|
AZT Fire Damage Days 2003
Restoration, Innovative Fire Protection
Concepts and Origins and Causes of Fire
The Fire Damage Days of the Allianz Center for Technology are yearly lecture
and discussion events with the goal of intensifying the exchange of ideas
and experiences about current technical topics between specialists from
Allianz, insurance companies, equipment manufacturers, and experts from the
natural sciences. At the same time, the events serve as an international
forum for establishing and maintaining personal contacts, and for
discussions and talks about the respective topics.
The event this year concerned the topic of restoration after fire and water
damage, development of new fire protection and fire engineering concepts,
and the determination of the origins and causes of fire.
Download Flyer "AZT Fire Damage Days 2003: Restoration, innovative fire
protection concepts and origins and causes of fire"
Allianz Center for Technology
Munich-Ismaning, 12 June 2003
"Fire protection regulations are useless when they are not heeded by the
people to whom the regulations pertain." This simple, but important thesis
was established by Christian Wittenzellner of the Allianz Center for
Technology (AZT), who led this year's event on May 27 and 28, 2003, in
Ismaning near Munich. One hundred fifty attendees from Germany and abroad
accepted the invitation to participate in the event.
The topics of this year's exchange of expertise: Renovation, new fire
protection concepts and current examples of the investigation of the origins
and causes of fire. This ranged from technical fire engineering measures,
such as the effectiveness of extinguishing equipment emitting a fine spray
of water, to the comprehensive analysis of crisis management in the concrete
case of a fire at a foundry. Wittenzellner displayed numerous photographs of
fire protection regulations which were not observed in order to prove his
point: From faulty installations of extinguishers to the careless placement
of several coffee machines, which were all plugged into a single outlet in
the kitchen of an administration office. Ingeborg Schlosser, expert from the
Association of Damage Assessors, presented new extinguishing technologies
and their effectiveness. Her thesis: No extinguisher is infallible or
employable everywhere; the environment in which it is deployed is crucial.
For example, the technique of using extinguishing equipment emitting a fine
spray of water has been proven to be effective. However, such equipment is
useless in strong wind, because the fine droplets are blown away and then do
not reach the fire.
As one of the highlights of the event, Christian Wilhelm of DaimlerChrysler,
Mannheim, and Hans Mederer of Allianz Versicherungs-AG, Munich, reported on
the course of events and damage management during a fire at a foundry. The
fire occurred on April 24, 2002 in Mannheim. The damage, which ran into the
millions, was dealt with successfully only due to strict time planning,
intensive work around the clock, and comprehensive coordination and
cooperation among those affected, which contributed to the avoidance of
larger losses through the interruption of operations.
The AZT Fire Damage Days take place every year. They enable the exchange of
ideas and expertise between representatives from industry and the insurance
industry.
(Author: Julian Ramierez, Allianz Global Risks)
Fire Damage Days 2004 will take place in May in Ismaning; the exact date
will be published in advance.
Event host and for more information:
Allianz Zentrum für Technik GmbH
Krausstr. 22 85737 Ismaning bei
München
Telephone (089) 3800 – 6215
Fax (089) 3800 –
6344
E-mail
anneliese.ziegler@allianz-azt.de
Management: Dr. Christian Wittenzellner
Telephone (089) 3800 – 6363
E-mail
christian.wittenzellner@allianz-azt.de
| 
