Gearing Up for Civil Defense in Saxony: Bridging the Gap
Urgent requirement recognized for strengthening civil defence capabilities in Saxony - Enhancements made to the civil protection system in Saxony
It's high time for a major shake-up in the realm of civil defense in Saxony. Interior Minister, Armin Schuster, pushed for progress, stating, "It's essential we keep pace with the times in both civil and disaster protection, as we do in national defense." Despite the federal government's responsibility for civil defense, they've overlooked crucial aspects such as warning infrastructure, population supply, national reserves, and drone defense, Schuster emphasized [1].
In the new coalition agreement, civil defense has finally earned its rightful attention. Prior to his stint as Saxony's interior minister, Schuster was the president of the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance from 2020 to 2022 [1].
A Shelter Crisis in Saxony
Alarmingly, according to the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance, there aren't any public shelters in Saxony. Infrastructure built for emergency scenarios in Eastern Germany was disregarded after reunification [1].
Safer handling of civil defense spending calls for around €10 billion from the federal government over the next decade from the federal government. This allocation would cover updates to legal structures, rapid implementation of the federal equipment concept, and prompt development of care capacities [1].
Hospitals Stepping Up
In contrast to the lack of readiness on the civil defense front, hospitals in the Free State are well-prepared to tackle mass casualties and disaster scenarios. Clinics in the Free State must formulate and regularly update Alarm and Deployment Plans (KAEPs), ensuring close cooperation with the relevant fire protection, rescue service, and disaster protection authorities as well as the integrated regional control center [2].
Manuela Powollik, spokesperson for the St. Georg Clinic in Leipzig, explained their preparedness, "We frequently collaborate with other Leipzig clinics and the rescue service to practice and improve emergency response processes. Authorities regularly share information regarding capacities and technical equipment" [2].
When disaster strikes, these plans spring into action within minutes. According to Powollik, staff are instantly notified via phone or SMS, allowing the clinic to handle a high volume of causalities within one to two hours [2]. St. Georg Clinic maintains all necessary medical departments on standby, including the emergency room, radiology, OR, catheter laboratory, laboratory, and intensive care unit [2].
The clinic's unique "trauma center" brings together each department critical for emergency care, including trauma surgery, plastic surgery, severe burn injury center, intensive care medicine, and pediatric surgery [2].
- Civil Defense
- Saxony
- Hospitals
- Civil Protection
- Germany
- Emergency Response
- Disaster Scenarios
[1] Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance
[2] St. Georg Clinic Leipzig
- The lack of public shelters in Saxony, as stated by the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance, highlights the need for a comprehensive community policy focusing on vocational training for emergency management and shelter construction.
- The well-prepared hospitals in the Free State for disaster scenarios, as emphasized by Manuela Powollik, open up an opportunity for cooperation with politics and policy-and-legislation to implement vocational training programs for health professionals to enhance general-news reporting on emergency response strategies.
