On Saturday, May 10, the city of Erlangen carried out a large-scale disaster control exercise involving around 800 full-time and volunteer emergency services. Under the title "Löwenzahn" ("Dandelion"), a cargo plane was assumed to have crashed over the city center. In total, the largest exercise of its kind in the last ten years lasted around four hours.
In detail, the script provided for the following: The crash occurred in the area of the former Siemens site in Mitte, on Werner-von-Siemens-Straße. Parts of the "blue tower block" were severely damaged. The upper floors of the adjacent office building ("Bingelhaus") were in flames. And in a fictitious chemical plant in Pfälzer Strasse, the crashed aircraft tail damaged several containers with hazardous goods. The aircraft cockpit itself crashed onto cars at the entrance to an underground parking garage (Sophienstraße).
Some of the 100 injured actors and actresses were admitted to the emergency rooms of the University Hospital and the Waldkrankenhaus. Both hospitals took part in the exercise and "acted" until the patients were actually treated. This means that a treatment plan was drawn up for each patient.
Meanwhile, the disaster control structures were being set up in the background after Mayor Jörg Volleth formally declared a disaster situation. To this end, the civil protection management group staffed by the city administration and, for example, the citizens' telephone were alerted and staffed. Due to the exercise, however, the employees concerned were already in the relevant premises.
The Engelhardt Real Estate Group made the vacant "Mitte" location on Werner-von-Siemens-Straße available for the exercise. The City of Erlangen would like to express its thanks for this excellent training opportunity.
A group of around 30 guests, including Lord Mayor Florian Janik and Bavaria's Minister of the Interior Joachim Herrmann, was given a guided tour of the individual areas and detailed information by Friedhelm Weidinger, Head of the City's Fire and Civil Protection Department. He and Klaus Menzner, Head of Civil Protection, were instrumental and in charge of the preparations for "Löwenzahn".
At a closing event, the Lord Mayor thanked all those involved for this "fantastic achievement, both full-time and above all on a voluntary basis for the safety of our city. We can all be very proud of you.
There is also a report in the city newspaper "Rathausplatz 1" - June 2025 issue.