Since yesterday, on Thursday, two helicopters of the CH-53 type of the Air Force have been deployed in combating the current forest fire in Müritz National Park. On July 15, the Landkreis Mecklenburgische Seenplatte requested support from the Bundeswehr. The subject was the provision of the capability for air-supported firefighting. After assessing the situation, the request for aid from the Bundeswehr to support the local fire services was approved to support the local fire brigades.
The two CH-53s are to assist local authorities from the air in containing the flames. Coordination with local emergency services and the authorities of the National Park is provided by the regional Kreisverbindungskommando (KVK) of the Bundeswehr. The helicopters pick up firefighting water from nearby lakes using their own external-load water tanks and discharge this water into fire zones defined by the civilian authorities.
Firefighting by CH-53 is a special capability of the Bundeswehr
According to Article 35(1) of the Basic Law, the Bundeswehr provides civil assistance upon request when these authorities cannot manage their tasks with their own means. This support is limited to supplementary help in individual cases and excludes regular, long-term institutionalized cooperation. Aid by the Bundeswehr comes into play especially where the resilience of civilian organizations cannot be guaranteed by their own forces and means.
Even when the Bundeswehr’s forces and capabilities are urgently and/or significantly needed in situations posing danger to life and limb, the special abilities of the Bundeswehr, such as firefighting by CH-53, are often the only and last resort; this is when aid to civil authorities applies. The Air Force plans to replace this type in the future with the CH-47F Chinook.
Furthermore, the Bundeswehr reviews the legal admissibility of the requested support. In addition, it must possess the necessary resources. That means: a request for aid to civil authorities can also be rejected if the requested assistance would impair the mission fulfillment of the respective unit and thus compromise the Bundeswehr’s deployability.
