A fire on the upper floor, dense smoke filling the building, and several injured people inside: under highly realistic conditions, a large-scale fire brigade exercise recently took place on the premises of HMF Smart Solutions. Fortunately, this was not a real emergency but a planned training scenario designed to allow firefighters to practice procedures and teamwork as realistically as possible.

In total, more than 80 emergency personnel from surrounding communities participated, arriving with 14 vehicles. Eight “injured” individuals were assumed to be inside the building. They were located with the help of a thermal imaging camera and subsequently rescued—both via the stairwell and by ladders through windows. The exercise clearly demonstrated how essential well-practiced procedures, effective communication, and strong teamwork are during emergency operations.

An Important Practical Test for HMF

For HMF, hosting the fire brigade exercise on company grounds was not only an important contribution to regional safety but also a valuable practical test of internal processes. Among other things, the functionality of the fire alarm system as well as the alerting and communication chain could be thoroughly reviewed.

Since the exercise took place in the evening, fewer colleagues were present in the building. Nevertheless, the fire brigade conducted a thorough and systematic search of the premises to ensure that no one remained inside.

HMF’s fire safety coordinator, Anna Schwager, drew a positive conclusion: “Everything worked as planned. Despite the heavy smoke simulation inside the building, the emergency teams were able to orient themselves well. That is an important insight for a real emergency situation.”