Training and operation operations simultaneously progress in North Rhine-Westphalia

In North Rhine-Westphalia, the four-weekend event known as FUELex, a significant civil protection exercise, commenced on the first weekend of September 2025. Over 4,000 deployment forces from nearly all of the 127 North Rhine-Westphalian THW local associations participated in this exercise.

The exercise was meticulously planned and coordinated, with around 600 THW deployment forces involved in the drills this weekend. The specialists in various fields, including infrastructure, water supply, detection, shoring, bridge building, and deployment site security, were challenged during the exercise.

One of the real-life deployments integrated into the exercise was in Cologne, where a building had to be shored up in the early hours of Saturday morning after facade parts had collapsed. Approximately 50 THW deployment forces were in action in the city center to train the shoring of endangered buildings under realistic conditions.

In addition, the specialist groups for detection faced the challenge of searching for and locating people in buildings and under rubble. The logistics units ensured the well-being of the FUELex exercise participants, preparing more than 500 meals and ensuring the supply of units with consumer goods.

Heavy equipment was used in the bridge building exercise, and a complete steel bridge was planned and erected, which was lifted in with two cranes and will now provide an additional access route to the exercise area. The specialist groups for infrastructure, in collaboration with water supply experts, set up an independent drinking water supply from the public network and ensured the power supply for this area and a building.

The second weekend, on September 6, 2025, will focus on the topic of "water". Around 1,000 personnel from various specialties will practice their skills related to water hazards, pumping operations, and flood situations. Training will take place in Mönchengladbach and on and along the Rhine in Düsseldorf and Duisburg during the second weekend.

Nicolas Hefner, the THW State Representative for North Rhine-Westphalia, summarized the exercise after the first weekend. Hefner, who is also the president of the THW State Association Nordrhein-Westfalen during the FUELex exercises in 2025, commended the efforts of the participating forces and expressed his satisfaction with the progress made so far.

Press inquiries can be directed to Anna Wachowski at +49 2103-7910-421 or [email protected]. For more information, visit the provided link. The original content for this article was transmitted by news aktuell from the Federal Agency Technical Relief - State Association Service North Rhine-Westphalia.

Training and operation operations simultaneously progress in North Rhine-Westphalia