THW

    Quote from solarix0

    Ok, i didnt find anything that could tell me, what is "THW"? Maybe a stupid q for some of you, but here in Norway we are not familiar with THW :P

    Quote from EFD850

    THW I think is a German term (sorry if I am wrong). But, playing previous games of Sebastian. They normally store your Cranes, Excavators, etc.

    I too have no understanding of what THW is, although as EFD has said, on 911 emergency it contains cranes etc.
    In New Zealand we just use contractors that are on 24/7 call for work when we need units like this.

    i believe it is similar to what Australia calls the SES or state emergency service they deal with things like floods high wind damage(roof damage) trees down ECT and not fire related calls in some areas though they are used for car crashes and they still have lights and sirens

    THW is a german agency.


    Translated it means Federal agency of technical relief.


    It is a national organisation and it has two or three units called SEEBA , SEEWA and one more that is for cargo operations.


    SEEBA means : Schnelleinsatzeinheit Bergung Ausland (Fast response task force rescue international)
    SEEWA means : Schnelleinsatzeinheit Wasserversorgung Ausland (Fast response task force drinking-water supply international)



    In Germany there are much more units like : different types of Rescue groups , Energy, Waterrescue and many more
    ---> But these Units are most time national used. Sometimes they can drive to neighbour countries

    So I can tell you some Units called Fachgruppe (Fgr is the short form)


    Fgr. Führung/Kommunikation (This unit is for koordination , command and communication)
    This unit has many vehicles like normal cars, a big truck (like an mcv ) a trailer with the same funktion.
    There are more ''subunits'' like:
    Weitverkehrstrupp . It's an unit for creating, supporting own telecommunication with an antenna truck (A truck with an antenna which can deployed to a high of over 40meter) different types of trucks for carrying material like cable , or relais stations)


    Fgr. Bergung I (like a rescue but a little bit smaller)
    Fgr Bergung II (its the same like the first Bergung but it's much more specific. With much bigger and more detailed equipment like different types of weld torches (is it called weld torch. It's for cutting metal pieces with heat))
    Fgr. Beleuchtung (A unit for making light. It has much equipment to make light and also the equipment to supply the things with energy)
    Fgr. Wassergefahren(This unit has boats with a metal hull and it is bigger than a dinghi (If you want to know what it is search for a Mehrzweckboot)
    Fgr. Wasserschaden/Pumpen (Carrying much types and sizes of pumps for flood with a trailer with a pumping capacity of 15000 liters in a minute ---> more than 3900 gallons (US ) in a minute)
    Fgr. Elektroversorgung (For making electricity. This unit has a mobile generator which has min. 200 KvA and a truck with much more little generators and cable)
    Fgr. Infrastruktur (To help the Elektroversorgung and creating infrastructure systems like water supply or waste pipes)
    Fgr. Ortung A/B (This unit is for searching people after earthquakes for example. This units have rescue dogs or another type of technical search systems)
    Fgr. Ölschaden (there are different types of this unit but all will be used to handle oil spillage. Example: A oil tanker in the harbour is loosing oil. This unit is specialized for this cases . It has a barricade and a container to clear the water from the oil (It pumps the water/oil into it, cleans it and then it pumps the cleaned water back)=
    Fgr. Räumen (This unit is for moving dirt. It has a truck with a carry space (for dirt or other things) and a excavator)
    Fgr. Logistik (It has 3 types. The first is for carrying and cooking food for units at the call. The second is for repairing equipment at the scene. The third type is only for carrying needed material (empty trucks that can be loaded with needed things)
    Fgr. Brückenbau (For creating bridges. If after a hurricane a brigde is broken this unit can build a new one in short time )
    Fgr Sprengen (for blasting things)




    Important: Each unit has different vehicles. Many units have also different types of the unit.


    And also international units.

    @letsgohope12


    Maybe you're right.


    But in Germany the THW isn't the same like the the fire departments.


    The fire departments have the same units but not as specificated as the THW has.


    The people (Called Assistants or the direct translated word from the german one helper :D )



    All of them are working for free in her free time. The cars/equipment/Stations are all financed by the german government.


    There are more than 660 stations called Ortsverbände. 8 Landesverbände (Very big stations for the german states. Not every of the 16 states have an own because some states put together to create a Landesverband)


    There are 66 stations which are only for administration/ management)



    To understand the use of the THW you have to know the german departments of public secure.



