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Who are they and what is the THW all about? A THW crew member carrying a sledgehammer As Germany mourns after deadly floods devasted swaths of the country, the cleanup operation carries on Cometh a disaster, cometh the band of yellow helmets. From rebuilding bridges to fighting floods and searching for survivors to setting up COVID-19 test centers, THW volunteers have been at the forefront of rescue and relief operations for decades. Germany's agency for technical relief, THW (which stands for Technisches Hilfswerk), was created on August 22, 1950, by Germany's interior minister at the time, Gustav Heinemann. Its first president was Otto Lummitzsch, an architect and construction engineer, who served in the corps of engineers during World War I. In 1919, Lummitzsch had already founded THW's precursor organization, the Technische Nothilfe (TN), or Technical Emergency Aid, which emerged from the military corps of engineers. During Hitler's Third Reich, Lummitzsch lost his job as the head of TN in 1934 after he refused to divorce his wife, who was half Jewish. Since 1953, THW is a federal agency with its own administration within the German Interior Ministry. Originally, the agency's main purpose was civil defense in the event of war. But this has been adjusted over the decades, including now a wide range of disaster relief operations around events such as traffic accidents, industrial disasters, earthquakes and floods. A THW crew cleaning up the Kyll brooklet with a crane Germany is trying to come to grips with the vast destruction and loss of life caused by the worst floods in decades An army of volunteers Some 80,000 volunteer helpers are members of THW today -- among them about 15,000 young people, who spend their free time preparing to help others in need. The membership is organized under 668 local chapters. Only about 1,800 staff are employed full-time at the agency, meaning that 99% are engaged on a voluntary basis. The organization has also been active in more than 130 disaster relief operations abroad. Its teams were seen in action after the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake; in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in the United States in 2005; and following storms Lothar and Martin that hit France in 2000, which ended up becoming THW's largest foreign operation to date. Three THW rescuers with a sniffer dog searching for survivors in the debris of a collapsed building in Beirut, Lebanon. After the giant blast in the harbor of Beirut in 2020, THW search teams were among the first foreign helpers at the site Rebuilding bridges and water systems THW crews can be assigned to a wide range of tasks. There are specialist teams for search and rescue operations, and for debris clearance, as well as for reestablishing water and electricity systems. THW is also capable of removing oil pollution from water resources. During the ongoing flood rescue in Germany, some 2,100 THW volunteers from 165 chapters are engaged in disaster relief. However, that's just a 10th of the volunteers who took part in the agency's largest national operation so far, when 24,000 THW volunteers simultaneously fought flooding along the Elbe river in August 2002. A team of four THW members carrying a motor pump THW pumping teams have a lot to do, as floodwater is still filling up thousands of basements State-of-the-art equipment THW's local chapters include specialized teams, or so-called technical platoons, which are equipped with modern machinery to support their rescue efforts. In the town of Euskirchen, for example, the agency's crews were battling rising waters at the Steinbach dam with huge rotary pumps that are able to move 5,000 liters (1,320 gallons) of water per minute -- equivalent to about a bathtub full of water every two seconds. As the dam was nevertheless threatening to be breached, THW was able to deploy a monster pump, of which there are only 14 in Germany, which was able to move a staggering 25,000 liters per minute out of the swelling lake. According to media reports, five THW pumping crews were involved in the Steinbach dam rescue, reducing water in the lake at a rate of 70,000 liters per minute, and eventually saving all of the downstream communities from inundation. * Aerial photo of the flooded city of Ahrweiler, Germany. Germany's floods: Help is on the way One of the worst natural disasters in Germany's living memory About 200 people have been reported dead and scores more are missing after torrential rain and floods swept across Western Europe, with Germany bearing the brunt of one of its biggest natural disasters in recent decades. Rescue operations continue in the country's hardest-hit cities and towns. Victims are now beginning to deal with the debris from damage to buildings and houses. * Three firemen surveying a flood-damaged street in Walporzheim, Germany Germany's floods: Help is on the way Houses turning into deathtraps