Logistics problems in supplying the population and equipping rescue workers in risk areas and times of crisis

### Outdated technology, broken stations: This is how dilapidated our rescuers' equipment really is ### No sirens, patchy apps: Why millions of Germans are not warned in the event of a disaster ### From missing medication to defective pumps: The silent failure of crisis preparedness ###

Red alert: Germany's disaster protection at its limit – are we still safe?

Germany lulls itself into a false sense of security, but behind the facade of a highly developed country, the foundations of its civil defense system are crumbling alarmingly. An in-depth analysis of the supply situation and equipment of rescue workers reveals an alarming picture of systematic deficiencies, chronic underfunding, and a lack of strategic planning. The problems are as diverse as they are fundamental: They range from outdated vehicle fleets in the fire service and glaring funding gaps in the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW), to a modern digital radio network that fails in practice, to a warning system that still has massive gaps.

But the deficits don't end with the emergency services. Emergency supplies to the population in times of crisis are equally shaky. State food reserves are proving to be an outdated concept that fails due to real-world logistics. At the same time, pharmacies and hospitals are struggling with dramatic supply shortages of vital medications – a direct result of global dependence. This picture is compounded by a dilapidated emergency infrastructure with broken water pumps and a lack of shelters.

This ruthless assessment reveals the cracks in Germany's safety net—a system that is reaching its limits due to a manifest investment backlog and a lack of political priority. It raises the urgent question of whether Germany is truly prepared for the next major crisis—be it a natural disaster, a pandemic, or a political crisis.

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### Emergency supplies without logistics: Why food is lacking in an emergency ### Drug crisis: 550 active ingredients are missing – what this means ### Rescue workers under pressure: Outdated equipment threatens aid ###

Critical equipment deficiencies among rescue workers

Vehicles and technical equipment

• Outdated vehicle fleets: Fire departments are experiencing significant deficiencies in vehicle procurement. Financing for new rescue vehicles is often uncertain, as municipalities cannot fully compensate for the shortage through municipal assistance. Some vehicles are used beyond their recommended service life – at least seven years or 170,000 km are recommended for command vehicles, while other vehicles are 25 years.
• Staffing problems in vehicle procurement: The multi-year procurement processes are heavily influenced by economic policy. Price increases must be taken into account in budget planning as a precaution, which poses significant financing problems for municipalities.
• THW funding gaps: The THW is struggling with structural financial problems. Budget resources fluctuated sharply, from €214 million in 2020 to €441 million due to coronavirus stimulus packages, but fell back to €158 million in 2023. The self-funding resources of local branches are often insufficient, forcing THW volunteers to sometimes pay for fuel privately.

Communication technology deficits

• Digital radio problems: Digital radio, which is 99% complete, exhibits significant weaknesses in practice. Failures and disruptions are problematic due to a lack of redundancy. In Baden-Württemberg, all fire and rescue services still use outdated analog radio systems from the 1970s.
• Lack of backup systems: In the event of a failure of digital government radio, there are no practical emergency solutions. Analog radio technology is not maintained nationwide as a backup, even though it would be crucial in the event of a disaster. Mobile control centers and communications teams are often inadequately equipped with deployable analog relay stations.

Protective equipment and maintenance

• Systematic deficiencies in protective clothing: THW members are required to report equipment defects, but repairs are often delayed. Simple repairs must be carried out by the personnel themselves, while specialized repairs can only be performed by manufacturers.
• Insufficient maintenance capacity: In Berlin, police officers and firefighters have to repair their stations themselves because the normal maintenance process via the property management company is too time-consuming. The investment backlog amounts to €1.7 billion for the police and €257 million for the fire department.

Serious warning system deficiencies

Siren infrastructure

• Massive gaps in the siren network: After the end of the Cold War, sirens were systematically dismantled and now have to be painstakingly rebuilt. In Berlin, a total of 411 sirens were supposed to be in operation by 2023 – by 2024, only about half that number will be in operation. The plan is for 450 sirens, but 580 are actually needed.
• Defective systems: During the nationwide warning day 2025, the district of Hameln-Pyrmont alone counted eight defective siren systems out of a total of 146. The BBK is aware of around 40,000 siren locations throughout Germany, but by no means all of them are functional.
• Inconsistent participation: Municipalities are free to decide whether to participate in the warning day. Not all municipalities have functioning systems. While 97% of the population was reached via at least one warning channel on the 2024 warning day, regional differences are significant.

