Exercise Conducted by FW Mechernich on 26th April 2025 at the Knapsack Hürth Chemical Industrial Park
On April 26, 2025, the ABC units of Zülpich and Mechernich, along with the watch department of the works fire department of the Chemiepark Knapsack, conducted a realistic exercise in Hürth. The scenario involved an accident with a hazardous material container (ISO container) and injured persons.
The exercise began with the ABC Zug (hazardous materials unit) of Kreis Euskirchen, which belongs to the Fire Department (Feuerwehr) Euskirchen, being alerted. Simultaneously, units from Mechernich gathered at 12:15 PM at the equipment house in Kommern, while the units in Zülpich drove to the meeting point at Adenauerparkplatz in Zülpich.
Upon arrival at the watch in Hürth, they were welcomed by the comrades of the watch department of the Chemiepark Knappsack. After a brief instruction on driving in a closed column, the vehicles moved towards Hürth at 12:45 PM.
Upon arrival, a leak on the ISO container was discovered. The defense component of the ABC Zug Kreis Euskirchen, as well as the watch of the Chemiepark, sprang into action. Several teams equipped with CSA (chemical protection suits) were deployed by the ABC Zug to handle the situation.
The deployed teams closed the leak professionally with a sealing collar and pumped the remaining contents of the ISO container into a container using a transfer line. Escaping vapors were knocked down with a B-type hose reel. The works fire department of the Chemiepark took over the decontamination.
After a brief assessment by the first-arriving group leader, the GAMS rule was applied. The joint exercise was concluded after approximately 2.5 hours of intense work. A big thank you was given to the colleagues from Zülpich and the Chemiepark Knapsack for the intensive planning and preparation of the exercise.
It is worth noting that the Chemiepark Knapsack has high-quality equipment and sufficient material on hand for real-life emergencies. The deployment forces from Zülpich and Mechernich ended their day at 21:00 PM.
This exercise served as a valuable opportunity for the teams to practice their skills and work together effectively in a realistic scenario. It underscores the importance of preparedness and cooperation in handling hazardous material incidents.
