There was a great deal of excitement on the factory premises from 6 p.m. onwards. The first vehicles from the Knesebeck and Wittingen fire departments arrived, their blue lights flashing and sirens blaring.
Among the first to arrive was Jens Dieckmann, a BUTTING employee and operations manager. Fortunately, it was only a drill that day.
The Knesebeck fire department has recently received a Hytrans Fire System (HFS) from the state of Lower Saxony. “This system plays a vital role in disaster management in Lower Saxony. We can transport large quantities of water in both flood situations and firefighting operations,” explains Jens Dieckmann, district fire chief in the district of Gifhorn, outlining its advantages. “To ensure that everything runs smoothly in an emergency, a lot of training is now required.”
With its large factory premises and BUTTING pond, the company's headquarters are the ideal training ground.
Fire safety officer Andreas Meyer is clear that BUTTING is always happy to support the fire departments as a partner: “We developed this exercise in collaboration with Nils Haubold, a colleague from the Knesebeck fire department. This certainly won't be the last time a fire department exercise takes place on our factory premises.”
Technology and rescue
This exercise focused on using the HFS to rescue people from a smoke-filled area. A 700-metre-long hose line was set up. Meanwhile, emergency personnel wearing breathing apparatus searched for and rescued several dummies from the smoke-filled wood storage area. The end of the exercise was spectacular: over 2,000 litres of water per minute were pumped back into the BUTTING pond using the turntable ladder and a tanker fire engine. “The exercise ended at around 9.30pm, and we returned to the equipment depot,” reports Jens Dieckmann, summing up a successful day. His conclusion: “We are slowly developing the routines we need at the HFS – thanks in part to BUTTING.”
BUTTING – more than pipes – for a better quality of life
The HFS plays a key role in disaster management in Lower Saxony
The state continuously invests in specialised vehicles and equipment to protect the population.
This includes the “Hightrans Fire System”, of which one unit is stationed in Knesebeck.
In terms of firefighting water supply, it can transport up to 8,000 litres per minute over two kilometres. During flood operations, up to 55,000 litres per minute of water can be pumped.