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Hesse is preparing: This is how disaster protection works against blackouts!
Hochtaunuskreis is actively preparing for possible blackouts, under the leadership of Wolfgang Reuber. Disaster protection strategies and emergency power supplies are central.
Hesse is preparing: This is how disaster protection works against blackouts!
With an uneasy feeling in their hearts, the people of Cologne ask themselves how well they are prepared for a potential blackout. As the FAZ reported, such a power outage can have a drastic impact on public life. Traffic lights and the Internet in particular could mutate into the first ghost town. After a few hours without power, mobile network connections also fail, which leads to an information bottleneck. For many people, this is no longer a nightmare but a serious scenario.
The alarm bells have long been heard ringing in Hesse. Municipalities, including in rural areas, train for disasters. The pioneer is the Hochtaunuskreis under the leadership of Wolfgang Reuber, which looks after 183 protected objects - 119 of which are equipped with emergency generators. Comparable reserves are essential to cushion the impact of a power loss, as a blackout can last up to 14 days and emergency services need an estimated 143,000 liters of diesel every day to operate this infrastructure.
Special challenges
But the devil is in the details. According to the t online The average power interruption in Germany has remained under 13 minutes since 2014, which is a good sign for reliability. But that is no reason to be complacent. Experts warn of future challenges such as cyber attacks or extreme weather events that could increase pressure on energy supplies. Is our existing system really perfect, or does it still need to be improved?
Interior Minister Roman Poseck also points out that home care is a particular concern for around 4,300 people who rely on electricity. If emergency care cannot be guaranteed immediately, this could have fatal consequences. And this is where the question comes into play: How well are we as private individuals prepared for these disasters? The federal government recommends building up personal emergency supplies that should last at least 72 hours. If you pay attention, you will not only have a flashlight or candles, but also important documents and cash at hand.
The role of volunteering
The aspect of volunteering in disaster relief is also exciting. The majority of fire departments in Germany – around 98 percent – are made up of volunteers. This represents an indispensable pillar in crisis management. Nevertheless, there are problems with recruiting young people, while organizations like the Technical Relief Organization (THW) basically have no such worries. It turns out that a strong community that supports each other is worth its weight in gold, even in times of crisis.
However, the population must also actively participate in order to be prepared for disasters. Information campaigns such as those planned in Frankfurt are intended to remedy this. If we all have a good hand and inform each other, we will be better prepared for unexpected power outages.