The zoo takes the safety of its visitors and animal residents very seriously and ensures this through its long-standing partnership with the Munich Fire Department.
Hellabrunn is a popular excursion destination for families and animals lovers throughout Germany. The zoo takes the safety of its visitors and animal residents very seriously and ensures this through its long-standing partnership with the Munich Fire Department. The focus of the partnership is on preventive measures and fire drills – to prepare for an emergency that hopefully never occurs. Regular collaboration with the fire department is one of the many protective measures the zoo has in place to ensure the safety of all animals and visitors as well as the security of the various buildings on the zoo grounds. The local fire brigade conducts inspections several times a year - accompanied by Hellabrunn’s fire protection officer and our team. These visits are not just about assessing potential sources of danger and recommending preventive measures - the Munich Fire Department is also an indispensable partner to the zoo when it comes to drawing up evacuation plans and fire drills.
Protective measures beyond the legal requirement
Hellabrunn Zoo’s partnership with Fire Station 2 is important for evaluating the animal park’s fire alarm systems, upgrading existing safety measures and preventative fire protection - and is constantly being expanded. The zoo prioritises the safety of animals and visitors by implementing protective measures that go far beyond the legal requirement. Above all, preventive fire protection is a vital measure because wild animals cannot simply be evacuated at the push of a button.
The aim of the fire brigade and the zoo is to have, if possible, at least one firefighter on each watch who, thanks to the existing partnership, has good knowledge of the layout of the zoo grounds. The fire safety system at Hellabrunn is linked to an integrated control centre, so that if an alarm is triggered, the zoo will also receive a warning that is forwarded internally. In the event of an emergency call, the fire department will be met at the nearest gate to the incident 24/7 by the on-duty safety officer.
What, how, where, who and when – premises knowledge enables better assistance
Regular inspections at the zoo are often conducted by the entire watch, depending on the standby status of the local brigade. Upon arrival, the firefighters are briefed on the zoo's internal alarm system, the layout of the zoo grounds, the locations of all access gates and special features that must be taken into account when extinguishing fires in the proximity of wild animals, especially animals of security level 3 (potential danger to life in the event of contact). The team then conducts safety drills in the Mühlendorf village. This area is particularly suitable for various fire drills due to its many buildings, clear layout and easy-to-navigate paths.
For zoo director Rasem Baban, the Munich Fire Department is an indispensable partner: “As a zoo, the safety of our animals, all visitors and of course all employees is our top priority. This partnership is invaluable for us as it enables us to take preventive measures at an early stage to avoid a serious emergency. As part of our on-site drills, we regularly provide the local fire brigade with all the necessary information about Hellabrunn's infrastructure and our day-to-day operations in order to be optimally prepared and to be able to respond quickly in an emergency. The support provided by the fire brigade is not just limited to emergency situations. Their assistance has also proven vital in exceptional weather circumstances such as the heavy snowfall last winter. Here, their help was essential in ensuring the safety of several animal houses affected by the extreme snow load. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the fire department on behalf of all the staff at Hellabrunn for their cooperation with us.”
Fire officer Florian Hörhammer also sees the regular drills as beneficial: “With a complex as diverse as the zoo, it is important to know which buildings are where, how to get to them, where the hydrants are and what the zoo’s fire safety and prevention procedures are. In Hellabrunn we have a very professional partner at our side who takes the issue of safety and prevention as seriously as we do.”
