In a disaster, communication must never become part of the disaster. In such moments, being reachable can make all the difference. That’s why the district administration of Bernkastel-Wittlich set a clear guiding principle when building its new disaster management centre: seamless connectivity for decisive action.
“Attention, attention! This is your fire brigade speaking. Flooding is expected in your area within the next hour. Please evacuate your home!” It’s Wednesday, 14 July 2021. Eight fire engines drive through the streets of Wittlich and Bernkastel as the German Weather Service warns of “extreme weather” with heavy and continuous rainfall across large parts of North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate. On the ground, everything seems eerily calm. Sandbags are piled high, cars have been moved, streetlights are off. But the water level of the Lieser river – a tributary of the Moselle – keeps rising.
Crisis Management Hub for Effective Flood Response
At headquarters in Kurfürstenstraße 16, Fire & Disaster Protection Inspector Jörg Teusch takes his place as head of operations. Around him sit colleagues responsible for information, communication, and 14 other key functions. The crisis team has already been activated since Monday, coordinating with neighbouring districts, civil protection agencies, the fire brigade, shipping authorities, and environmental offices. The forecast: seven metres of water, triggered by a weather front bringing up to 120 litres of rain per square metre – the amount usually seen over one or two months.
Lessons from the Flood: Clear Communication Saves Lives
“At 11 a.m. on 14 July it started to rain. By Wednesday afternoon, the first cars were already floating down the streets,” recalls Teusch. He is one of seven full-time disaster protection inspectors in Rhineland-Palatinate. “We started evacuating early – before the water even reached us.”
A central shelter was set up in the local secondary school, and the team worked through the night to mitigate what became the worst storm disaster Teusch has seen in his 35 years of service. “We would have lost lives if we hadn’t evacuated. In the end, it was ‘only’ 3.65 metres of flooding, but seven had been forecast.” The weather front shifted further north – devastating the Ahr valley instead.
IT-Supported Communication for Emergencies
After such a catastrophe, reflection is inevitable: What needs to change? How do we prepare for the future?
Teusch spent four weeks in the Ahr valley – not only to help, but also to learn. Back in Bernkastel-Wittlich, the administration reorganised its disaster management entirely. An interim building with 16 permanent workplaces was set up. Together with IT administrator Jürgen Könen, the team reviewed its options for optimising communication. “That’s when our telephony software XPhone came into play,” explains Könen.
Smarter Telephony for Faster Crisis Response
As a unified communications platform, XPhone combines telephony, ERP, CRM, and email in a single environment. For the district, the guiding principle remains: best possible connectivity for best possible action.
“With XPhone we save precious time: no dialling numbers, no juggling directories – the right data is always there when needed,” says Könen. Thanks to the softphone, every staff member has their own number, independent of their desk or device. Ease of use was also essential: “In disaster management, intuitive handling is critical. People must be able to use it instantly, without training.”
Teusch adds: “We need a tool that delivers under pressure – that doesn’t itself become a disaster. We’ve found that in XPhone.”
Testing Modern Communications Infrastructure
Planning is already underway for a new disaster management centre equipped with a Unify telephone system integrated with XPhone. In the meantime, the interim facility serves as a live testbed. “Every two weeks we run full-scale exercises under load,” says Teusch. Nearly 1,000 extensions have been reserved, backed by emergency generators to guarantee power supply.
One favourite feature: the Team Panel. “It shows at a glance who’s busy and who’s available – exactly the kind of transparency we need,” explains Teusch.
Flexible Emergency Hotline with TeamDesk
For external communication, a central hotline can be set up as required. Könen uses TeamDesk – XPhone’s integrated hotline management tool – to configure and activate it instantly. Plans are underway to link TeamDesk via API with the ticketing system, so each caller automatically generates a case. “That way we have all key info before the call even begins,” says Könen.
Mobile App Ensures Reachability on the Move
During disasters, Teusch is constantly on the move. With the XPhone mobile app he has secure access to all critical contacts – without worrying about switching devices or forwarding numbers. “For the future we need resilient structures – and communication channels that are always clear,” says Teusch. “That’s the only way to act decisively instead of being reduced to watching helplessly as events unfold.”
