Rescue dogs in action: large-scale exercise in Bundorf saves lives!

Rescue dogs in action: large-scale exercise in Bundorf saves lives!

In Bundorf, Lower Franconia, an impressive exercise by the Johanniter Rescue Dog Squadron Schweinfurt took place on July 19, 2025. Around 85 participants, including 14 dog-human teams, the Bundorf volunteer fire department and the neighboring fire departments from Ermershausen and Sulzdorf, came together to demonstrate their skills. The aim of the exercise was to test the interaction in the assistance system, and the scenario could not have been more realistic: A rear-end collision during an illegal street rally led to a chaotic situation in which spectators fled into an adjacent forest area and gas bottles were damaged.

Particular attention was paid to the search for missing people who were suspected to be in the dense forests in the area. The exercise lasted around five hours and everyone involved showed great commitment to tackling the challenge. The district fire chief Simone Halbig and Baron Truchseß von Wetzhausen supported the exercise, which was supplemented with a realistic depiction of the accident and made-up mimes by the Johanniter. In the final meeting, Andreas Ebeling made it clear how important close cooperation is in the search for missing persons.

The challenge of searching for missing persons

Another important point of the exercise was the coordination of the various emergency services. The organization of the rescue dog squad included the briefing and division of the search areas, which was considered essential for the success of the mission. When searching for areas, the squadron systematically combs the bank areas, taking into account the challenges of the difficult terrain, such as steep slopes and dense vegetation.

Innovative technology was also used in the search. Water detection dogs were used from boats to detect odor particles on the water surface. This methodical approach ensured that every angle was covered and no trace was missed. The constant connection to operations management via radio was fundamental in order to maintain an overview and make decisions quickly.

Successful collaboration

The exercise in Bundorf is an excellent example of successful cooperation between different organizations and rescue services. The volunteer fire brigade and the Schweinfurt medical service contributed to the successful implementation, as did the members of the Johanniter, who not only took on the role of depicting the accident, but also gained crucial experience in realistic training. Together they mastered the fictional operational scenario and showed that they are well positioned even in critical situations.

The exercise impressively demonstrated how important such exercises are in preparing emergency services for reality. In an emergency, every second counts and the training is designed to increase teams' responsiveness and efficiency. With this successful implementation, you can be sure that those involved are well prepared for future operations, which is important not only for the emergency services, but above all for the people in need.

Johanniter reports that...
An exercise by the rescue dog team...