Official information office
The official information office is an institution of the German Red Cross that organizes the national information center on prisoners of war and civilians in violence by one of the conflicting parties in the event of war, as well as a tracing service and information about missing persons in the event of disasters.
Legal bases
The Official Information Office fulfills the task assigned by the Federal Government on the basis of the Federal Government's mandate of September 8, 1966 and the tracing service agreement between the Federal Government and the German Red Cross of June 8, 2001, to set up the National Inquiry Point in accordance with Article 122 et seq. Of III. Geneva Convention and Article 136ff. of the IV. Geneva Convention, also with regard to Section 6 Clause 2 of the Recognition Conditions for National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies of 1948, to prepare, plan and set up in an emergency.
In order to be able to use the structures of the official information office in a meaningful way in peacetime, the DRK Federal Assembly also assigned the tracing service to provide information in the event of disasters and major damaging events, because here too there can be a separation of people who are close to each other and information must be given .
According to Article 122 of III. and Article 136 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, every party involved in a conflict is obliged to set up an information bureau to receive and pass on information
- the prisoners of war in their hands (III. Geneva Convention) and
- Protected civilians under their control (IV. Geneva Convention)
The Federal Republic of Germany acceded to the four Geneva Conventions in 1954 and thus also assumed the obligation to set up an official information office in the event of a conflict.
tasks
The official information office is according to Article 122 of III. Geneva Convention for foreign prisoners of war in their own hands and under Article 136 of the IV. Geneva Convention responsible for protected civilians of foreign origin in their own territory. The tasks under both Geneva Conventions are performed by one and the same information office. On the other hand, the official information offices of other countries report to the AAB of the Federal Republic of Germany about German prisoners of war and civilian internees * .
In the event of a conflict, the AAB also has a number of tasks to perform for its own population:
- Aid measures for children under 15 years of age in accordance with Article 24 of the Fourth Geneva Convention
- Securing the family correspondence in accordance with Article 25 of the IV. Geneva Convention
- Investigations into the whereabouts of separated families in accordance with Article 26 of the IV. Geneva Convention and Article 74 of the I Additional Protocol.
In the event of a conflict, the district information offices have the following tasks:
- For protected civilians
- Receipt of the report on these persons from the competent administrative authority
- if necessary, the creation of these reports in cooperation with the responsible administrative authority
- Forwarding of messages
- Participation in the mediation of correspondence from internees
- For their own people
- Statutory tracing service tasks
- Notification of families whose relatives have become prisoners of war
- Notification of families whose relatives have been interned abroad
- Handing over of the personal valuables of former prisoners of war or internees delivered by the LAB to the families concerned
- Advising families on all questions related to the conflict-related fate of a relative.
The Bundeswehr is responsible for reports by foreign prisoners of war . The registration of foreign prisoners of war is taken over by the Bundeswehr information center, which forwards the data directly to the D / AAB.
organization
Like the tracing service of the German Red Cross, the information system is organized on a decentralized basis. The basis of the work lies with the district associations at which the district information offices (KAB) are located. The 19 regional associations of the German Red Cross each have a state information office (LAB) and at the federal level at the general secretariat there is the directorate of the official information office (D / AAB). The D / AAB is directly assigned to the Munich tracing service, which is the D / AAB executing agency in the event of a conflict with its staff.
Directorate of the Official Information Office (D / AAB)
The directorate of the official information office at the General Secretariat of the German Red Cross maintains the tracing service control center. She is responsible for all national tracing service tasks, which she does together with the two branch offices in Hamburg and Munich. At the same time, the D / AAB is the central point of intersection with the International Committee of the Red Cross ( ICRC ) in Geneva , where all cross-national search queries and reports are received and forwarded to the responsible AAB.
State Information Office (LAB)
The state information office takes on all tracing service tasks (research service, family reunification, help and advice service, official information office) at the state level and is based at the respective state association. It coordinates the use of the district information offices in cooperation with the responsible disaster control authorities.
District Information Office (KAB)
A KAB is usually based at a DRK district association and is formed by the members of the tracing service working group. Since the district areas have often become much larger after the regional reform, there may also be KAB branches or several KABs in a district association. In the event of a disaster, it is possible to call the KAB resp. to outsource the personal information center (PASt) to be set up by him so that it is closer to the damage area. The KAB staff consists of volunteers , a volunteer leader of the KAB and his deputy.
Personal information center (PASt)
If required, a personal information center is set up and operated by a district information office by order of the lower disaster control authority. Depending on the situation, a PASt is set up as a preventive measure for major events and large-scale operations and always in the event of conflicts and disasters. It collects reports and inquiries about the whereabouts of people and provides information on the whereabouts of those affected to authorized persons. In addition, it works with the disaster management team , the police , the rescue control center and other agencies and authorities involved and ensures that data is returned to the disaster control authority as part of disaster management.
workflow
In the event of a disaster , those affected themselves, but also those who are informed of this disaster, understandably have the urgent need to find out whether relatives and / or friends are affected or where they are currently located. On-site helpers are often bombarded with questions that, firstly, they cannot answer and, secondly, they hinder their work. In order to prevent these people from looking for their relatives or friends themselves and thus making the situation in the disaster area even more confusing, the alarmed district information offices set up personal information centers.
