GAZ Jena turns 10

For ten years, the Emergency Response Center (GAZ) at Anger 28 has been the heart of emergency response and a central location for the city administration of Jena. The fire department, emergency services and administration work here under one roof - a merger that is exemplary in Thuringia and has had a lasting impact on the city's security structures since its inauguration in December 2015.

A building for operations, administration and strategy

The GAZ unites the professional fire department, the volunteer fire department Mitte, the rescue service, the control center and various specialist services of Department 2 - Finance and Municipal Order on a usable area of around 8,000 square meters. Budget and Controlling, Statistics, Accounting and the Smart City Jena project are also located here. The northern fire station with vehicle hall and training facilities is located at the rear of the building, while the administrative areas are at the front.

Mayor Benjamin Koppe, Head of the Department of Finance, Security and Citizen Services, emphasizes the importance of the organizational anchoring: "The emergency response center is an important component of our urban security architecture. It stands for what a modern city administration must achieve: Combining emergency services, administration and strategic control under one roof. Over the last ten years, this physical proximity has significantly strengthened coordination, communication and mutual understanding between emergency services and administration and shows how security policy can function efficiently at municipal level."

Building for safety and sustainability

The building was constructed between 2013 and 2015 under the management of the municipal real estate company Kommunale Immobilien Jena (KIJ). The total costs amounted to 23 million euros - financed from the city's own funds, subsidies from the Free State of Thuringia and urban development funding from the federal and state governments. The innovative energy concept uses the waste heat from the IT technology and building cooling of the entire Anger area - an approach that also makes the center forward-looking in terms of energy.

Beate Wachenbrunner, Plant Manager of the Jena Municipal Real Estate Company: "The construction of the GAZ was a special project for us. It was not just about functionality, but about a building that enables collaboration and exemplifies sustainability. The fact that the concept has proven so successful over a decade is a great affirmation for us as KIJ."

Ten years of active collaboration

Nick Ludwig, Head of Fire Service, emphasizes the importance of the location for day-to-day operations: "The GAZ stands for short distances, modern equipment and close cooperation between the professional fire department, volunteer fire departments and rescue services. The structure has proven itself many times over in day-to-day operations - it ensures speed, cooperation and safety."

Today, the emergency response center is far more than just a fire station. It is a symbol of a modern, networked city administration that combines operational readiness with strategic control - and thus lays the foundation for safety, order and quality of life for the people of Jena.

On the occasion of its tenth anniversary, the city of Jena is paying tribute to the work of all those who work here every day in the service of the community - whether in the emergency vehicle, at the control center or in the office.