CREWS Views #2 - Niels Philip Kögler, Hamburg Fire and Rescue Services

Niels Philip Kögler works at the Department for international Cooperation at the Hamburg Fire and Rescue Services in Germany.

Hamburg Fire and Rescue Service contributes practical operational expertise to CREWS by advising on the development of the collaboration model and digital tool, participating in workshops and study visits, helping plan and implement the extreme-weather pilot in Germany, and providing feedback to refine the model, tool and training materials, while also sharing project outputs within its own networks.

Q: How can we make communities more resilient so they cope better with crises?

Niels: For me, it is crucial to involve the population in crisis management early — long before a crisis occurs. Strengthening individual resilience, enabling self-help, and active participation in crisis response are key. Regular information campaigns, training and exercises, as well as supporting volunteering and cooperation with other organisations, are essential. Digital warning and alert systems, resilient infrastructure, and consideration of vulnerable groups help create a resilient community.

What do you hope the CREWS project will achieve, and what results are you looking forward to?

I expect the CREWS project to deliver innovative approaches to crisis management and valuable international exchange. Although Germany has a strong system with many volunteers and organisations, looking beyond our borders brings new ideas. Managing spontaneous volunteers is especially challenging compared to organised ones. I hope for concrete recommendations and solutions for their effective integration. Overall, CREWS will help strengthen community resilience sustainably.

How does your organisation plan to use the results of the CREWS project to strengthen community resilience and preparedness for future crises and disasters?

We aim to apply insights from the CREWS project in Hamburg to improve crisis response by better integrating both organised and spontaneous volunteers. As the German partner, sharing results nationwide and exchanging with other stakeholders is important to us. Knowledge transfer happens during and after the project. The practical topics addressed offer concrete benefits for various crisis scenarios, and we want as many people as possible to benefit.

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