Daily routine at a fire station - 24 hoursThe Control Centre for Fire and Rescue Service, Emergency Medical Services and Disaster Preparedness is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Service’s resources (fire engines, emergency ambulances, emergency physician response vehicles and other ambulances). The call-handling and vehicle-dispatch functions are carried out by whole-time Fire Service officers who are qualified as Crew Managers and paramedics. On weekdays they are supported by personnel from the Malteser Hilfsdienst (relief organisation) who assist with the dispatching of ambulances.
Per annum, the control centre for the City of Bonn (located at Fire Station 1) deals with approximately 4000 fires and other rescue incidents, 9000 calls for the emergency physicians, 32000 calls for emergency ambulances and 28000 other ambulance interventions (e.g. request for patient transport). In case of emergency the control centre is available 24 hours a day by dialling 112. For ambulance assistance (patient transport) please call 65 22 11 or 19222.

Address:
Lievelingsweg 112
53119 Bonn

Department Manager:
BAR Klaus Nehring
Tel. +49-0228 - 71 79 20

Klaus.nehringbonnde

Staff:

• 4 staff “ day duties
• 3 teams for the round-the-clock service, each with 9 officers

The minimum crewing levels at the control centre are:

• 5 dispatchers from the whole-time Fire Service (24h)
• 1 dispatcher from the whole-time Fire Service (mo-fr 12h)
• 2 ambulance dispatchers from Malteser Hilfsdienst (relief organisation) (8h).

Responsibilities:

• emergency call reception (112)
• alerting and dispatch of operational resources of Fire and Rescue Service and Emergency Medical Services
• call logging
• maintenance of central bed register (emergency capacity at participating hospitals)
• monitoring the Bad Godesberg road tunnel
• updating of the pre-determinded attendance
• data administration for the control centre server
• management of premises key safes
• compiling and updating of staff rosters
• statistical evaluations
• providing the assistant for the officer in charge “ level B
• start-up of the tactical command centre in the event of a major incident

Technical equipment:
The control centre is extensively equipped with dataprocessing and communications equipment. The dispatchers are supported by the control centre server during every step of their work. Versatile interfaces with many other technical installations enable fast and reliable processing of operations.

Eight telephone lines are available for emergency calls and eight more for our hotline 717-5, which may be used for reporting smaller incidents when a very large number of emergency calls are being received. With the switch-over to the new control centre server it is now possible to transmit incident data directly to the satellite navigation systems fitted in the vehicles. By telemetry the control centre server will be able to ascertain the location of any vehicle and dispatch the nearest available resource to respond to an incident.

Even if there are no calls the firefighters on the watches have plenty to do at all three stations in Bonn. Apart from routine maintenance of vehicles and equipment they will primarily be working in the various workshops, undertaking theoretical and practical training and keeping fit. An average working day (excluding call-outs) is escribed below:

7.00 a.m. - change of watches
The new watch takes over. Changes to the staff roster and the daily routine are announced by the Watch Manager.
After that the crews check their fire engines and equipment.

7.30 a.m. - morning break

7.45 a.m. - work in the workshops
Apart from workshops specifically related to fire service equipment, such as breathing apparatus, fire hoses and radio communications devices, there is also a vehicle workshop, a joiner's workshop, a locksmith’s workshop and a workshop for hydraulic equipment, among others. On Saturdays there is the regular check of the brigades vehicles and premises. On Sundays there is no work in the workshops to have enough time for an extended training.

12.00 noon - lunch break
On each watch there are several staff members who take turns in preparing the meal for their colleagues.

1.30 p.m. - work in the workshops

3.30 p.m. - training
To keep the officers up to date for any incident they may attend there is daily training. Besides practical drills and
theoretical instruction there are also regular breathing apparatus xercises. The crews will also visit premises that
are particularly complex or those where a large number of people could be at risk in the event of an emergency.

5.30 p.m. - dinner

6.00 p.m. - compact training
Besides the extensive training in the morning or on Sundays there is a ompact training in the evening following a periodic programme. In the compact training we do short-time exercises or drill for the standard procedures like the placing of portable ladders.

6.45 p.m. - Physical training
Due to the nature of the work of the fire service, firefighters are required to attain a high level of fitness. A programme of regular physical training is built into the working day so that the operational crews can maintain a asic level of fitness for their work. All fire stations have their own fitness room. Municipal sports halls and sports fields may also be used.

7.45 p.m. - standby time and rest period
During this period the crews are only required to respond to call-outs, and they may, for example, watch television, surf the internet, use the fitness room or rest in their rooms.

6.15 a.m. - wake-up call
This marks the end of the night. All those who are not already up due to incidents during the night now rise, and
the whole crew carries out the morning routines in preparation for the hand-over to the next watch.