Dornier Supplies First Mobile Rescue Center to the Navy
FRIEDRICHSHAFEN--- The mobile rescue centers of Dornier are starting on a journey with the navy. The Dornier-led contracting combination "ARGE-MERZ" was awarded the contract for the first mobile containerized Naval Rescue Coordination Center (MERZ) for the Medical Service of the German Navy by the Federal Office of Defense Technology and Procurement (BWB). The contracting combination formed by the Flensburg-based Schiffbau Gesellschaft mbH & Co.KG, the Lürssen Werft GmbH & Co. Bremen, and the Defense and Civil Systems Business Unit of DaymlerChrysler Aerospace AG (Dasa/Munich) located at Dornier GmbH will produce the mobile hospital for the new combat support ship "Berlin". This was reported by Dornier GmbH on Wednesday in Friedrichshafen.
"Berlin" is the first of two combat support ships currently being built by the two shipbuilding yards. The ships have a length of 176 meters, a water displacement of approximately 20,000 tons and 140 permanent crew members .
Reiner Leopold (Head of the Mobile Systems Program Section): "The contract with a volume of more than DM 20 million must be completed by October 2001. This order has once more confirmed Dornier's leading position as a manufacturer of mobile medical service systems and has enabled the company to enter the new market segment of ship-based rescue coordination centers."
Rescue and supply chain The timely and professional medical treatment of sick or injured persons is a major prerequisite to guarantee the operational capability and sustainability of naval forces in operations abroad. The first medical and emergency service on board of the ships is assured by the ship's surgeon and the medical personnel. For a further treatment of injured persons at sea, the German Navy will be equipped with Naval Rescue Coordination Centers (MERZ) in the future. On-board and SAR helicopters will fly the injured persons from remote ships to the floating centers or to the land-based hospitals. The Naval Rescue Coordination Center now ordered, mainly consists of 26 special containers. They are mounted in two floors on the main deck of the combat support ship and are connected by means of accesses.
The development of the MERZ is based on a longstanding experience gained by the Dasa business unit during the development and assembly of the mobile field hospital "Transhospital (r)" for the Medical Service of the Federal Armed Forces designed for up to 200 patients.
The core section of the area for the treatment of up to 50 patients consists of two operating rooms enabling simultaneous working of two surgical teams. Furthermore, the MERZ is equipped with an X-ray area, an intensive care unit, dentists' rooms and dental laboratories, pharmacy, clinical and microbiological laboratory and a sterilization facility.
The proper bed area is located in the inner medical care section of the ship and is supplied with pressure and oxygen by the MERZ. The water and power supply as well as waste water disposal for the rescue center are carried out by the ship systems. The MERZ can also be mounted on land and is designed for worldwide operation, for example in peace-time missions.
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Dornier Supplies First Mobile Rescue Center to the Navy
