Wiesbaden demonstrates tactile disaster response measures
In the heart of Germany, the city of Wiesbaden has taken innovative steps to ensure effective communication and disaster management during widespread power outages. The city's network of 35 lighthouses, a system developed by the Wiesbaden professional fire department, plays a pivotal role in this effort.
These lighthouses, both stationary and mobile, form a city-wide network when all are in use. Each lighthouse is equipped with a large foldable sign bearing the inscription "Disaster Protection Lighthouse" and a flashing light signal, signaling readiness for deployment. During emergencies, they serve as information points, providing the population with current information, orientation, and contact with the Central Control Center.
Mayor Gert-Uwe Mende was present during a recent visit to one of these lighthouses. He praised the smooth operation of a disaster protection exercise conducted in November, where emergency services practiced for a sudden power outage, and emphasized the city's excellent preparation for crisis situations.
Dirk Schwarz, a member of the Wiesbaden fire department, stressed the importance of disaster protection happening where the people are. The mobile disaster protection lighthouse, he explained, is a system focused on practical crisis management.
The city's strategies and measures for crisis management are multi-faceted. They include frequent, scheduled communications, multilingual and accessible messaging, real-time outage mapping and reporting tools, text-based updates and reporting, use of social media and public-facing platforms, infrastructure improvements and resilience measures, and preparedness and emergency supplies guidance.
For instance, utilities develop predefined communication schedules with updates starting days before a storm or outage event and continuing multiple times daily during the outage. They also deploy interactive outage maps on websites or mobile platforms, and implement SMS-based systems for reporting outages and receiving restoration status.
The city's website provides the locations of the lighthouses, along with FAQs, maps, and guidelines. In an emergency, the Logistics Catastrophe Protection Vehicle (GW-L KatS) can be used to create a fully operational citizen information point.
The fire department has also produced an explanatory video about what to do in case of a power outage. The Hessian Minister of the Interior, Prof. Dr. Roman Poseck, recently visited the mobile disaster protection lighthouse of the Wiesbaden fire department, demonstrating the interest and support from higher authorities.
The "PHAROS" disaster protection exercise, held on November 9, successfully demonstrated how crisis management can succeed with light towers and united forces in Wiesbaden. The city's innovative approach to disaster protection is indeed a beacon of hope in ensuring public trust and safety during widespread power outages.
[1] CenterPoint Energy: https://www.centerpointenergy.com/storm/ [2] National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates: https://www.nascua.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Multilingual-Outreach-During-Outages-Final-Report.pdf [3] New Jersey: https://www.nj.gov/oem/covid19/outage-map.shtml [4] Minnesota: https://mn.gov/homelandsecurity/preparedness/emergency-management/resources/Pages/Prepare-for-Power-Outages.aspx [5] Memphis Light, Gas and Water: https://www.mlgw.org/outages/outage-center/
- To promote a holistic approach to safety during widespread power outages, Wiesbaden's health-and-wellness initiatives extend to crisis management, incorporating fitness-and-exercise routines for maintaining mental-health stability during emergencies.
- Recognizing the pivotal role of communication in disaster protection, Wiesbaden pioneers in science by integrating real-time outage mapping and reporting tools, text-based updates, and social media platforms for efficient information dissemination, thus fostering health-and-wellness through transparency and preparedness.
