Erding control center: Expansion postponed – district administrators demand clarity!

Erding control center: Expansion postponed – district administrators demand clarity!

At the last meeting of the Erding Emergency Services and Fire Brigade Alert Association (ZRF), the long-awaited expansion of the Integrated Control Center (ILS) in Erding was once again the focus of discussion. However, the decision on the extension was postponed Mercury reported. The district administrators Helmut Petz from Freising and Robert Niedergesäß from Ebersberg expressed dissatisfaction with the current cost calculation of 23.25 million euros, which is higher than the originally stated 22.9 million euros due to a change of provider.

Petz suggested alternative locations be examined, including the site at Kammermiller Hof near Munich Airport. A proposal that, however, raised concerns as Flughafen München GmbH (FMG) is not willing to sell the area. Niedergesäß also emphasized that he needed the consent of his district council in order to be able to agree to the higher renovation cost. The discussion about the ILS expansion has been dragging on since 2021, supported by Bavaria's Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann, who was clearly in favor of the Erding location at the time.

Capacity limits reached

The need for expanding the ILS is undisputed. Hubert Maier, the head of the control center, makes it clear that the acute lack of space requires the number of operational control tables to be increased from the current six to nine in order to successfully manage the approximately 200 daily operations. The ILS has reached its capacity limits, which led to a decision to convert it into a police station. The land acquisition for part of the building area has already taken place and the building permit documents were submitted in February 2023, as stated South Germans reported.

The new control center and renovation are expected to be completed by early to mid-2028. An extension is planned that will expand the usable area to two and a half times the current size. The entire area of ​​responsibility includes the districts of Erding, Freising and Ebersberg, which together cover around 2,221 square kilometers. The control center receives around 160,000 emergency calls every year, which corresponds to an average of 440 emergency calls per day.

Artificial intelligence in action

The planned use of artificial intelligence to handle multilingual emergencies is also interesting. This could provide valuable support for dispatchers in order to be able to act more quickly and effectively in critical situations. However, Maier warns that a delay in approving the expansion could jeopardize the certification of the ILS. Another meeting to clarify the outstanding issues is scheduled to take place by December 19th.

The need for ILS expansion is clearly recognized by everyone involved. Time is of the essence and decision-makers are required to find solutions as quickly as possible to ensure the effectiveness of the emergency services in the region in the future.