German fire fighting aircraft rescue team
| DLFR German fire fighting aircraft rescue team | |
|---|---|
| legal form | one-man business |
| founding | August 1, 2007 |
| Seat | Nittenau |
| Number of employees | 3 |
| Branch | Civil protection |
| Website | www.dlfr.de |
The Deutsche Löschflugzeug Rettungsstaffel (or DLFR for short) is a company under private law and keeps fire-fighting aircraft ready for fighting forest fires from the air. The intended legal form is a non-profit GmbH. It organizes exercises and advanced training events together with fire services and fire service associations .
Companies
The DLFR is the only fire fighting unit in Germany. All fire-fighting aircraft pilots are in possession of a professional pilot's license , have a minimum of 1000 flight hours and are permanently employed. The fire-fighting aircraft will reach any location in Germany no later than two hours after the alarm. The DLFR flies missions nationwide. Funding is provided under the disaster control laws and a contract with federal states and districts.
Used aircraft types
The German fire fighting aircraft rescue team uses smaller types of aircraft so that they can take off and land independently of nearby airfields. The following patterns are currently used:
- PZL M18 Dromader , 2200 liters of extinguishing water
- Cessna 172 , observation aircraft
Locations
The stationing locations are chosen so that every location in Germany can be reached no later than two hours after an alarm has been raised. The DLFR fire-fighting planes are relocated near the fire after the alarm and are then not necessarily limited to airfields. Takeoff can also be from a glider range , field, or road near a source of fire.
Extinguishing water supply
The fire brigades provide the extinguishing water . The extinguishing water is taken from standing and flowing water or from fire trucks . Filling with 2200 liters of extinguishing water takes about a minute. The hoses are connected using two hermaphrodite fire service couplings . With this connection system, the DLFR fire-fighting aircraft can be supplied with extinguishing water by every European fire brigade.
Alerting
In Bavaria, the DLFR is since November 2007 an official part of the civil protection . The competent authorities can request fire-fighting aircraft for all of Germany. In Bavaria, the DLFR is alerted by the Bavarian Ministry of the Interior . In other federal states, fire fighting planes can be requested from any municipality. The local operations manager decides on the use of fire fighting from the air and the aircraft used.