disaster control and crisis management

Fast help in case of emergency - dial 112!

In Germany various state and public institutions guarantee assitance in case of an emergency.

The most important are

■ fire brigade (Feuerwehr)

■ rescueservice/paramedic (Rettungsdienst)

■ police (Polizei)

If you need paramedic or fire brigade, call 112. Don't be afraid to call for help. The trained and highly skilled staff at the fire-and-rescue-control-center will guide you safely through the emergency call.

All you have to do is call.

112 is valid throughout Europe and is free of charge. It also works when your cell phone credit is used up. All you need is a cell phone with a valid sim card. Unlocking is not necessary for an emergency call.

If you need urgent assistance from a doctor but it is not a life-threatening emergency, you can find help by calling 116117.

In addition to the classic emergency call, the emergency call app nora has been available since 2021. It is a valuable addition to the classic emergency call, especially for people who have difficulty speaking. Nora can be used in English as well!

If you need police assistance, dial 110.

You can find further emergency numbers here (German).

Emergencies can happen anytime and anywhere, be it a heart attack, stroke or the classic traffic accident, an accident at work or a fall from a ladder at home.

If you arrive at an emergency scene as an uninvolved person, for example in a traffic accident, follow these tips:

Look out for your own safety!

No one is helped if you also injure yourself.

Draw attention to the situation!

Call for help, give signs that bystanders recognize the emergency. It is better to help together than alone.
Distribute tasks so that important measures can be carried out in parallel.

Get an overview!

Bring order into chaos.
Only if you have an overview of the overall situation can you make an adequate emergency call and help where it is most needed.

Secure the accident site!

The following applies not only on roads: warn other people of the accident site to avoid further consequential damage. If others come upon the scene of an emergency unexpectedly, this puts not only the victim but also yourself in even greater danger.

Make the emergency call!

The sooner you call, the sooner the fire and rescue services can get to you. Dial 112!

Provide first aid!

Attend to affected persons and initiate the most important first aid measures. It may only take one move to save a life.

Wait for the arrival of the emergency services!

No matter how important your appointment is. Imagine the paramedics arrive and can't find the patient. Stay on the scene and show firefighters or paramedics where to help.

It is important for everyone to be prepared for crisis situations. This can include having a first aid kit, a fire blanket, or a fire extinguisher in your home. Installing smoke alarms in bedrooms and along escape routes is also crucial for nighttime warnings.

Additionally, it's a good idea to consider what you would need to take with you if you have to temporarily leave your home during an evacuation. Creating an emergency kit with essential supplies and your most important documents is recommended.

In the event of a prolonged power outage, it's advisable to have a supply of food, particularly drinking water, and other everyday necessities on hand.

During a crisis, emergency services may be occupied with major emergencies and may not be able to provide assistance to everyone immediately. Therefore, it's essential to make your own preparations.

For more useful and detailed information, you can refer to the brochure provided by the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance.

You should prepare yourself as well as possible for a crisis. In extreme cases, it can take hours or even days for effective outside help to arrive.

Disasters usually happen suddenly, so there is very little or no lead time. The greatest danger in such a situation is not being informed. Therefore, in Germany, all possibilities are used to alert many people as quickly as possible and to provide them with the necessary information.

The warning consists of two parts:
The alert: sounds like a fire brigade, but here the aim is to draw attention to the fact that something is wrong. This can typically be done using sirens or cell broadcast.
The Informing: this is where you come in! If you have learned that there is a danger, you should inform yourself immediately in order to be able to protect yourself and your relatives from the imminent danger! You can receive information on the radio, via cell broadcast and warning apps.

For example, warnings are issued about industrial accidents, major fires or natural disasters such as flash floods. But the warning infrastructure can also be used in the event of an evacuation following the discovery of a bomb, contamination of drinking water, power failure or an attack.

Warnings are always issued when a situation occurs that requires immediate action.

To reach as many people as possible as quickly as possible, many warning devices are used in parallel in Germany.

Detailed information can be found in the "Bevölkerungsschutz" section (german).

This page is under construction. Suggestions and comments are welcome to Bevoelkerungsschutz@roesrath.de