Appeal for initiative Siebengebirge prepares for blackout

Siebengebirge · Many people are afraid of a blackout. It is feared that the energy crisis could cause a widespread power blackout lasting for days. This is how the municipalities in the Siebengebirge are preparing for it.

The municipalities in the Siebengebirge are trying to prepare for a possible blackout. Fire brigades and administrations are a contact point in case of emergency. However, personal initiative is also important.

The municipalities in the Siebengebirge are trying to prepare for a possible blackout. Fire brigades and administrations are a contact point in case of emergency. However, personal initiative is also important.

Foto: picture alliance/dpa/Marwan Naamani

What will Bad Honnef, Königswinter and the municipalities of Unkel and Linz do if the power really does go out across the board? "Contact points are to be set up to provide information to the population and to receive emergency calls in the event of a telephone or mobile phone network failure. In some cases, there are also plans for places to stay in the communities that would be heated and lit in the event of a power outage," informs Thomas Heinemann, spokesperson for the city of Bad Honnef.

The points of contact and possible places to stay would be communicated by the Office for Civil Protection. However, in the event of a large-scale and prolonged power blackout, the recreation rooms would not be set up as emergency shelters. They would only serve as contact points and places with light and warmth where citizens could warm up or prepare baby food for a short time.

Important information should also be disseminated via the fire brigade locations, which will then be manned, as well as via notices in the Bad Honnef city area.

Honnef town hall and fire brigade supplied with emergency generators

The city administration is prepared to bridge a period of up to ten days without external power supply, he said. "Bad Honnef has emergency power generators that could supply properties with electricity. These include fire brigade sites and the town hall," Heinemann said. Acquiring other necessary equipment and supplies, such as satellite-based means of communication, emergency generators and fuel, will likely require additional investment by the town, he said.

Königswinter is also trying to prepare for a blackout scenario. According to Florian Striewe from the city's press office, the administrative board of the city of Königswinter has set up a "Blackout" working group. The task of the working group is primarily to develop measures to cope with a large-scale and prolonged power blackout at the municipal level and to take the necessary precautions for this. "Since these plans are being worked on under high pressure, no reliable statement can be made on the questions raised at this point in time," it continues.

In general, all municipalities in the Rhein-Sieg district are in close coordination with each other and with the energy suppliers on the topic of "area-wide power blackout" and crisis preparedness. In addition, specific working groups have been set up at the district level with the participation of the district municipalities, the energy producers and the grid operators.

Municipalities emphasise importance of own initiative

Striewe emphasises that it is important for citizens to make their own provisions in the event of a power blackout, for example by stockpiling everyday products. The Federal Office for Civil Protection provides information on what is important and what needs to be taken into account. In addition, the city of Königswinter will soon publish an information package online and in printed form.

The city of Bad Honnef also expressly appeals to its residents to take the initiative. "Citizens are encouraged to inform themselves, identify their own needs and risks and take organisational measures to cover needs and minimise risks," said the spokesperson. The city of Bad Honnef, for example, nor any other municipality in Germany has stocks to supply the respective population with food or prepared meals. Therefore, it is extremely important to have one's own provisions of food and medicines.

In the municipality of Linz, a team of experts consisting of mayors of the municipalities and experts from the administration was established about two months ago to deal with possible measures in the event of a power blackout. In addition, they are in regular consultation with the Rhineland-Palatinate Supervisory and Service Directorate and are closely interlinked with the fire brigades. "We are working in the background to be prepared for all scenarios," said the spokesperson for the association municipality. If the digital information channels are omitted in the event of a power blackout, flyers are to inform the citizens.

Emergency meeting points in the Unkel municipality

In the municipality of Unkel, the fire brigades of the municipality not only provide tips for the case of a power blackout on a flyer, which can also be downloaded, but also name specific locations for the individual municipalities, which are then set up as emergency meeting points where emergency calls can be made. 90 minutes after the start of the power blackout, the emergency meeting points would be put into operation. In addition to the fire brigade stations, these include the citizens' hall in Erpel, the primary school in Rheinbreitbach and the municipal administration in Unkel. In addition, vehicles will be stationed as emergency contact points, for example in the district of Breite Heide at the corner of Breite-Heide-Straße and Waldblick. (Original text: Lydia Schauff / Translation: Mareike Graepel)

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