Large exercise in Braunau: Fire brigade ready for fire emergencies!

Large exercise in Braunau: Fire brigade ready for fire emergencies!

Suben, Österreich - On June 6, 2025, a large-scale exercise of the fire extinguishing and disaster relief willingness (F-Kat) took place in Suben/Sankt Florian am Inn, Upper Austria. The exercise was realistically designed by a simulated flight emergency scenario with subsequent forest fire. The advance command was alerted at 11:00 a.m., while the rest of the forces arrived at the DELIGNATION room at the Altheim fire brigade at 12:30 p.m.

A total of 88 fire brigade members and 22 emergency vehicles from 16 different fire departments took part in the exercise. The participating fire brigades included FF Schalchen, FF Hochburg and FF Braunau. The main tasks of the F-KAT trains were to replace the teams that have been in use since the morning hours and to carry out re-extinguishing work in the rough terrain. A large number of equipment were used, including extinguishing bags, fire pats, RTE parasites and drones with thermal imaging cameras.

challenges of vegetation fire fighting

The exercise underlined the increasing relevance of the vegetation fire fighting, since the frequency of use of such fires has increased significantly in recent years. Emergency services are increasingly faced with large fires in fields and forests. These extraordinary challenges not only bring high dangers with them, but also often lead to serious injuries among those members. According to secure-feuerwehr.de, the local authorities are responsible for the safety of the fire brigade and must take preventive measures.

In addition, the need for a risk assessment is pointed out before new equipment is purchased. In order to ensure security in use, personal protective equipment (PSA) should be selected according to the identified risks.

training and preventive measures

For effective vegetation fire fighting, a comprehensive understanding of fire theory and the different types of vegetation fires is essential. A structured approach to combating these fires, which also includes the consideration of weather, topography and fuel, is of great importance. To do this, Vegetationbraende.de offers differentiated modules that deal with the basics and practical aspects of fire fighting.

The modules range from theory, such as general fire theory and the behavior of vegetation fires, to practical applications, for example in the use of hand tools and extinguishing water production techniques. This training and further education is crucial for the security and efficiency of the emergency services in the field.

Overall, the exercise in Upper Austria represented a valuable test of the operational readiness and promoted the national cooperation between the fire brigades in the Braunau district. Although the challenges in combating vegetation fires are great, the exercise showed that the fire brigade members are well prepared for the emergency. Special thanks go to all members of the fire brigade, the district fire brigade command Schärding and the Austrian Armed Forces for the cooperation.