This article presents innovative training concepts in disaster management with the Cologne Responding Lab (CRL), emphasizing the integration of theoretical instruction with practical application. A "learning by doing" approach fosters experience-oriented learning, developing both subject expertise and key skills such as teamwork, resilience, and problem-solving. Instructors with practical experience in risk management, crisis response, and emergency medicine supervise students during realistic deployments, enabling rapid qualification and role differentiation.
Student feedback is collected and external reviewers evaluate the program, which is highlighted for its strong practical focus. The CRL acts as a bridge between emergency responders and leadership researchers, facilitating knowledge transfer. For example, after the devastating flood in the Ahr Valley, CRL supported the construction of a temporary bridge using video technology, enabling the Federal Agency for Technical Relief to relocate its On-Site Operations Coordination Centre to a safer location.
Lessons learned from teaching, research, and practice contribute to updating the German fire service command regulation (FwDV100). This approach prepares personnel to perform complex tasks such as situation assessment and coordination. The Institute for Rescue Engineering and Civil Protection (IRG) fosters collaboration between science and civil protection by applying current research to practice through large-scale exercises and real deployments, ensuring academic training evolves with disaster management challenges.
TH Köln established a Commission on Responsibility in Science, involved since CRL’s founding, ensuring data safety and participant well-being. The concept relies on strong networks with first responders. Despite high initial costs, IRG’s 15 years of research provide necessary expertise and connections.

Authors:
Ompe Aimé Mudimu, Technische Hochschule Köln, Germany
Thomas Säger, Technische Hochschule Köln, Germany
Konrad Barth, Technische Hochschule Köln, Germany
Lennart Landsberg, Technische Hochschule Köln, Germany
Niklas Tschäschke, Technische Hochschule Köln, Germany

About the Presenter(s)
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ompe Aimé Mudimu is professor of Heat and Mass Transfer in the Faculty of Plant, Energy and Machine Systems at the University of Applied Sciences of Cologne and Deputy Director of the Institute for Rescue Engineering and Civil Protection at the same university.

T. Säger received a Bachelor degree in Rescue Engineering in 2011 and a Master degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2015. Since 2011, he is a Senior Laboratory Engineer at the Institute for Rescue Engineering, focusing on major incident management.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Sunday Schedule

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