District Administrator Dietmar Allgaier emphasizes the importance of such exercises: “The lessons learned from the crises of recent years—particularly the flooding during Pentecost 2024—have shown how important well-rehearsed procedures, effective communication channels, and close cooperation among all parties involved are. With the ‘Familia Communalis’ exercise, we are strengthening our ability to remain operational even under extraordinary conditions and to reliably support the public.”
The exercise is designed as a strategic command-staff exercise and focuses on administrative and organizational processes and decisions; it is not an emergency response or demonstration exercise. Eighteen cities and municipalities in the district are participating with their municipal crisis management teams. At the same time, the Ludwigsburg District Administrative Staff is operating as the lower-level civil protection authority. During the exercise, the civil protection command posts at selected fire stations will also be activated and operated, and emergency assembly points will be used as contact points for the public.
Scenario: Hurricane and Widespread Power Outage
The exercise begins with a severe hurricane that causes significant structural damage throughout the district. This is followed by a simulated widespread power outage, causing communication channels to fail gradually. The focus is therefore particularly on the ability to exchange information in a structured manner even under difficult conditions and to switch promptly to alternative means of communication in the event of outages.
Two-Day Exercise Schedule
The command post exercise begins on Friday, July 3, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. and runs until 6:00 p.m. The exercise is then suspended and resumed on Saturday, July 4, 2026, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., with the same scenario. While Friday’s focus will initially be on managing the aftermath of the hurricane and establishing command and control operations, Saturday’s focus will be on the effects of the simulated power outage and maintaining communication.
In addition, the Ludwigsburg district will practice setting up and operating an emergency shelter on Groener Straße in Ludwigsburg during the night from Friday to Saturday. For the participating cities and municipalities, this period is free of exercise activities.
Goal: Ensuring the ability to act even in exceptional situations
The goal of the exercise is to establish and maintain a reliable situational picture at the municipal and district levels, to make and document strategic decisions in a transparent manner, and to support the public through easily accessible contact points—even when usual communication channels are no longer available.
The Ludwigsburg district asks residents for their understanding regarding any noticeable drill activities and thanks them for their interest in civil protection.