    The fire brigades have the task to safe humans , animals and other real values. The most important priority is saving and rescuing live.
    They extinguish fires , rescuing and helping and hazardous emergencys.
    The most fire departments have only volunteer firefighters. They are normal persons with jobs or other things to do.
    Cities have to have a Berufsfeuerwehr. That are big stations where are paid firefighters are working. Most BF (Translator helped me :D professional fire departments) are giant. They got fitness rooms, sometimes an own sporthall , most times an own kitchen. They got very much cars like 50 or 60 cars / trailers, containers. So if needed they can take the needed equipment/cars to the response.




    Firedepartments, ambulances and emergency doctors... (don't know if there is a word for the rescue of human with paramedics),police are a thing of the cities. The state can pay some special vehicles but only very less (That is the disaster control organisation) The state also can pay private organisations (Like DRK german Red cross , Malteser, Johaniter, ASB ) to help in the disaster control. But they are mostly only helping with medical aid. The cities can pay this organisations to take the ambulances in the cities (Then the city don't have to buy own ambulances---> cost 200000€ per ambulance)


    So to come back to the THW .


    The first ideas was that the THW has only to do the civil defense. I know this sounds a little bit like military. But not defense in the meaning of weapon defense. If it could get to a war in germany (Hope this will never be the case... we got too much wars ) the THW would be there to rescue and help people. In this case the THW has immunity. They can't be attacked or it would be a crime. It sounds very confusing but this where the thoughts after started the THW in 1950 .


    After years and years the THW was more and more used for disaster control .


    So for this the THW built the units. The units are much more intensive equiped like the normal fire departments. The THW will be called by the ''battalion'' which is called Einsatzleiter in germany.


    Not every station of THW has every unit. They are distribute to the stations. (There are more used Fgr. and less used like the Bridge construction group)



    So maybe you understand the thoughts from THW and that it is as structured as it is today.




    Greetings


    Chris

    Quote from letsgohope12

    Is it though?? Regardless, the Germans are being extremely inefficient. Those units could easily be consolidated.1. Air/Light/Rehab Unit
    2. Water Rescue
    3. HAZMAT
    4. Technical Rescue/USAR

    I would say so.


    That's exactly why we don't play the German version of the game in the US because the German units don't match up with American emergency services.

    For the germans this system is very good.


    And I'm really with you that the german system sounds not so good for an american/ other not germans.


    But if you live in germany you wouldn't know the difficulty of this german system. Only if you want to know something about it you can learn the full german rescue system in his thoguhts and principle, you could learn it on under 10 minutes.


    I hate writing english on my PC . Every freaking word is underlined in red because it isn't german :/


    I don't have any problems to explain someone the german rescue system. If you want to know anything you could ask me or simply use the holy mother google :D



    Greetings
    Chris

    Light units are becoming extremely rare in the US because most trucks here have plenty of scene lights. Many have a 4500W or better light tower which only one can light up a scene brighter than day in most cases. The same is true of Command and HazMat trucks as most are combined together or with other types of apparatus. Most of the rest of the stuff you mentioned is considered overkill here, or provided as needed by the highway dept. Except in the case of the movable bridge, those are military only and would only be found at a US Army Corp of Engineers base.

    Quote from WNYfirefighter

    Light units are becoming extremely rare in the US because most trucks here have plenty of scene lights. Many have a 4500W or better light tower which only one can light up a scene brighter than day in most cases. The same is true of Command and HazMat trucks as most are combined together or with other types of apparatus. Most of the rest of the stuff you mentioned is considered overkill here, or provided as needed by the highway dept. Except in the case of the movable bridge, those are military only and would only be found at a US Army Corp of Engineers base.

    Where do you get your stats from? Command Post and HazMat trucks aren't going anywhere. You see them in almost every large department here in the U.S. Some Departments (smaller) may purchase combined units, because it is more in their budget unlike larger departments with a huge operating budget. I'd also like to see a command/rescue vehicle or a rescue/hazmat vehicle. I'd like to reiterate that some areas in the U.S operate completely different than the other side of the U.S. Therefore, you aren't wrong, but don't go speaking for the whole U.S. Since, our last conversation I've done some homework of my own. And have found both units widely used in the U.S still.

    I have several photos of both. But for some reason every time I try to put a photo in the forum it says it's too large. I could provide photos of at least 5 trucks and have information on about 100+ more. These include 2 Heavy Rescues w/command center, 2 Heavy Rescue/HazMat/Command Trucks, and multiple Heavy Rescue/HazMat Trucks.

    Quote from hawker5

    I have multiple pictures of emergency vehicles here in Canada. Can anyone help me in reducing them so I can use them for my stations or is it based on a community sharing?

    http://picresize.com/


    I use the above for something very quick. I'm on my phone so can't do much right now.


    Just obviously bare in mind the image will appear on your map in the size you have it. Therefore I wouldn't have thought you would want an actual photo as an image, but rather something that is suitable to be an icon?

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