As an important player in civil protection, from Monday the Technische Hilfswerk (THW) will be presenting its latest technical developments at the Interschutz trade fair.
Germany’s operational organisation for technical and logistical assistance will be informing attendees about its capacities for deployment throughout the country, as well as a new module for international missions. “For the THW, Interschutz is the perfect platform to present its new units and innovations to a specialist public,” says THW President Gerd Friedsam, looking forward to the start of the trade fair.
Interventions responding to severe flooding and the war in Ukraine were just the latest to demonstrate the range of expertise in the volunteer-based organisation and its capacity for long-term operations. Embodying the trade fair’s lead theme for 2022 “Teams, Tactics, Technology – Connected for Protection and Rescue”, the THW has its stand in the area of the exhibition dedicated to civil protection. Catching the public’s attention at Stand D42 in Hall 17 will be a newly developed pontoon boat, as well as the new mobile workshop for the THW Specialist Platoon Logistic Support.
The pontoon boat is the prototype of a boat that can also be used as a floating work platform. The THW has developed it in less than three years, working together with partners from business and academia to meet the special requirements of civil protection. Composed of various modules, the pontoon boat can be built up flexibly and is designed to allow the construction of larger floating work platforms and pontoon bridges. Visitors will also be able to take a look into the future of dyke defence training by putting on a virtual reality headset that allows them to inspect a virtual dyke and mark any damage they find. Another highlight of the THW presentation will be a drone used to search for people and explore in flooded areas, which is part of the research project “Larus-Pro”.
Logistics will be one of the key themes for the 800 sq.m. trade fair stand, illustrated by focussing on the Specialist Platoon Logistic Support as well as the THW logistics centres being built around the country. Visitors will be able to admire the mobile workshop of the Technical Unit Materials Management in the form of a 20- foot container which can be transported close to the site of an operation and is fully equipped to carry out repairs on vehicles and equipment. “In recent years, the THW has significantly expanded its logistics resources in particular, and has already been called upon to demonstrate the potential of this capacity during the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. In addition to the newly established Specialist Platoon Logistic Support, in future our competence in civil protection will be developed further as we set up six new logistics centres,” said Friedsam.
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