I first heard of Interschutz in 2015, after a friend had visited the public safety conference in Germany and shared some photos on Facebook. I did some research and spoke with him about this week-long event, to find out as much as I could. I set a goal to visit in 2020, the next time the conference was scheduled but COVID would delay the event until 2022, when I would attend. Arriving in Hanover, I didn’t know what to expect from Germany or from Interschutz , this allowed me to have an open mind to learning new things. Having worked for a Fire Chief that was a advocate for reducing cancer from fireground contaminates, I found great interest in the hygiene practices on display.
It was safe to say that the German Firefighters took hygiene very seriously and it was on display in all sorts of ways. One of the first things that jumped out at me was the dedicated cleaning stations on all the fire Engines. This is something that would have been a welcomed asset during COVID-19, as these stations provided soap, sanitizer and water to ensure proper decontamination after an incident.
For larger incidents, German Firefighters have PODS that can be brought to the scene and carry modular carts in every configuration imaginable. One example of a hygiene cart, included a full sink with water connections for fire hoses. Using their amazing German engineering, this particular cart, included everything needed for decontamination. Besides the sink, water, sanitizer and paper towels, there are shelves carrying additional supplies that may be needed for extended incidents.
After an incident and the firefighters arrive back at the station, additional steps have been put in place for protecting them. First they have cleaning stations in the vehicle bay, that allow cleaning of boots, so as not to drag contaminates around the station. Firefighters then can go through a decontamination process by passing through a dedicated corridor. Tiles on the walls indicate clean or contaminated areas.
Lastly their is a concerned effort to ensure that all equipment is cleaned, disinfected and decontaminated. Dedicated machines that look like giant dishwasher are employed that can properly accomplish these task, by trained technicians. Firefighters can always be sure that they are handling clean equipment and not worry about cross contamination.
Utilizing all these different systems and approaches, Germany makes one of the greatest efforts to keep their firefighters safe from the hidden dangers of their jobs. Every first responder should take the need to maintain proper hygiene seriously, as the hidden dangers for disease and carcinogens can't be ignored.
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