Dozens of emergency vehicles snake their way into the Samson parking lot on Saturday morning. There are more than 150 firefighters, technical relief organizations and the Maltese who have come to Ostend. One could assume that it is an emergency. But the three institutions are only rehearsing him that morning. The large-scale exercise is called "Frankopia" and has been held annually in Frankfurt since 2007. After brief introductory words, it starts: Specialists from the fire brigade set fire in barrels on the site and in a hall controlled fire, smoke rises, there are two simulated explosions.

Then the "injured" get into position.

They are first-year medical students.

They represent the injured employees of the company. Before that, each of them received a brief introduction to what happened to them in the accident and which symptoms they should show to the rescue workers.

As soon as the "injured" are in position, an emergency call is sent to the waiting forces.

Carried away on stretches

Surrounded by smoke from the flames and with loud sirens, ambulances and fire brigade vehicles drive onto the square three minutes later. What is happening now seems like a shambles at first. Rescue workers run around, the injured scream and whimper, the fire brigade rolls out hoses to put out the flames. But it has a system, as Johannes Pranghofer from the Malteser Aid Service, who is co-leading the exercise, explains: “Our emergency services wear colored identification marks on their uniforms that make it clear which group they are responsible for. Everyone here knows who is the contact person and who is responsible for the individual steps. The different units interlock very precisely. That's why we practice such situations. "

The injured are being transported away on stretchers and the fire has almost been extinguished when a third bang can be heard in the distance, and some emergency services look in surprise in the direction from which it had come.

An explosion was simulated in another hall on the industrial site.

“None of the emergency services knows the exact sequence of the large-scale exercise.

The mission should be as realistic as possible.

In an emergency, you don't know what will happen next, ”says Andreas Mohn, spokesman for the Frankfurt Fire Brigade.

Volunteers in action

At the location of the new explosion, the forces of the Technical Relief Organization (THW) are now deployed. They were called in because the explosion occurred in a building that is now in danger of collapsing. "Now it has to be clarified whether there are still people in the building", says Norbert Klein, specialist advisor of the THW local association in Frankfurt and also one of the trainers at "Frankopia". These people would have to be rescued, then the emergency services took care of the destroyed building. And indeed: In the basement of the house there are injured and trapped people, also represented by the medical students. They are evacuated via a ladder in the basement window and then given medical care.

Politicians are satisfied with the performance of the rescue workers.

Jan Klingelhöfer (SPD), among other things, Chairman of the Committee for Digitization and Security, explains: “I am very impressed with how well the various emergency services work hand in hand.

Everything is extremely professional here. ”However, this professionalism cannot be taken for granted.

Because: Nine out of ten participants in the exercise are volunteers.

“This voluntary commitment is irreplaceable because it guarantees quick help on the spot,” emphasizes Pranghofer from the Maltese.

A high degree of appreciation is required in order for the motivation to remain with the forces.

"Good education and training, as in today's exercise, are the key."