In 2016, the city council decided to merge the emergency medical services and medical emergency response into the fire department. Until then, the health department had been responsible for the emergency medical services. The tasks had thus been assigned to two different departments. 

“At the time, there was intense debate over whether merging the fire department and the emergency medical services was the right approach. Today we can say: That decision was the right one. The goal was never merely an organizational change. The goal was—and remains—to provide efficient, modern, and sustainable emergency care for the people of Wiesbaden. And this merger paved the way for that,” said Mayor Mende. 

During the event, Mende highlighted several successful projects: For example, a standardized procedure was developed in collaboration with the “Independent Living in Old Age” division of the Department of Social Services. This allows emergency medical service personnel to report identified social needs of their patients to the social services office. In addition, a first-responder system was introduced with the “Mobile Retter” app. If a cardiovascular arrest is suspected, the app alerts the nearest qualified first responder in the vicinity. These first responders can provide first aid even before the emergency medical services arrive. This summer, the “Midwife on Site” project will launch, aimed at improving the availability of care for expectant mothers. Progress has also been made in the field of advanced medical care. The intensive care transport vehicle and the ability to deploy a mobile ECMO team in collaboration with Helios HSK enable mobile and flexible state-of-the-art medical care. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or ECMO for short, is a technical method of artificially oxygenating the blood of a patient with lung disease, lung failure, or cardiac failure using an external machine, and temporarily taking over circulatory function.

“The strength of integrated structures is particularly evident in extraordinary situations. Whether it’s major disasters, a pandemic, or complex emergency situations: well-coordinated procedures, quick decision-making, and a shared understanding of the situation are invaluable in such circumstances,” said Norbert Hagner, Head of the Emergency Medical Services/Medical Emergency Response Division.

This collaboration is also evident in the external appearance: a uniform vehicle design for all emergency response vehicles in the city, standardized back badges for emergency personnel, and the shared “Wiesbaden Emergency Medical Services” logo. The goal of this unified image is to strengthen recognition, trust, and identification.

“I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to this development—the employees in the emergency medical services, the fire department, the central dispatch center, the administration, the hospitals, and all partner organizations. Their commitment, expertise, and willingness to take on responsibility are the foundation of this success—in the interest of the health and safety of Wiesbaden’s citizens,” Mayor Mende concluded.