Emergency responders in Mainz aim to enhance speed and efficiency in their operations
The Rhine-Hesse region is set to undergo a significant change in its emergency response system, as all emergency calls from the entire region are planned to be handled at a new, unified control center in Mainz by 2030.
The current emergency control centers in Mainz, Worms, and Bad Kreuznach are slated to be consolidated under one roof in Mainz by 2026. The new building for the unified control center is planned to be located on the site of the former fireworks factory in Mainz-Gonsenheim.
The emergency control center for the Rhine-Hesse region has already moved to its new temporary home in the DRK building in Mainz-Gonsenheim, where they have rented an entire floor. Currently, all emergency calls from the Rhine-Hesse region are handled by the fire department in Mainz-Bretzenheim or the fire department in Worms.
The move to the new premises marks the first step towards an integrated control center where firefighters and emergency medical technicians will take the calls together. This integration aims to handle all types of emergencies that come in via the 112 number, eliminating the need for further forwarding in case of medical emergencies, and no time is lost.
In the current setup, in case of a medical emergency, the fire department has to inform the emergency control center in Mainz by phone, resulting in valuable minutes being lost before an ambulance is dispatched. The integrated control center is aimed at addressing this issue.
The county of Bad Kreuznach will join the emergency control center system in the following year. The county is expected to contribute 6.4 million euros towards the construction costs. However, the county council of Bad Kreuznach has postponed the decision on financing the new emergency control center in Mainz, with county council members wanting to hear from a representative of the planning office before giving their consent to these costs.
The decision on financing the new emergency control center will not happen before the county council meeting in September at the earliest. Meanwhile, a new location for the unified emergency control center is being sought, probably in Mainz-Weisenau.
The goal of all involved municipalities is to ultimately unify all control centers under one roof in Mainz, streamlining the emergency response system for the entire Rhine-Hesse-Nahe region. The new location, scheduled to be operational by 2030, is set to revolutionize the way emergencies are handled in the region.
In the near future, the unified control center in Mainz, coordinating health-and-wellness emergencies alongside fire and rescue services, is expected to revolutionize the emergency response system in the Rhine-Hesse region. This science-driven approach aims to reduce valuable minutes lost during medical emergencies by eliminating the need for further forwarding and improving overall response times.
