Prof. Dr. Marion Meinert (left) and Lena Kraibühler (right) at the congress
Evaluation of the EU civil protection exercise MAGNITUDE
On Thursday, 6 February, Prof. Marion Meinert and Lena Kraibühler, a graduate of the Security & Safety Engineering programme, presented the evaluation process of the EU civil protection exercise MAGNITUDE 2024, at the “Research for Civil Protection” Congress in Bonn. The congress, organised by the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK), is one of the most important specialist events for security and disaster control research in Germany.
MAGNITUDE 2024: large-scale exercise for emergencies
In October 2024, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake was simulated in the greater Karlsruhe area as part of MAGNITUDE 2024. The aim was to test cooperation between national and international emergency services under realistic conditions. The exercise included complex rescue and recovery scenarios in order to optimise crisis management processes. Furtwangen University provided scientific support for this exercise in collaboration with the Bundeswehr University on behalf of the European Commission. The aim was to systematically analyse the course of the operation, the communication structures and the coordination processes. The knowledge gained will support cooperation in civil protection and further develop existing operational concepts.
Civil protection as a central topic of the BBK Congress
The BBK Congress brought together around 900 participants from science, administration and practice. The focus was on resilience, crisis management, technological innovations, crisis communication and international cooperation. The congress took place in the former plenary chamber of the German Bundestag in Bonn. This historic location provided a special atmosphere for the discussion of socially relevant future topics. Against the backdrop of the current political situation, civil protection was also a key topic. Particular emphasis was placed on hybrid threats and ongoing hybrid activities, which increasingly pose a challenge for civil protection.