Germany on Friday triggered a “military disaster alarm” to quickly deploy army units in areas hit by devastating floods to help local authorities in rescue efforts.
Defense Ministry spokesman Arne Collatz told a press conference in Berlin that the technical move would simplify the decision-making processes and enable commanders within the flood-affected regions to make a decision on which military equipment to deploy in rescue efforts.
“For example now a military commander on the bottom can choose whether to form available a tank, a military truck, or an influence generator,” he said, adding that in such crisis situations decentralization of deciding process was of serious importance.
The German army has announced that it’s sending units from the Tank Battalion 371 to the hard-hit district of Ahrweiler to support rescue efforts and evacuations within the region.
Germany’s worst floods in 200 years have thus far claimed quite 100 lives, while nearly 1,300 people were still missing within the Ahrweiler district, consistent with local officials.
The army has deployed around 850 soldiers to the region to help in rescue efforts.
