On 6 November, a large-scale civil protection exercise took place at the Bexbach power station. The exercise simulated a hazardous substance incident involving ammonia on the power station’s premises. The following fictitious sequence of events was assumed for the exercise: During shunting operations, a faulty points causes a tank wagon to derail and its axle to break. The damage results in a substance leak on the power station site. The cloud of hazardous substances then spreads beyond the power station grounds into the adjacent residential and industrial area.
“With this exercise scenario, we wanted to simulate a complex emergency situation requiring detailed communication not only amongst the various operational units on site, but also between the emergency services and the command staff. The aim was also to test the coordination between the power station’s gas protection unit, local emergency services and the wider logistics network,” said District Administrator Frank John.
The exercise began at 11.00 am: as in a real hazardous-substance incident, the power station’s in-house Steag gas emergency response team was alerted first and arrived in a fire-fighting vehicle. Applying the GAMS procedures (identify the hazard, secure the incident site, rescue people whilst protecting themselves, request specialist support), the gas protection team cordoned off the danger zone. Teams donned chemical protection suits and self-contained breathing apparatus and advanced to the scene of the incident with measuring equipment to determine the exact concentration and extent of the contamination. At the same time, water barriers were erected to bind the water-soluble ammonia and contain its spread. In parallel, the gas protection unit requested the Saarpfalz district’s hazardous materials unit (CBRN) via the control centre. As the exercise scenario involved a major incident, the district’s command staff was alerted; as the lower-level civil protection authority, it is responsible for such cases.
Handover of operational command from the Steag Gas Emergency Response Team to the fire service. Photo: MIBS Weber
Once the CBRN unit had arrived at the scene, the teams were also issued with chemical protection suits to deal with the leaks from the tank wagon. District Administrator Frank John: “Disaster response exercises such as the one at the Bexbach power station are vital for ensuring we are prepared for an emergency. Severe weather events and major incidents are becoming more likely, not least due to climate change. When they occur suddenly, it is all the more important that our procedures work effectively. I would like to thank everyone involved in the exercise, in particular Steag, as the power station’s operator, for providing the opportunity to carry out the exercise on the site, as well as the emergency services, who work to ensure our safety not only in crisis situations but also on a day-to-day basis.”
Michael Lux, Head of Steag’s Bexbach power station site, adds: “It’s not every day you carry out a stress test like this. It was a major undertaking for our team. We spent weeks preparing intensively for the exercise in collaboration with the district authority – and it was a success. We are using the experience gained to further strengthen our safety framework.”
A CBRN team preparing for action. Photo: MIBS Weber
Torsten Lang, State Secretary at the Ministry of the Interior, Andreas Klein, Head of the State Fire Service Academy, Timo Meyer, State Fire Inspector, and Christian Prech, Mayor of Bexbach, visited the Bexbach power station to observe the exercise in progress. Whilst the exercise was still underway, State Secretary Torsten Lang and Mayor Christian Prech were escorted by emergency services personnel to the command centre at the district administration office, where operations were being coordinated under the leadership of District Administrator Frank John. The exercise ended as scheduled at around 3 pm.
Mayor Christian Prech: “I am delighted that the civil protection exercise in Bexbach went so well. It was an important opportunity, particularly for the Bexbach Fire Brigade and the staff at Steag, to practise responding to an emergency. My heartfelt thanks go to everyone who took part in this exercise and ensured that everything ran smoothly. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all those who work day in, day out to keep us safe in Bexbach. Our fire brigades, the aid organisations and all the volunteers are there when we need them, often at any time of the day or night. This is anything but something to be taken for granted. Whether during a large-scale exercise like this or a routine call-out, we can rely on these people. And for that, I am truly very grateful.”
A CBRN team is moving towards the scene of the incident. Photo: Johann Horras
Torsten Lang, State Secretary for the Interior, emphasised: “An effective civil protection system depends on the commitment of the people who work day in, day out to ensure the safety of our citizens. The exercise at the Bexbach power station has impressively demonstrated how important close and seamless cooperation between all the organisations involved is. Particularly in complex emergency situations, it is crucial that procedures are well-rehearsed and that every action is carried out with precision. This can only be achieved if we practise together regularly. I would therefore like to express my special thanks and deep appreciation to all the emergency services and the many people involved, whose dedication and professionalism make an indispensable contribution to safety in our country.”
A CBRN team working on the leak. Photo: Johann Horras
In order to simulate the most realistic exercise scenario possible, the public and the emergency services called to the scene had not been informed of the exercise in advance. In addition to Steag’s gas protection unit and the Saarpfalz district’s hazardous materials unit (CBRN), the exercise involved the Bexbach Volunteer Fire Brigade, the German Red Cross (DRK), the Saarpfalz District’s command support unit, the district administration’s volunteer command support staff within the command centre, the emergency response team at the Bexbach power station, the Mining Authority and the Saarland Ministry of the Interior.