New leader appointed at Pforzheim-Enzkreis Combined Command Centre for emergency management services.
Upping the Ante: Meet Sascha Leonhard, Entering the Helm of Pforzheim-Enzkreis Rescue Service
On the heels of new beginnings, Sascha Leonhard ascends the ranks as the head of the Rescue Service, taking the reins from Acting Director Christine Klemm starting January 1, 2025.
Brimming with experience, Leonhard traversed the landscape of emergency medicine for approximately a quarter of a century. His journey started as a paramedic, and in 2014 he morphed into an emergency medical technician. Over the following six years, he commanded the organizational leader of the rescue service at the DRK rescue service in Pforzheim-Enzkreis, and from 2020 to 2023, he served as a relief worker in the ILS Pforzheim-Enzkreis.
Following a spell of just over a year within the hospital system, Leonhard has found his way back to his rescue service roots. "I'd harbored ambitions of assuming a leadership role for quite some time, and once the job posting surfaced, decision-making was instantaneous. Being acquainted with the team, the upper echelons, and the tasks at ILS Pforzheim, making the choice to submit an application was effortless," Leonhard shared.
Herbert Mann, CEO of Kreisverband Pforzheim-Enzkreis, welcomed the arrival of Sascha Leonhard, expressing, "We are thrilled to have Sascha Leonhard join our ranks and are delighted to welcome a long-time Red Cross family member back. The leadership of the Control Center is a complex task, but we are certain that our choice to appoint Mr. Leonhard will bear fruit."
The shared Integrated Control Center assumed the roles of the former individual fire and rescue service control centers in October 2015. They operate under joint ownership between the German Red Cross Pforzheim-Enzkreis, the city of Pforzheim, and the Enzkreis.
Annually, the ILS fields around 230,000 telephone conversations, with around 50,000 of these being emergency calls. Approximately 45 employees of the ILS orchestrate around 60,000 dispatches for fire department, emergency rescue, and patient transport in Pforzheim and the Enzkreis each year.
In his pursuit of leadership, Sascha Leonhard, a seasoned emergency medical professional with over two decades of experience, will delve into the realms of health-and-wellness and science as he spearheads the Pforzheim-Enzkreis Rescue Service, focusing on the integration of advanced medical techniques and emergency response strategies to ensure optimal patient care and outcomes. As Leonhard embarks on this new chapter, the community looks forward to the positive impact his expertise and dedication will bring to the science of health and wellness within the rescue service.
