Ernst Achilles
Ernst Achilles (* 1929 in Duisburg ; † February 6, 1999 in Frankfurt-Berkersheim ) was director of the fire department of the city of Frankfurt am Main and thus head of the Frankfurt fire department .
Live and act
Achilles studied architecture at the Technical University of Darmstadt and in May 1963 became a fire advisor in Frankfurt am Main. From 1966 to 1989 he was head of the Frankfurt am Main fire department .
Achilles is considered a pioneer and thought leader in medical emergency rescue by the professional fire services that he introduced in Frankfurt am Main. In addition, in the 1960s he was one of the first to demand the introduction of helicopters for fire departments in large cities , both for fighting fires and for rescuing people and for transporting the seriously injured after accidents. At that Achilles could not prevail with his idea, today the use of is rescue helicopter with multiple trauma injuries on the West German system of emergency rescue for granted.
Probably also in view of the numerous new high-rise buildings in Frankfurt am Main after the Second World War, Achilles dealt intensively with preventive fire protection . He was considered one of the world's leading fire protection experts and was often appointed as an expert to investigate fires with an unclear cause, for example the fire in a home for asylum seekers in Lübeck in January 1996.
He was also honorary professor for structural fire protection at the Technical University of Darmstadt and at the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences .
As a specialist in fire protection issues, Achilles was known far beyond Germany's borders. He has appeared on radio and television specials several times; his advice was asked in discussion forums and comments on current accidents and disasters. He was called in as an international consultant in 1986 in the case of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster and in the spring of 1991 in the fight against burning oil wells in Kuwait after the end of the Second Gulf War .
Ernst Achilles was in charge of operations in several major incidents, for example the heath fire in August 1975 in Lower Saxony, where he took over operations management after various disputes over competence and jurisdiction. Likewise after the tanker truck accident in Herborn , Hesse , in July 1987 , when he happened to be on the 45 federal motorway on his way back to Frankfurt and heard the news of the accident. After an overview of the situation on site, he asked the Frankfurt professional fire brigade to support the local emergency services.
The Frankfurt fire brigade has long been open to new developments and technologies in fire protection and is often also the test field for them. Last but not least, this is due to the influence of fire director Achilles. One example is the phosphorescent yellow fire helmets, which were introduced in Germany at Achilles' suggestion and which replaced the black helmets up until then. The development of the mobile control center technology and developments in fire fighting vehicle and fire extinguishing technology were also largely shaped by Achilles.
Achilles died in February 1999 after a serious illness in the Berkersheim district of Frankfurt .
honors and awards
- 1989 Silver Medal of Honor from the Technical Relief Organization
- In 1990 Ernst Achilles was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit, 1st class.
In honor of Achilles, the square in front of the former Frankfurt fire and rescue station 1 in Hanauer Landstrasse 77 was named after him.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Award of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany on January 24, 1990 . In: The Hessian Prime Minister (Ed.): State Gazette for the State of Hesse. 1990 No. 7 , p. 262 , point 150 ( online at the information system of the Hessian state parliament [PDF; 5.6 MB ]).
- ↑ Information from the press office of the Frankfurt am Main fire brigade ( Memento from June 24, 2013 in the Internet Archive )
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Achilles, Ernst |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | German fire brigade officer, director of the fire department of the city of Frankfurt am Main |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1929 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Duisburg |
| DATE OF DEATH | February 6, 1999 |
| Place of death | Frankfurt-Berkersheim |