Wir überwinden Grenzen

Around 200 participants train for emergencies

Today, Tuesday morning, May 20, 2025, the University Medical Center Freiburg and the Freiburg Police Headquarters conducted a joint exercise to practice tactical procedures in life-threatening situations and the care of injured persons. The exercise took place in the newly built ward block on the grounds of the university hospital and gave the emergency services involved the opportunity to train and improve their skills and procedures under realistic conditions.

The exercise simulated an escalated violent scenario with numerous casualties, for whom the hospital incident command, which comes together in such crisis situations, set up a casualty collection point in the hospital grounds in coordination with the police incident command. The close cooperation between the police and the hospital enabled important interfaces and communication channels to be tested and optimized.

Guests at the exercise included various officials from both organizations, as well as representatives from other organizations and authorities. The Lord Mayor of the City of Freiburg, Martin Horn, also came to see the joint exercise for himself.

PD Dr. Thorsten Hammer, Head of the Department of Civil Protection, Risk and Emergency Response at the University Medical Center Freiburg, emphasized the importance of such exercises: "Such exercises are essential in order to ensure efficient cooperation in an emergency and to train coordinated procedures. Unfortunately, the present also forces us to carry out such exercise scenarios."

Police Director Heiko Baumgärtner, who is responsible for the exercise on behalf of Freiburg Police Headquarters, emphasized that the close cooperation between the two organizations is an important step towards improving public safety: "Our goal is to be able to act quickly and effectively in an emergency in order to save lives and minimize the impact of life-threatening situations."

As part of the follow-up, the results of the exercise will be evaluated in order to further improve processes and develop new strategies.

Image source: Freiburg Police Headquarters