Wildfires in the mountains require a fight with joint forces.
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On Aug. 13, 2020, about 70 emergency response teams of the local fire brigade and alpine rescue service, including GHS flight and ground crew, conducted this successful training in Ruhpolding/Chiemgau Alps.
Within this exercise a forest fire had been assumed across the Chiemgau Arena in Ruhpolding/Bavaria, to be stemmed from the ground as well as by air. It has been a main target to train the collaboration between the teams of the fire brigades and the helicopter flight and ground crews. New techniques could be shared as well has valuable experience with the interaction of helicopter and further organizations involved.
On Sept. 12, 2020, a larger combined disaster response exercise had been carried out at the military training area in Kammer where GHS again supported the fire brigades with one of its Bell 412 helicopters as part of the exercise to simulate and train different scenarios.
Both training scenarios included several flights familiarizing ground personnel and helicopter crew by transporting loads up in the valley and dropping them in impassable terrain uphill as well as water rejection with the Bambi Bucket.
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On the second occasion, the Bambi Bucket had as well been used to refill a water basin and 30 firefighters were deployed. With this, GHS could additionally demonstrate that with the Bell 412 larger numbers of firefighters can be redeployed to inaccessible areas in the shortest time in order to get them to the places where they are needed most.
These exercises as well gave GHS good opportunities to test its intern procedures and equipment. Lessons learned will be implemented and its setup proved to be efficient and reliable.
All participants and organizations involved have been very satisfied with the achievements and both sides could gain good knowledge and experience during these trainings.
GHS said its gratitude goes to all parties involved, especially to the Traunstein Fire Brigades who invited the company to these events.
