Title | Address | Description |
---|---|---|
German Federal Agency for Technical Relief | Provinzialstrasse 93 Bonn 53127 Germany | |
Entente pour la Forêt Méditerranéenne | Centre Francis Arrighi - Domaine de Valabre - RD7, 13120 Gardanne, France | |
Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service | Bridle Rd, Bootle L30 4YD, UK | |
Service Départemental d’Incendie et de Secours de la Savoie | 226 Rue de la Perrodière, 73230 Saint-Alban-Leysse, France | |
Hellenic Rescue Team of Attica | Agonaridou 10-12, Athina 117 44, Greece | |
Institute of Communication and Computer Systems | Zografou 157 73, Greece | |
EXUS | Estias 1, Athina 115 26, Greece | |
ASTRIAL GmbH | Rudower Ch 29, 12489 Berlin, Deutschland | |
International Security Competence Centre GmbH | Kaiser Franz Joseph-Ring 21, 2500 Baden, Austria | |
Tohoku University | 980-8579, Japan | |
SINTEF Digital – dept. of Mathematics and Cybernetics | Strindvegen 4, 7034 Trondheim, Norway | |
Commissariat A L’Energie Atomique et Aux Energies Alternatives | D36, 91190 Saclay, France | |
The University of Manchester | Oxford Rd, Manchester M13 9PL, UK | |
German Institute for Standardisation | Saatwinkler Damm 42-43, 13627 Berlin, Germany | |
Trilateral Research Ltd | Gorteens, Waterford, Co. Kilkenny, X91 W0XW, Ireland | |
ARTTIC S.A.S | 58a Rue du Dessous des Berges, 75013 Paris, France |
German Federal Agency for Technical Relief
Provinzialstrasse 93
53127 Bonn
Germany
Website: www.thw.de

General information
The German Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) is an operational civil protection government organisation. THW’s task is to provide technical and humanitarian aid in Germany and abroad. Across the world, the structure of THW is unique: as a government agency, THW belongs to the department of the Federal Ministry of the Interior. However, only about two percent of the staff works full-time for the authority. 98 percent of the THW-members work on a voluntary basis for THW. THW is a cornerstone of civil protection in Germany and helps in case of natural disasters and accidents.
Role in the project
THW is the Project Coordinator in CURSOR. It has outstanding expertise in technical and logistical support to civil protection authorities, both in Germany and internationally. THW will contribute its expertise in USaR operations and closely monitor the development of the CURSOR SaR Kit from the first responder’s perspective. Members of its INSARAG certified team will be involved in preparing and implementing different tests and trials during the project. THW is responsible for the identification of the user requirements for the CURSOR SaR Kit (WP 1), integration, field trials and evaluation of the system (WP 6). THW will act as a disseminator for related SaR organisations and the general public via participation in open events and educational sessions presenting the project and its results (WP7). Additionally, THW will provide coordination and leadership of the project (WP 8).
Participating members in the project

Klaus-Dieter Büttgen
Klaus-Dieter Büttgen is the head of THW’s research Unit and responsible for all Horizon 2020 projects. He joined THW in 2008 as the Deputy Head Operations until 2009, when he became Head of Operations Division, North Rhine-Westphalia State Bureau. He transferred THW’s Headquarters in Bonn in 2014, as Deputy Head of the General Affairs Division, specialised in Safety & Security research. Under the leadership of Mr Büttgen, a Staff Unit Research and Innovation Management was created in 2015. In 2021, after re-organisations in THW, Klaus-Dieter Büttgen is the Head of the Unit “Research projects” (E I 3).
In 2021 THW took over the chairmanship of the International Forum to Advance First Responder Innovation (IFAFRI, an organization set up by international government leaders for giving a greater voice to first responders. The Forum focuses on the technologies needed to help first responders conduct their missions safely, effectively and efficiently. Mr. Büttgen is the acting president of IFAFRI.

Tiina Ristmäe
Project Coordinator
Tiina Ristmäe started working at THW in 2016 and was responsible for the management and implementation of the EU Exchange of Experts project. In 2018 she joined the Staff Unit Research and Innovation Management, where she was responsible for the acquisition of national research projects, internal and external communication, and advertisement of the Staff Units activities. Her current tasks as a senior researcher include supervising junior researchers in THW during the research project acquisition process. As a coordinator of the H2020 project CURSOR, she has considerable experience with research projects implementation and with the process flow of developing innovative technologies with strong end-users involvement. She is the vice-president of the International Forum to Advance First Responder Innovation (IFAFRI), an organization set up by international government leaders for giving a greater voice to first responders. The Forum focuses on the technologies needed to help first responders conduct their missions safely, effectively and efficiently.