Material expertise for emergencies

Plastics education with a difference
When there is a fire, every second counts – and realistic training makes all the difference. This makes it all the more important for emergency services to be able to train under conditions that are as realistic as possible. The Würzburg State Fire Service Academy relies on the materials expertise of the SKZ Plastics Centre.

The training grounds of the Würzburg State Fire Service School were recently expanded to include a silo so that silo fires can also be simulated realistically. The fire experts are now looking for a filling material that does not need to be replaced after each exercise and can also withstand several years of weathering. The solution: a suitable plastic granulate.

SKZ provides expertise for real-life situations
SKZ senior trainer Christian Emmerling, himself a volunteer firefighter, took up the challenge: after visiting the training facility on site, the SKZ experts invited the fire brigade instructors to a comprehensive consultation. This allowed them to examine various types of plastic and explain their specific behaviour – such as melting point and softening temperature – in detail.
‘For realistic and safe training, the materials used must be precisely matched,’ explains Emmerling. ‘Not every plastic is suitable for such applications – details are important here.’

At the end of the meeting, the fire brigade instructors received a selection of plastic samples, which will now be tested directly in the new training silo. This will enable them to determine which type best meets the high requirements of firefighting practice.

Common goal: better training, greater safety
With this collaboration, SKZ is making a valuable contribution to the further development of firefighting training in Bavaria – in the interests of the emergency services and the safety of the population.

‘We are delighted about the trusting cooperation with the firefighting school and are proud to be able to contribute to the quality and realism of the exercises with our material expertise,’ concluded the SKZ.

After all, the more realistic the exercise, the more effective the response in an emergency.