Rettungsdienstliche und medizinisch-organisatorische Aufgabenwahrnehmung in operativ-taktischen Stäben

Crises, major incidents, and disasters bring about increased medical response focal points, highlighting the significance of public health protection and emergency medical services (EMS) in such situations. Due to the lack of uniform regulations, particularly regarding the training of EMS leaders in operationally managed command structures, it is necessary to examine how medical task performance in operational–tactical staff currently occurs in Germany and how the integration of EMS personnel into the command staff is regulated.

An 8‑week online survey was conducted from December 28, 2022 to February 24, 2023, involving employees of professional fire departments in Germany who are deployed in command roles or operational–tactical staff, using a questionnaire.

The questionnaire was completed 323 times. The allocation of medical–organizational tasks in the command staff varies significantly, with responsibilities lying with the EMS specialist advisor (20%), the department S3-operations (17%), the EMS medical directors (15%), or the specialist advisor for aid organizations (13%). 55% of respondents considered leadership levels in EMS as necessary, and there are training deficits in staff work among senior emergency physicians and EMS medical directors. Enhanced medical expertise in the staff and the involvement of EMS medical directors were deemed both useful and necessary for scenarios with medical emphasis.

Since EMS personnel are also deployed in command staff, the necessary training should be available. As emergency medical questions arise in various scenarios and EMS personnel are already deployed as part of the staff, systematic leadership training is advisable.