www.thw.de

Disaster Management Workshop, Delhi, India Nov.,16th – 17th 2011

Presentation by Frank Schulze,federal spokesman of the THW volunteers

Disaster Management

states

Disaster Management in Germany

Federal Government

BBK

Civil protectionAdministrative assistanceDisaster Management

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National Security Structure

Civil Protection:Civil Protection:BBK, Red Cross, BBK, Red Cross, Fire Brigades, etc.Fire Brigades, etc.

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Agencies and OrganisationsAgencies and Organisations

Fed. Gov.

states

(district government)

cities and county boroughs

local / regional catastrophes and calamites

national catastrophes, civil defence, administrative assistance within Germany

and abroad

BBK

emergency medical services, fire protction, technical relief

National Network of Relief Organisations

www.thw.de 5© Technisches Hilfswerk

Federal Agency for Technical Relief

Founded in 1950 Within the Federal Ministry of

the Interior Flexible mission components,

transnational support systems, global networks

THW: globally unique

www.thw.de 6© Technisches Hilfswerk

More than 80.000 volunteers

Annual budget of 178 million EUR (2010)

Voluntary Commitment

Just 800 full-time employees

99% sustained by volunteers

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Volunteers & full time

Volunteers can be a full alternative to full time

Most effective is a split system: Full staff administration in disaster ministries and

agencies, professionals in command and control Volunteers as a support system in operational units

and on site command

Volunteers need clear defined missions. Discussions about responsibilities, restrictions, jurisdictions, boundaries, … will discourage them.

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Duties: Contractual basis for volunteers (~120 h/a) Responsibility & Reliability Participation in Training & Exercises Participation in OperationsAdvantages: Good Reputation (private life & job) Specific technical Knowledge to be used in private

life & job Social values & social Integration A good way to spend free-time

Duties & advantages

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Challenges for volunteers

Planned or unexpected operation:“GO!” anytime & anywhere

Radio alarm system, phone-call, messenger A volunteer has 1 to 10 alarms per year 3 hrs to 30 days per mission Employer’s reaction: mostly support, leadership

training as advantage. Salary will be re-

imbursed (by legislation) Family’s reaction: mostly

support, specific human & social competence

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Limits of volunteers

Periods of operation:changing teams to recover(international missions)

Physical & mental limits

Limits of release by their employers

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On recommendation by relatives, friends, schoolmates

Attracted by the public image Get new target groups: i.e. women, foreigners Include lifetime compatibility Paperwork: More pepper – less paper Challenge: be attractive!

How to attract volunteers

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Fascination to help as a well trained “specialist”

Wish to belong to specific social group with good reputation (THW-family)

Long term tradition in GER Team work & comradeship Humanitarian aspects International missions

Motivation for volunteers

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Legal Mandate

disaster relief and civil protection

international relief missions for the Federal Government

domestic technical assistance after disasters and accidents as requested by fire department, police etc.

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Headquarters (located in Bonn)

8 state-/ states- associations

2 logistics centres (located in Heiligenhaus and in Mainz)2 training centres (located in Hoya and in Neuhausen)

66 branch offices

668 local sections with 727 technical Platoons,1,180 special Units and 1,437 rescue groups,8,400 vehicles and special technical equipment

Structure of THW

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..

Home base for volunteers Rooms for training lessons Command centre Garages for trucks and cars Repair room for equipment Storage for small equipment

Local Section (example)

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“Modular System“: local units

Deployed in every local section (668) Basics of all THW units Standardised all over Germany

The technical platoon

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Deployed in all 66 regional offices Special units for tasks, e.g. Water

Hazards, Search and Rescue, Electricity Supply, Debris Clearance

“Modular system“: regional units

129

69

89

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Deployed in all 8 state associations For very special interventions in

particular missions E.g. Water Supply & Treatment, Bridge

Construction

3

“Modular System“:supra-regional units

24

14

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Rapid Development (International) SEEBA Rapid Deployment Unit

Search and Rescue Abroad

SEEWARapid Deployment Unit Water and Sanitation

Abroad

SEELiftRapid Deployment Unit

Airport Support

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National interventions

search and rescue

Command and Control

Debris Cleaning

BlastingEmergency power supply

Mobile high capacity pumps

Repairs

Combatting oil Pollution

llumination

Temporary bridges

Catering

Water purification

Mission Examples

Flooding in Southern France in 2003

Power cut due to heavy snow in Münsterland, Germany in 2005

Collapse of Cologne City archive in 2009

Wreckage on the Rhine in 2011

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National Cooperation Partners

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International Networks, Partners, Cooperations:• Implementing contract with UNHCR: Training of new members at THW school Neuhausen

• Cooperation with UNJLC (Logisticians for Crisis)

• Founding member of INSARAG (United Nations Search and Rescue Advisory Group)

• Cooperation contract with GIZ, former (German Technical Cooperation)

• Deployment of units and experts within the European Community Mechanism on Civil Protection

• Training for experts on behalf of the EU

• Long time partner of ECHO

• Training, experts and intervention modules for the European Community Mechanism on Civil Protection

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Thank you für your attention!

Bundesanstalt Technisches Hilfswerk (THW)Provinzialstr. 93 53127 Bonn GermanyTel: (+49 228) 99 450 - 0 Frank.Schulze@thw.dewww.thw.de