A voluntary fire department trusted the CKS solution CELIOS to fight a large fire in the historical old town of Konstanz, Germany. The modern control centre management system was a huge support in this challenging operation and highly commended by the customer. On 23rd December at 8:07am, Konstanz’s main voluntary fire brigade station received an emergency call: a fire had started in the historic old town and four buildings were in flames. People were also in danger. The radio signal allowed the dispatcher in the control center to react quickly and initiate the necessary actions. The firemen who reached the site within a couple of minutes witnessed dramatic scenes. Buildings with a documented history of over 700 years and elderly people were in danger. It quickly became clear that the operation was in need of more resources - firemen and ambulances.

The fire fighting and rescue processes were carried out over 108 hours and took more than 300 people. These specialists were supported by CELIOS’ modern technology during their fight against the blaze. The operation ran relatively smoothly due to a well-rehearsed and experienced team, depending on CELIOS as an important tool.

When this fire emerged, the main fire station’s control center had already worked with CELIOS for four years. “Our everyday work in the rescue service demands efficiency, safety and especially fast decision making”, said Klaus Wehner, Head of Operations for Konstanz’s voluntary fire department. “A system like CELIOS is an important tool for us. The dispatcher in the control center gathers the critical and important information for his job through the software’s main functions.”

After the operation, the CKS specialists received an e-mail from Konstanz’s firemen who wanted to express their gratitude: “CELIOS supported us well and was a valuable help.

This case demonstrates how rescue processes and procedures are optimized crucially through the use of CELIOS - a fantastic example of great customer service.