Anyone affected who is found by the emergency services on site is immediately registered. In addition to the personal details, the location and the planned whereabouts are recorded on the registration form. This registration form is sent to the personal information center. All on-site emergency services and helpers are also recorded with their personal details and the planned area of operation and reported to the personal information center so that they can also be found in an emergency.
People who are looking for relatives or friends can now have their search query recorded in the personal information center. Both reports and inquiries are filed in the disaster register. Here, due to the file encounter procedure developed by the search service , a search query and a message about the whereabouts of a person, z. B. an identification and reference card. In this way, the searcher can be given information about where the searched person is according to our information.
The long-established disaster index with the index process is now supported by the "Xenios" EDP program, which, with the appropriate networking, enables the search to be expanded nationwide. However, the traditional registration documents do not become obsolete, for several reasons. Not every helper has a mobile data collection device and the personal information center is not always located in areas that enable the necessary technology to be supplied with electricity. Some of the registration documents must also remain with the person concerned in order to be able to identify them in an emergency .
Alerting
There are three alarm levels for alerting the KAB:
Alarm warning
The alarm warning is used to ensure that the KAB / PASt staff can be reached at all times (on-call duty) and includes the following measures:
- The KAB management (head, deputy) is informed of the situation.
- Assessment of the situation and decision on further measures.
Pre-alarm
The pre-alarm serves to ensure short-term operational readiness. The DRK management group of the responsible district association meets. It is checked whether the forces envisaged for the mission are available and available and whether the necessary facilities are available. The following immediate measures are initiated:
- The KAB management is informed of the situation.
- The constant availability of a KAB contact person is guaranteed.
- The measures required by the KAB are defined.
- The KAB employees are pre-alerted.
- The intended rooms and materials for the KAB are provided.
- Report on the situation and the measures taken to the State Information Office (LAB).
alarm
The order to set up a personal information center (PASt) is given by the lower disaster control authority. In addition to forwarding the report to the KAB manager and his deputy, alerting the KAB employees and ensuring a minimum strength corresponding to the situation, the following measures are taken:
- Establishment of the intended rooms and structure of the functional areas.
- Ensuring communication and IT (telephone, fax, PC / notebook, internet connection).
- Notification of readiness for action to the management group and the state information office.
As soon as the operational readiness of the PASt has been confirmed, the PASt's phone number and address will be made public.
Furnishing
Each district information office is equipped with a so-called KAB box. In addition to the pack of forms with all registration forms, this contains a red cross flag, the operational plan of the district information office, various office materials and signs. Many district information offices are equipped with portable computers and corresponding additional technology such as printers.
Registration forms
| designation | colour | size | application |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accompanying card | Yellow / White - Yellow / White | DIN A6 | Disaster / conflict |
| The accompanying card is used for the initial registration of unharmed participants. It is a set of forms made up of three sheets, which is filled out using carbon copy without carbon paper. If there is little time available, with the exception of single children and old people, those affected must fill out the card themselves. | |||
| Attachment card for the injured / sick | Yellow / White - Yellow / White | DIN A6 | Disaster / conflict |
| This card is used to register injured / sick people and at the same time documents the essential emergency medical parameters. For the tracing service, it contains data on the location, a possible transport destination and the whereabouts of the injured / sick person. Here, too, several forms are written simultaneously using the carbon copy method. | |||
| ID and reference card | Yellow / White - Yellow / White / White | DIN A6 | Disaster / conflict |
| The identity card and reference card serves on the one hand as identification in emergency shelters and the like and on the other hand as proof of handed over (to remain) or borrowed (to be handed over when leaving the emergency shelter) everyday items. | |||
| Registration card for emergency services | Yellow / White - Yellow / White | DIN A6 | Disaster / conflict |
| All emergency services on site are registered with this card. In addition to the personal details, the organizational affiliation and the place of work are recorded in it. Often times this card is not used for reasons of time, and the helpers are registered using lists. | |||
| DRK search map | green | DIN A6 | Disaster / conflict |
| DRK master card | yellow | DIN A6 | Disaster / conflict |
| These two cards are always filled out together. The DRK search card contains all the data on the person you are looking for: personal details, if known, last contact, last encounter, relevant information. The DRK master card contains the personal details of the person searching and up to three people. Recorded affected persons who were reported via corresponding cards are also recorded in a DRK master card. | |||
| DRK destiny report card | pink | DIN A5 | Disaster / conflict |
