Exercise scheduled at Knapsack Hürth chemical park in Mechernich on 26th April, 2025, under the acronym ABC

In a significant display of preparedness and collaboration, the ABC units of Zülpich and Mechernich, along with the watch department of the Knapsack Chemical Park's fire brigade, conducted a realistic exercise in Hürth on April 26, 2025.

The German ABC Protection Service was responsible for planning and preparing this joint training exercise. The convoy, consisting of over 30 participants, set off towards Hürth at 12:45.

Upon arrival, an emergency call code was raised to ABC 3 - hazardous material leak. A leak on an ISO container was discovered, prompting several teams equipped with chemical protection suits to be deployed by the ABC Zug to investigate the scene.

After a brief assessment by the first-arriving group leader, the GAMS rule (identify danger, cordon off, perform first aid, and alert specialist forces) was applied. Escaping vapors were knocked down with a B-hose at the scene. The deployed teams sealed the leak professionally with a sealing clamp.

The works fire brigade of the chemical park took over the decontamination with the recently put into service roll container Dekon. They pumped the remaining contents of the ISO container into a container they had brought along using a transfer line.

After approximately 2.5 hours of intense work, the joint exercise was concluded with valuable insights and improvements on both sides. The units from Mechernich gathered at 12:15 at the equipment house in Kommern, while the day ended for the deployment forces from Zülpich and Mechernich at 21:00.

A big thank you goes to the colleagues from Zülpich and the Knapsack Chemical Park for the intensive planning and preparation of such an exercise. The Knapsack Chemical Park, with its high-quality equipment and sufficient material on hand for a real emergency, played a crucial role in the success of the exercise.

The event was a testament to the effective collaboration between the various units, ensuring that they are prepared to handle any real-life emergency involving hazardous materials. The German ABC Protection Service will continue to plan and prepare such exercises to maintain the readiness and efficiency of the units involved.

Exercise scheduled at Knapsack Hürth chemical park in Mechernich on 26th April, 2025, under the acronym ABC