Power failure on the Schottenring: Chaos at Wiener police!

Power failure on the Schottenring: Chaos at Wiener police!

On Wednesday evening, July 2, there was a power failure at the headquarters of the Vienna State Police Directorate at the Schottenring, which affected around 400 to 500 households between 20:45 and 10:06 p.m. It was a normal failure, as the executive confirmed. Despite the power failure, the state control center remained fully functional, since there is a comprehensive emergency concept that is activated in such situations. The emergency call management and the coordination of operations were effortlessly continued from an alternative location, which the police emphasized.

The Viennese networks indicate a defective power cable as a possible cause, which led to a "earth connection". Especially in summer, damage to power cables is not uncommon because construction sites are responsible for many energy disorders. According to the FPÖ, the police's emergency generator also did not work properly, which was sharply criticized by FPÖ security spokesman Gernot Darmann. He drew attention to the known capacity problems in power lines and to overheating problems of the servers and presented the situation as scandalous. According to Darmann, the responsibility for such incidents lies with the responsible bodies in the state police department and in the town hall.

power failures and their consequences

A power failure can quickly lead to considerable problems. In the context of the event in Vienna, it is important to note that modernized energy infrastructures are increasingly threatened. Cyber ​​attacks and the expansion of renewable energies present operators with new challenges. In this regard, analyzes have shown that many major power failures, such as the one in 2003 in Italy, not only represent a challenge for maintenance, but can also result in massive domino effects, such as failures of traffic lights or restrictions on emergency services. That is why it is of fundamental importance to develop concepts for the rapid restoration of the power supply, as examined, for example, in the "Siskin" research project.

Analyzes show that after a long -lasting power failure, the supply of essential goods is quickly in danger. Therefore, emergency power supply and the creation of so -called island networks, which can support critical infrastructures in the event of power failures, are crucial. However, the success rate when carrying out these measures is often limited, and ensuring the stability of the power grid remains a major challenge.

Finally, it can be said that despite the effective reaction of the Vienna Police System, there is still a need for the past power failure. The current discussion about failure risks and emergency concepts is essential at a time when the dependence on stable power nets is increasing. It remains to be hoped that those responsible take the criticism seriously and take the necessary steps to avoid future problems.

For more information about this incident and the background, visit the corresponding reports from Kurier and MeinDzirk . In order to learn more about the challenges and strategies in dealing with power failures, a look at the study by bpb.de