Expert Forum: The Changing Reality of Field Operations – Lessons from the Field

Four engaging presentations will demonstrate how technology, logistics, and learning processes are shaping firefighting today and in the future.

The presentation on the BLITZ project—the Munich Professional Fire Department’s rapid-response lead vehicle—provides insights into the concept, real-world experiences, and the question of what tactical advantages such a vehicle can offer during operations.

Munich
Professional Fire Department “Blitz” Project: Fast, Tactical, Electric
Alexander Köhler, Munich Professional Fire Department 

Is a hydrogen-powered fireboat an alternative for fire departments?
A presentation will introduce the NavisH2 project: an innovative fireboat with a fuel cell for rapid firefighting on Berlin’s waterways. Topics include: the concept, design, potential applications, safety concepts, environmental and operational benefits, and its contribution to sustainable firefighting on urban waterways.

NavisH2 Project – Hydrogen-Powered Fireboat for Berlin
Sebastian Ritz, Berlin Fire Department

A major operation lasting over 58 hours challenged the Neumünster Professional Fire Department during a warehouse fire that affected several buildings containing e-scooters and other battery-powered devices. The focus is on the specific challenges posed by lithium-ion battery fires, the fire suppression and cooling measures employed, and the tactical and safety-related lessons learned for future operations.

Neumünster
Professional Fire Department: Major Warehouse Fire Involving Batteries—58 Hours of Continuous Operation with Pitfalls
by Alexander Blüher, Neumünster
Fire Department 

A fire at a large-scale energy storage facility kept the Bautzen Fire Department on the scene for over 36 hours. Not only did tactical and technical limitations become apparent—logistics also became a critical challenge. The presentation highlights the experiences gained from the operation and the lessons learned for future incidents.

Bautzen
Professional Fire Department: Fire at a Large-Scale Energy Storage Facility—36 Hours of Limits, Logistics, and Lessons Learned

 
Innovations, research, and experiences from operations—many insights: What works? Where are the limits? And what can other fire departments learn for their own operational planning and response? Interesting contributions on the future of fire departments.