Creative startups for and from the blue light scene

With a wealth of ideas, companies are constantly developing new, interesting services and products in the area of emergency response. INTERSCHUTZ organisers report on how young startups will be presenting themselves at a large joint booth (hall 16/F48) from June 20 to 25

Preparation Via E-learning

Whether in everyday use or in disasters the work of fire departments and rescue services is mentally demanding. The helpers have to deal with a lot. In the most diverse areas of life, they experience conflict situations that often bring them to the edge of their strength. For the first time, a young startup is now offering a professional e-learning program to prepare them for emotionally stressful missions. Brand Punkt is one of 20 companies presenting their services and products at the Young Innovative Companies joint stand.

The company is also an example of the creativity and inventiveness of many founders. One of them is Hermann Zengeler. Among other things, he was the chief of a fire department for 25 years before giving up his job in the civil service. Together with his partner, Carina Ott, he founded Brand Eins. Two tragic deaths of fellow firefighters had moved him to take the step three and a half years ago. His goal is to prepare people mentally and emotionally for emergency service. “I no longer wanted to understand leaving people alone with the issue,” he says. It is true, he says, that there is care and psychological support after stressful deployments. But prevention and preparation for stressful situations and images is not considered.

With Fireproof360°, Brand Punkt presents an e-learning program that is designed to prepare firefighters for stressful situations, stabilise their motivation and make them strong for mentally demanding service. Analysis data support the leaders of the fire brigades to initiate targeted measures to keep the readiness of their members high or to recognise motivation lows at an early stage and to be able to counteract them. Visitors can test the e-learning method at INTERSCHUTZ.

“Interschutz has a great power of attraction”

Firedrill is also represented at the joint stand of young innovative companies. Firedrill brings the topic of fire prevention into the digital age. “We are insanely happy to be able to present ourselves, because INTERSCHUTZ has a great power of attraction,” says Jens Thiemann, one of the two managing directors. His startup is just two years old. In the meantime, numerous companies have already used his app, which enables employees to independently complete the safety exercise regularly prescribed in companies on their smartphones. “At the same time, this enables them to develop a routine and be better prepared for emergencies – without having to rely on random participation in the group exercises that rarely take place,” explains Jens Thiemann. Exercises are conducted exclusively in the real environment at the workplace using augmented reality. The exercise shows the main escape route from the starting room to the assembly point and must be completed in full. The application also displays helpful additional information along the route, such as the location of fire extinguishers and fire alarms.

“Firedrill is the new and flexible solution for hands-on evacuation drills in a changing workplace – even, or especially because of, the Corona pandemic,” emphasises the CEO. “Thanks to mixed reality technology, the exercise is not simply consumed like a video, but actively experienced on site.”

About INTERSCHUTZ

The upcoming INTERSCHUTZ – the world’s leading trade fair for fire brigades, rescue services, civil protection and safety/security – will take place from June 20-25, 2022 in Hannover, Germany. The event covers the full array of state-of-the-art gear and services needed for firefighting, fire protection, rescue work, civil protection, telecommunications and control centers as well as personal protective equipment. International INTERSCHUTZ events include: CEFE powered by INTERSCHUTZ (August 1-3, 2022) in Shanghai, China, AFAC powered by INTERSCHUTZ (August 23-25, 2022) in Adelaide, Australia and REAS powered by INTERSCHUTZ (October 7-9, 2022) in Montichiari, Italy.

Safety from head to toe

INTERSCHUTZ to present the complete range of personal protective equipment from June 20-25

From June 20-25 in Hanover, the exhibitors at INTERSCHUTZ will be presenting a wide range of current possibilities in the large PPE subject area up to the aspects of cleaning, decontamination, reusability and disposal. All market-leading companies are on board and present their products and solutions mainly in halls, 12 and 14 to 16.

