Emergency services in action at the Nürburgring Offroad Park. Intensive training for real-life emergencies took place here: firefighters from all over Germany trained for operations in rough terrain on the versatile grounds of the Nürburgring Offroad Park. The focus was on intensive training days: a practical course run by Schmitt GmbH Feuerwehrtechnik and a comprehensive training session for the volunteer fire departments of the Adenau municipality association.
The goal: To give emergency services a better understanding of the capabilities of their emergency vehicles off paved roads, thereby increasing their confidence in their ability to respond in an emergency. The focus was on driving on challenging terrain – with realistic conditions such as inclines, deep ground, narrow passages, and water crossings. The off-road park provided the ideal environment for this.
“Natural events are increasingly leading to operations in rough terrain, which has resulted in more off-road vehicles being purchased by fire departments,” explains Guido Weiler, spokesperson for Feuerwehrtechnik Schmitt. “To ensure the highest possible level of safety during emergency response, we offer off-road training for fire department drivers in cooperation with the Nürburgring.” Marco Romes, deputy fire chief of the Adenau municipal association, adds: “The flooding in the Ahr Valley has shown how important it is to be able to handle off-road emergency vehicles safely in order to cope with extreme situations – the terrain of the Nürburgring Offroad Park offers ideal conditions for this.”
The vehicles used – from classic fire engines to off-road special equipment – mastered the varied challenges of the off-road park impressively. The participating fire departments were enthusiastic about the learning success, the practical implementation, and the opportunity to push the limits of their technology in a safe environment.
The Nürburgring operating company sees this use of the off-road park as a strong example of the social added value of the site: “Everyone praises what has been tested at the Nürburgring – this applies not only to vehicles in the automotive industry, but also to emergency services, who can train here under realistic conditions,” explains Nürburgring Managing Director Christian Stephani. “We are delighted that the Nürburgring, with its off-road park, offers practical benefits for organizations that save lives in emergencies – and thus contributes to public safety.” However, it is not only fire departments that will benefit from the versatile terrain. The Nürburgring operating company also sees ideal training conditions for organizations such as the Technische Hilfswerk (THW), the German Armed Forces, and the German Red Cross (DRK). This business area is to be expanded further in the future. In addition, the off-road park will continue to be available to companies and for B2B events – in particular manufacturers of off-road and commercial vehicles who wish to use the site for product testing, vehicle demonstrations, or customer events.