Disaster control exercise Zugvogel 2025”: Safety for Bergedorf!

Disaster control exercise Zugvogel 2025”: Safety for Bergedorf!

Today, August 28, 2025, the city of Hamburg will be the venue for the disaster control exercise “Zugvogel 2025”. This comprehensive exercise simulates a complex damage event and serves not only to prepare for rare, potentially serious operational situations, but also to improve cooperation between the various organizations in the event of a danger. The exercise will take place from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and will be carried out by the emergency services from the Stormarn district, who will travel to the training site in Hamburg-Bergedorf in a closed formation with blue lights and, in some cases, an emergency horn.

Particular attention should be paid to the higher frequency of emergency vehicles and the associated training noise. There is no danger for the population because it is exclusively an exercise that aims to test and evaluate leadership and decision-making processes as well as concepts and operational resources under realistic conditions. This ensures that quick and coordinated help is possible in an emergency. “Zugvogel 2025” is an initiative that shows how important regular and realistic training is to improve processes and communication structures

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Context and background of the exercise

The leitmotif of the exercise fits into a larger framework: regular disaster control exercises are enshrined in law in order to review national crisis management in the event of exceptional damage situations. According to the resolution of the Standing Conference of Interior Ministers and Senators in 2002 and based on Section 14 of the Civil Protection and Disaster Relief Act (ZSKG), such exercises serve to evaluate and optimize existing operational strategies and resources. An example of this is the LÜKEX exercises, which support interested parties in identifying and implementing crisis management measures by bringing together federal responsibilities and promoting better risk and crisis communication.

The need for such exercises is illustrated by various catastrophic events. Major disasters, such as the Chernobyl nuclear disaster or the flood disaster in Central Europe, have shown how important overall coordination is across administrative and jurisdictional boundaries. In Austria, this coordination is ensured by the State Crisis and Disaster Protection Management (SKKM), which enables efficient disaster relief to be ensured through the cooperation of all responsible federal agencies inside and outside.

Practical aspects of the exercise

It is clear to participants and viewers of the exercise that the goal of Migratory Bird 2025 extends beyond today and will provide significant lessons for future operations. The exercise examines in particular how the various aid organizations, authorities and departments can work together efficiently to quickly restore the lives of the population in crisis situations and to offer optimal protection. This not only contributes to the city's greater resilience, but also trains emergency services in communication and collaboration under stress.

If you have any questions about the exercise or need additional information, you can contact specialist service 64 in Bad Oldesloe directly. The contact details are: Mommsenstraße 13, 23843 Bad Oldesloe, email: disaster protection@kreis-stormarn.