A Glimpse into the Past

“Today, the range of personal protective equipment is greater than ever,” says Heinz-Peter Brandenberg, district fire chief from Cologne, Germany. “When you think about the past, you can only be astonished. When we were alerted, we moved out in cotton clothes and rubber boots,” says Brandenberg, recalling his first fire brigade operations from about 40 years ago. His memories make the expert pensive, because not only tactics and technology have changed, but also the further development of operational clothing today follows the latest scientific findings: professional boots instead of rubber boots, robust, heat-resistant protective suits instead of cotton clothing, high-quality helmets and respiratory protection. Also the handling of contaminated protective equipment is different today. For example, the operational clothing is decontaminated within professional processes, and no longer merely cleaned in the home washing machine as it used to be.

Modern PPE offers the best possible protection with the highest possible comfort

INTERSCHUTZ offers a complete overview of the extensive range of modern PPE. Visitors can get individual advice at the manufacturers’ booths.

“We are convinced that our ‘Active Light’ clothing concept offers absolute added value,” emphasises Martin Rost from Ziegler Textil GmbH (hall 15/A12). The aim is to make everyone who wears the clothes visible and to protect them from accidents. A completely newly developed clothing brand called Z-Protect by Ziegler Textil sets new standards in the field of work protective clothing. The combination of high-visibility weather protection clothing with active lighting is a worldwide innovation.

Austrian company Texport also sees the best possible protection of the emergency services as its mission and presents an extensive repertoire of protective clothing for a wide variety of requirements. An example is their protective suit ‘Fire Survivor’ equipped with an integrated rescue system and meets optimal heat protection with easy handling. The trust of firefighters around the globe is achieved through the consistent use of extremely high-quality materials in combination with the best possible workmanship, Texport emphasises.

Dräger (hall 27/G46) presents its new portfolio for the fire brigade with numerous highlights. According to the company, these include the Dräger compressed air breather, Dräger HPS SafeGuard firefighter helmet, which is particularly light with only 1.25 kilos, and the Dräger UCF FireVista thermal imaging camera. “At the end of March, we launched the Dräger BG ProAir, a new circulatory respirator with overpressure, which was specially developed for longer uses,” says a company spokeswoman.

MSA Technologies (hall 14/H20) promises new standards for firefighter helmets with the ‘Gallet F1XF’ model, developed with firefighters from all over the world. “The Gallet F1XF opens up a new dimension of protection, multifunctionality and comfort,” says MSA. “Thanks to its configurable design, the Gallet F1XF is perfectly suited for several types of operations, including interior firefighting, outdoor fires, technical operations and rescue operations.”

Health protection does not end when the fire is out

Together with the quality of personal protective equipment, topics such as operational hygiene, disinfection and decontamination have also become increasingly important in recent years. “The manufacturers of personal protective equipment have recognised this,” assures Marcus Bätge. He is Managing Director of the non-profit association FireCancer (hall 12/B46), which has set itself the task of promoting and sustainably improving the general health and working conditions of the approximately 1.2 million firefighters throughout Germany. This also includes the recognition that the protection of health does not end when the fire is out.

Bätge appeals to the decision-makers in the municipalities who are responsible for fire brigades: “Every fireman and rescuer is worth it to get the best possible equipment. The exhibitors at INTERSCHUTZ can provide good decision-making aids.” Numerous companies offering solutions for the decontamination and disinfection of protective clothing are therefore also represented, such as Decontex Holding (hall 14/J20) or Deconta (hall 14/J38). Miele (hall 14/L27) will also be showcasing high-quality equipment for the professional cleaning of operational clothing and respirators.

International studies show that the dangers to which emergency services are exposed on a daily basis pose a potential health risk. The hygiene industry meeting point at the stand of the United Services Trade Union (German: ver.di) (hall 12/B78) takes up this topic and provides information on prevention measures, the latest cleaning processes and innovative products and solutions from Tuesday to Friday June 21-24. In addition, experts report on special topics such as the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) on the disposal of biological impurities. Detailed information on the program will be available online from mid-May.