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Experts from Bremerhaven fire brigade supporting Rolândia in Brazil

Four men greet each other in Rolandia.
Meeting for the first time and handing over gifts (from right to left): Ulrich Held (Head of Department, Service Agency), Jens Cordes (Director, Bremerhaven Fire Brigade), Dr. Francisconi (Mayor of Rolândia). Photo: SKEW/Engagement Global

Bonn/Bremerhaven, 15 August 2017. In early 2016 torrential rainfall followed by flooding laid waste to large areas of the municipality of Rolândia in Brazil. Some 9,000 buildings, and large parts of the infrastructure of this municipality with a population of around 60,000, were destroyed. School buildings were closed due to the risk of collapse. The City of Rolândia in Brazil emerged from a German immigrant settlement in 1932. A copy of Bremen's Statue of Roland in the city centre serves as a reminder of the city's links with Bremen.

In 2016 the mayor of Rolândia appealed to Germans in Germany for help. Through the Senate Chancellery in Bremen and thanks to the personal engagement of a retired civil defence officer from Lower Saxony, official enquiries were made in Bremerhaven regarding possible support for the badly hit municipality. The municipal authorities decide to provide that support. Supported by the Small-Scale Project Fund delivered by Engagement Global's Service Agency Communities in One World, Bremerhaven sent two civil defence experts from its fire brigade. The Small-Scare Project Fund supports interested municipalities in embarking on new activities and partnerships for municipal development cooperation. Engagement Global operates on behalf of Germany's Federal Government, and is financed by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

A woman and some men are standing in a room looking at the camera.
The delegation of the Bremerhaven fire brigade with representatives of the city of Rolandia at the joint photo session. Photo: SKEW/Engagement Global

Led by Jens Cordes, Chief of the Bremerhaven Fire Brigade and Chief Fire Officer, the small delegation was tasked to advise the municipality on establishing an operational civil defence system in Rolândia. Together with representatives of the municipality of Rolândia, and experts from the Ministry and the State Fire Department of the Federal State of Parana, during the eight-day mission the advisors identified basic structures for disaster risk management and civil defence that will enable the municipality in the future to operate more efficiently and effectively when disaster strikes. The focus was on maintaining the operationality of the local authority and protecting the population.

Over the next few months the findings will be incorporated into disaster risk management plans. It is envisaged that in November the results will be discussed with the Brazilian experts in Bremerhaven, and corresponding drills conducted.