Cell broadcast and digital warning

• Technical limitations: Cell Broadcast can currently only send warnings, not all-clear messages. This feature is not expected to be available until 2026. Only 12 million people have installed the Nina warning app, out of a population of 83 million.
• Catastrophic emergency supplies to the population

State food reserves

• Inadequate logistics: Germany stores food for emergencies in approximately 150 secret locations. A critical weakness: The stored raw materials are not ready-to-eat. Rye must be milled, then transported to the bakery and baked. Transport, storage, and distribution logistics are not part of the plans.
• Outdated concept: Unlike Germany, Finland involves the private sector in emergency stockpiling and utilizes existing retail logistics structures. This ensures that ready-to-use products such as ravioli, cheese, and sausage are available even in an emergency.

Drug supply crisis

• Dramatic supply shortages: Currently, 550 medicines are unavailable, including antibiotics for children, ADHD medications, and cholesterol-lowering drugs. Five to ten percent of all required medicines are unavailable in hospitals, including emergency medications such as stroke medications.
• Dependence on China: For purely synthetic products like paracetamol, Germany is completely dependent on China. If Chinese ports are closed due to coronavirus lockdowns or storm warnings, no active ingredients can be delivered.
• Excessive effort: Hospitals have employees who spend all day dealing with supply issues and procuring replacements. Pharmacies have to spend a significant amount of time and personnel searching for alternative medications every day.

Defective emergency infrastructure

• Dilapidated technology: In Berlin, over 400 of 2,100 hand pumps for emergency water supply are not functioning. The planned emergency lighthouses are not set up everywhere – there are no uniform regulations.
• Lack of shelters: The federal government's announced shelter concept is not complete. The umbrella law for the protection of critical infrastructure has been stuck in the legislative process since November 2024 and is already "far too broad."

Structural financing and personnel problems

Extreme underfunding

• Manifest investment backlog: Funding for the Federal Office for Climate Action (BBK) and the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) is extremely tight – they represent only 1.3 and 3 percent of the Federal Ministry of the Interior's budget, respectively. The system is "not really prepared for a crisis."
• Lack of federal funding: While a special fund of €100 billion has been set aside for the Bundeswehr, funds for disaster and civil protection are lacking. Experts have been calling for €10 billion over ten years for years.

Massive training deficits

• 225,000 employees would need training: To prepare municipalities for crisis management, around 225,000 employees nationwide would need training. However, in 2023, only around 12,400 attended the relevant federal academy.
• Missing registers: The "Joint Competence Center for Civil Protection," established after the Ahr Valley disaster, was supposed to create a resource register. Four years later, it still hasn't been created.

Extreme regional differences

• Expenditures vary by a factor of 27: Per-citizen spending on disaster protection fluctuated between €0.77 in Baden-Württemberg and €21.02 in Thuringia in 2023. These enormous differences demonstrate the lack of nationwide coordination and standards.

The provision of emergency medical services and the equipment of rescue workers in Germany suffer from fundamental deficiencies. From outdated technology to defective warning systems to insufficient emergency supplies – the system is neither adequately prepared for natural disasters nor other crises. Chronic underfunding and a lack of nationwide coordination further exacerbate these problems.

Markus Becker

I would be happy to serve as your personal advisor.

Head of Business Development

Chairman SME Connect Defense Working Group

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Konrad Wolfenstein

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The global economy is currently experiencing a fundamental change, a broken epoch that shakes the cornerstones of global logistics. The era of hyper-globalization, which was characterized by the unshakable striving for maximum efficiency and the “just-in-time” principle, gives way to a new reality. This is characterized by profound structural breaks, geopolitical shifts and progressive economic political fragmentation. The planning of international markets and supply chains, which was once assumed as a matter of course, dissolves and is replaced by a phase of growing uncertainty.

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