Firefighting robots, drones, know-how: help for Ukraine from a company in Fellbach
In this interview, Alexander Ernst talks about how his company has teamed up with GIZ to support Ukraine’s civil protection service – and what Germany can learn from Ukraine.
Alexander Ernst is Managing Director of Barth Feuerwehrtechnik, a firefighting technology company based in Fellbach. He has been a firefighter for 42 years. Even before the start of Russia’s war of aggression, his company supplied equipment to Ukraine’s civil protection service in collaboration with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. GIZ is supporting the Ukrainian civil protection service on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Since the war began, Ernst has been supplying not only vehicles but also firefighting robots and drones. He is also working with the project to organise practical and theoretical training sessions.
You and your company have very close ties to Ukraine. What kind of cooperation has there been since the start of Russia’s war of aggression?
Our firm is very well connected in the market and we can find a suitable solution and a suitable supplier for almost everything Ukraine’s civil protection service needs – even at very short notice. It sometimes takes 2 years for firefighting equipment to be delivered. That is absolutely no help whatsoever to the Ukrainian firefighters on the ground. They need the equipment as quickly as possible – it’s essential for their everyday survival. Our European network means that we can deliver supplies really quickly and we also manufacture equipment ourselves. We can use this know-how to develop solutions specifically for Ukraine and can quickly adapt other suppliers’ products.
How did the partnership with Ukraine and GIZ begin and what developments are currently happening?
The partnership began as a standard arrangement through a GIZ tender to supply 25 first responder vehicles, which are relatively small, easily manoeuvrable vehicles carrying the entire rescue equipment. After Russia attacked Ukraine, I organised a donation campaign among all the fire services in Baden-Württemberg, in which we managed to collect 110 tonnes of equipment for Ukraine. GIZ arranged the logistics and distribution in Ukraine itself. We are currently supplying a multi-use trailer with drones and a firefighting robot, along with extensive training for Ukrainian firefighters to help boost their skills on the ground.
Why do you think small and medium-sized enterprises should support Ukraine?
There are several aspects here. An SME is small enough to be able to respond quickly and flexibly to local needs. Our engagement in Ukraine through GIZ offers us attractive economic opportunities and has opened up new experiences and relationships for us. We do not have any direct contact with decision-makers in the civil protection service or with other authorities in Ukraine. Everything goes through GIZ. That means that we won’t have any strategic advantage for market access in Ukraine at a later date. But we have met many people who use our equipment and have forged emotional ties with them. It is not merely about the monetary side of things but also about helping people and learning from their experience. You could say it’s a moral responsibility.
What would you say to a Ukrainian firefighter?
I’ve got nothing to tell them. Instead, I would ask them about their experiences and needs to find out how I can best help and what products they can benefit from.
