Hamburg enhances emergency response: New emergency vehicles set to debut in September
The Hamburg Fire Department is set to enhance its emergency services with the addition of six new Emergency Transport Vehicles (ETVs), starting from September 1, 2025. This significant expansion of resources is part of Hamburg's ongoing efforts to improve its emergency services.
These ETVs will primarily serve patients who are not in an acute emergency situation. They are designed to bridge the gap between classic ambulance transport and emergency rescue, providing timely and appropriate medical assistance for time-insensitive and non-life-threatening emergencies, as well as patient transports.
The ETVs will complement the existing emergency services of the Hamburg Fire Department, relieving the existing rescue vehicles of their duties in handling non-emergency tasks. This will allow the rescue vehicles to focus on life-threatening emergencies, thereby improving the care of emergency patients.
Each ETV will be staffed by two paramedics, one of whom will have at least 100 deployments as an incident commander. The organisations involved in the introduction of these ETVs include the German Red Cross (Deutsches Rotes Kreuz, DRK) and Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe e.V. The DRK will provide six NTWs, with three operated by DRK Ambulance Service Hamburg, one by Hamburg Rescue Service Altona and Mitte, and overall supporting the enhancement of emergency services alongside the Hamburg Fire Department.
The implementation of these ETVs aims to improve the effectiveness and appropriateness of medical assistance requests in Hamburg. The ETVs, projected to handle several thousand deployments per year, are expected to contribute significantly to efficiency gains and quality assurance in Hamburg's emergency care.
For further information, please visit the Hamburg Fire Department's website at http://www.feuerwehr.hamburg.de. Press inquiries can be directed to Patrick Schrenk at the Hamburg Fire Department. Jan Peters, deputy head of the Hamburg Fire Department, stated that the ETVs specifically address the increasing demands in emergency services.
The introduction of these ETVs signifies a milestone in Hamburg's emergency services, marking a commitment to providing better and more efficient emergency care for its citizens.
