Focus on civil protection: New research centre at RPTU starts work
Crises and disasters are omnipresent. Creating functioning structures for civil protection and disaster management poses enormous challenges for emergency services as well as the responsible authorities in cities and municipalities. The Centre for Interdisciplinary Disaster Research (CIDR) at RPTU aims to help better manage civil threats in the future. The scientists involved are pooling relevant research expertise and operational experience and will provide advice and support to those involved in practice and administration. A symposium on 10 June marked the official launch.
Information, knowledge transfer and networking are important to the researchers involved. Professor Gordon Müller-Seitz, who holds the Chair of Strategy, Innovation and Cooperation at the Department of Economics at RPTU Kaiserslautern, explains: ‘Time and again, the European Commission and ministries are saying that interdisciplinary expertise is the key to overcoming crises and disasters. We want to make this available with the CIDR. A first step was the symposium, which brought together over 60 participants from science, authorities and operational practice. In parallel to our research work, such networking opportunities are intended to promote the exchange of expertise on current challenges and solutions in the field of civil protection in the future.’
Optimising disaster management on site
Together with the economist, Professors Robert Jüpner, Matthias Rohs and Dr Anja Danner-Schröder are shaping the work of the new research centre. They are pooling knowledge from the fields of economics, engineering, social sciences and education.
Müller-Seitz and Danner-Schröder, who also work in the Department of Economics at RPTU, specialise in disaster management in their research. While Müller-Seitz looks at emergency situations from a strategic perspective and investigates how the cooperation and coordination of a large number of organisations can be optimised in the event of major disasters, Danner-Schröder is even more deeply involved in operational practice. She has already accompanied operational teams from the Düsseldorf, Frankfurt and Hamburg fire services during 24-hour shifts, as well as the THW in Kaiserslautern and the international SEEBA unit of the THW when dealing with earthquake events. The economist examines from an organisational theory perspective when and how routine measures can support the deployment of rescue forces in disaster areas.
Preparing emergency services and the population for extreme events
Professor Robert Jüpner, who heads the Department of Hydraulic Engineering and Water Management in the Faculty of Civil Engineering at RPTU, is an expert in flood risk management and operational flood protection. Since his first disaster assignment in 2002 during the flood of the century on the River Elbe, he has dedicated himself to research into the management of flood events. At RPTU, the engineer and his working group are developing, among other things, training modules to prepare fire brigades and the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) for such crises. He is also currently conducting research in the KAHR (Climate Adaptation, Floods, Resilience) joint project funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research to provide scientific support for the reconstruction of the Ahr Valley.
Matthias Rohs, Professor of Adult Education at the RPTU, contributes his expertise in crisis and disaster education to the CIDR. In this context, he is investigating in particular how the training and further education of emergency services can be optimised and how the population can be better prepared for potential disasters. Specifically, the current PREP project is investigating informal and self-directed learning processes of the population in the area of emergency preparedness. He contributes his expertise not least to the scientific advisory board of the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK).
Further information on the CIDR and the opening symposium can be found at rptu.de/zentren/cidr.
Questions answered:
Prof. Dr. Gordon Müller-SeitzDepartment of Economics at the RPTU in Kaiserslautern
T: +49 (0)631 205-4953
E: gms(at)rptu.de