Among other things, professional commitments and dual roles in several organizations are cited as reasons for this. The situation is particularly critical for employees in critical infrastructure (KRITIS) professions and in the medical profession. Critical infrastructure includes areas such as control centers, energy, water, food, health, and transportation.

Multiple scheduling conflicts in voluntary civil protection are a fact. “The challenge posed by multiple scheduling conflicts for volunteers must be addressed at various levels,” emphasizes the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK).

Solutions are being sought

The BBK sees possible solutions, for example, in “recruiting helpers through nationwide campaigns, establishing a civil reserve, structured recording of multiple scheduling conflicts, and closer cooperation with the education sector.” Multiple scheduling conflicts are only a problem in the event of an incident if there are not enough volunteers and supporters available.

A BBK spokesperson added that the federal government is working on solutions to define the scope of the issue of multiple commitments more precisely and to support aid and emergency response organizations in developing strategies to deal with this challenge. “The federal government welcomes all involvement in civil protection and disaster control, and volunteers who are involved in multiple areas are among the pillars of our society,” said the federal office. The multiple scheduling of emergency services is being considered at both the local and conceptual-strategic levels.

The DGKM study entitled “Who comes when disaster strikes?” found that slightly more than half of those surveyed (52.2 percent) are employed full-time in KRITIS institutions. In addition, one-fifth (20.5 percent) of all respondents hold more than one honorary position. 32.7 percent of doctors are involved in more than one voluntary position.

57.4 percent cite their professional activities as the main reason for their unavailability, particularly employees in the KRITIS sector and doctors with their high workload of 49 hours per week or more.

Central register desired

However, there is currently no binding overview of how many civilian emergency personnel would be available in each region in the event of an emergency. The Association for the Promotion of German Fire Protection (vfdb) and the German Fire Service Association (DFV) have therefore called for a central, nationwide register for all civil protection actors.

This would provide an immediate overview of the personnel resources actually available in the event of a crisis. Civil protection in Germany relies heavily on volunteer work. This makes it all the more important to know who would be available for deployment, where, and in which organization.

Exhibition Topic Rescue Services

Exhibition Topic Civil Protection