The situation in some districts in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) is still critical, others are assessing damage as floodwaters recede. Leaking gas pipes and structural damage to buildings across the state have turned some sites into death traps and the debris has to be removed quickly to avoid further safety threats. * Two Bundeswehr soldiers throwing a large piece of asphalt into the the bucket of a loader on a road in Hagen, Germany Germany's floods: Help is on the way Clearing the way for rescuers With the death toll has reached near 200, thousands of volunteers, firefighters and some 900 army personnel have joined the clean-up and salvage operations. There are fears that more victims could be found as waters recede and begin to reveal the true toll the storm took on everything in its path. * A helicopter team rescuing a person from a flooded building Germany's floods: Help is on the way Rescuing residents stranded in flooded buildings Some people were trapped in buildings likely to collapse at any second for hours. In towns such as Schuld and Heimerzheim floodwaters destroyed roads and railroad tracks, cutting off residents from the outside world. In extreme cases, police, fire and rescue, and armed forces units had to airlift residents from rooftops by helicopter. * A group of people taking photos of raging waters at the flooding Baldeney Lake Dam in Essen, Germany Germany's floods: Help is on the way Flood tourists not welcome While rescue workers are exhausted from grueling and deadly round-the-clock work, police have warned against "flood tourism" -- telling outsiders to stay away. "They make affected residents feel like they are in a zoo," as Lars Brummer of the Koblenz Police Department told regional public broadcaster SWR. "They can also hinder rescue workers." * A fireman wading through a flooded nocturnal street in Kordel, Germany Germany's floods: Help is on the way Help underway Hundreds of families have lost everything and become displaced. The cities of Cologne and Bonn in North Rhine-Westphalia have set up emergency accommodations for evacuees on Friday. aid organizations have begun collecting donations and recruiting volunteers for what will be massive repair operations. * Firefighters among the ruins of fallen houses in Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, Germany Germany's floods: Help is on the way Immense financial loss Local media have reported catastrophic damage to infrastructure, public property and private businesses. Rhineland-Palatinate Finance Minister Doris Ahnen promised tax waivers to flood victims. At a time when the coronavirus pandemic continues to devastate the livelihood of many families in Germany, some victims might need much more than that to get back on their feet again. Author: Monir Ghaedi How to become a member As dramatic as THW's operations often are, becoming a member of the volunteer organization is less so. Anyone can join, no matter their profession. While the entry age for junior teams is 10 years, members must be 17 years old to enter active service on senior teams. All volunteers undergo technical training, where they learn how to use chain saws, cutters and grinders. Some basics of materials science are also taught, as well as first-aid and rescue techniques. The THW provides equipment and protective gear for free. In addition, the state-funded agency reimburses travel costs and lost wages during operations and covers insurance costs for its members. But the true reward for volunteers might just be that they have been able to help others. Watch video 02:41 Share Germany floods Send Facebook Twitter reddit EMail Facebook Messenger Web Whatsapp Web Telegram linkedin Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/3wf6J Volunteers join cleanup after severe floods in Germany This article was adapted from German. DW recommends German floods: Nurburgring becomes makeshift aid center Germany's oldest Grand Prix race track has been turned into a provisional center to help the victims of the recent floods. Oliver Pieper reports from the scene. * Date 20.07.2021 * Author Klaus Ullrich * Related Subjects Floods in Germany * Keywords Germany flooding, THW, floods, volunteers * Send us your feedback. * Print Print this page * Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/3whof * TOP STORIES * Coronavirus * World * Germany * Business * Science * Environment * Culture * Sports * * A - Z Index * MEDIA CENTER * Live TV * All media content * Latest Programs * Podcasts * TV * Schedule and Reception * TV Programs * * RADIO * LEARN GERMAN * German Courses * German XXL * Community D * Teaching German * ABOUT DW * Who we are * Press * GMF * Business & Sales * Advertising * Travel * SERVICE * Reception * Apps & Co. * Newsletters & Co. * FAQ * Contact * * DW AKADEMIE * About us * Media Development * Master's Degree * Traineeship * Training (c) 2021 Deutsche Welle | Privacy Policy | Legal notice | Contact | Mobile version