| Individual reports from eyewitnesses and other persons (third parties) are recorded here, which may be helpful in the search. | |||
| Quick notification postcard | White | DIN A6 | Disaster / conflict |
| With this postcard, disaster victims can quickly inform their relatives (in Germany) about their fate. It is only used when no other path (telecommunications, etc.) is available | |||
| ICRC form 61 | White | DIN A5 | Disaster / conflict |
| This form is used to notify relatives by internees or prisoners of war themselves if international mail is interrupted, and to notify next-of-kin abroad by their own population if normal mail is disturbed. | |||
| Search request SKA 06 | White | A4 | catastrophe |
| If a disaster takes place abroad, relatives of suspected victims can initiate the search with this application. | |||
| Children's feature card, GIV / 24 | White | A4 | conflict |
| This card is used to register children under the age of 12 who are found or wanted. In it all essential characteristics of the respective children are recorded, which could be useful for a clear identification. | |||
| Registration card GIII (prisoners of war) | White | in revision | conflict |
| Prisoners of war are recorded with the registration card GIII (according to the 3rd Geneva Convention ). | |||
| ICRC prisoner of war card | White | DIN A6 | conflict |
| With the help of this card it is possible for a prisoner of war to inform the ICRC about his arrest and his current whereabouts. | |||
| Private prisoner of war postcard | White | DIN A6 | conflict |
| The prisoner of war postcard enables the prisoner of war to inform his relatives about his arrest and his current whereabouts. | |||
| Civil internment registration card, GIV / 137 | yellow | DIN A5 | conflict |
| With the GIV registration card (according to the 4th Geneva Convention ) protected persons are registered and their current whereabouts recorded. As a rule, these people are civil internees. | |||
| ICRC civil internee postcard | White | DIN A5 | conflict |
| A civil internee can use this card to provide the ICRC with information about his internment and his current whereabouts. | |||
| Civil internee postcard private | White | DIN A5 | conflict |
| Similar to the prisoner of war postcard, this card is used to enable the interned civilian to inform his relatives about the internment himself. | |||
| Family reunification card, GIV / 26 | White | A4 | conflict |
| This form can be used to submit an application for family reunification to the tracing service. | |||
In addition, the following information sheets belong to the inventory of forms of an information office:
| designation | colour | size | application |
|---|---|---|---|
| III.–IV. Geneva Convention, August 12, 1949 | White | A4 | Info sheet (7 pages) |
| Geneva Convention, 1859–1977, I – IV | White | A4 | information sheet |
| The structure of the DRK tracing service | White | A4 | information sheet |
| The organization of the AAB | White | A4 | information sheet |
| The district information office | White | A4 | information sheet |
Search procedure
File exchange procedure
The file exchange procedure was developed in the spring of 1945 by two officers who founded a refugee aid organization without any official commission. Lieutenant Helmut Schelsky and Lieutenant Kurt Wagner, who had both fought on the Eastern Front , saw tens of thousands of refugees in Flensburg looking for accommodation and hoping to find relatives again. They began to register the refugees, and with the help of the lists of registered refugees they set up an office: "German Red Cross, Refugee Relief Organization, Investigation Service, Central Search File".
Since one has to assume that every seeker can / must be a wanted person at the same time, Schelsky and Wagner set up a double card index. The searcher's data were recorded on the master card, those of the person sought on the search card.
Thus the card exchange procedure was born, which is still used today:
After the registration of those affected and those searching, there are two cards facing each other in the search file. The DRK search card and the DRK master card. These cards are sorted alphabetically in the search index. The cards are then compared with one another until a DRK master card can be assigned to a DRK search card. The cards are compared with each other in both directions, since a seeker can also be a wanted one.
Xenios
Xenios is a program that is based on Java and works together with a mySQL or Oracle server . Local mySQL servers are installed on the computers of the information offices, which can be used in the event of a small operation or when there is no internet connection. A central Oracle server is used for larger deployments or when there is an existing internet connection. If a local server is used, data can be exchanged later with the central Oracle server.
The introduction of Xenios does not replace the proven card encounter procedure, but it does support it immensely. Once all the data has been recorded in the cards written by hand, this data is recorded in Xenios. Search queries that come after the data has been entered can be answered very quickly, as Xenios will find what you are looking for much faster using a database query.
If Xenios is used for larger deployments, it is possible to allow several participating KABs to access the same database and thus also to process search queries across locations. Cross-organizational data exchange is also possible through Xenios. Many authorities entrusted with security tasks already use Xenios and thus support the work of the information offices. The first test run of this kind was the International Aerospace Exhibition (ILA) in Berlin in 2006, in which several participating KABs from the state of Brandenburg were networked.
See also
literature
- Supplement to the basic course The Information System in Conflicts and Disasters from the General Secretariat of the DRK (Tracing Service Control Center, D / AAB, version from February 1999, updated April 2005)
