments in Purkersdorf trained decision-relevant processes in flood response during a staff exercise.

Am 22. November 2025 trainierten 126 Feuerwehren in Purkersdorf bei einer Stabsrahmenübung entscheidungsrelevante Prozesse beim Hochwasser-Einsatz.
On November 22, 2025, 126 fire departments in Purkersdorf trained decision-relevant processes in flood response during a staff exercise.

Dramatic exercise by the fire department: general staff action in a flood emergency!

On November 22, 2025, a staff exercise took place in the Purkersdorf fire station, which served as essential training for the fire department's managers. The aim was to improve the decision-making and communication processes within the management team. This exercise, which was carried out by the district management staff, simulated the once-in-a-century flood that affected the region in September of the previous year. Loud fireworld.at 126 fire brigades were deployed during this flood, supported by forces from other federal states.

The exercise included organizing operations, distributing resources and conducting detachments. A total of 23 staff members trained their leadership skills during this significant exercise. In order to practice different scenarios, the training location was deliberately chosen away from the area alarm center in St. Pölten in order to allow the staff to operate in “foreign territory”.

Realistic scenarios and exercise structure

During the exercise, the platoon commanders transmitted fictitious situation reports via radio and telephone, which put a lot of strain on the staff's work. The employees had to record, sort and evaluate the reports. In a simulated operational situation, water entered the basement, which led to a power outage and jeopardized the functionality of the operational team. These stressful situations are part of the requirements that were integrated into the exercise hct-stabsschulung.de notes.

Training leaders specify specific positions that the staff must master. A distinction is also made between administrative-organizational staffs and tactical-operational staffs, both of which must work together effectively in emergency situations, even if the members do not know each other well. Regular exercises, at least two per year, are therefore essential to deepen the way we work and identify weak points.

Results and perspectives

The exercise lasted around four hours and went to the satisfaction of Karl Engl, the Chief of Staff. He emphasized that the newly introduced tools of the Melk district fire brigade command were used successfully. The positive results of this exercise underline the importance of regular staff exercises for the operational readiness of the fire brigades.

In the context of practical training, the BOS Academy this training as essential. In Kaiserslautern and the surrounding region, the academy offers various training courses to optimally prepare emergency services for their tasks. The training includes, among other things, first aid courses, BOS further training and emergency management training, which are always geared towards the real needs of the participants.

In summary, it can be said that such practical exercises are not only a preparatory measure for emergency situations, but also make a decisive contribution to increasing efficiency and cooperation within the fire departments.