Person wearing a hard hat beside a vehicle on a marked-out construction area in front of a cooling tower and industrial installations.

Explosive ordnance assessment for fire, rescue and security service sites

When a fire or ambulance station is modified, temporary access routes, new gates and utility connections may involve additional ground works. FONTANA-EOD clarifies with your designers which interventions need surveys. The planned construction phases are checked against existing explosive ordnance reports. Decisions on operational use of the station remain with those responsible.

Temporary stage

Show earthworks for temporary access.

Operator decision

Identify contacts for construction and operations.

Return

Check new earthworks against existing reports.

Critical infrastructure

Define individual ground interventions at the emergency service site

Before new construction or modifications at an emergency service site, planned ground interventions are checked against existing explosive ordnance documents. Appliance bays, equipment foundations, utilities and temporary arrangements involving earthworks may have different survey volumes. FONTANA-EOD addresses the agreed explosive ordnance scope; responsibility for operational readiness remains with the relevant operator.

Investigation task

Assess individual ground works at the emergency service site

Two people with a tablet beside a marked construction area; plans lie in the foreground.

Describe buildings and technical external installations

Appliance bays, equipment areas, foundations and service connections are shown with their actual ground interventions. Include working spaces and different depths. A site plan showing only the eventual buildings may omit temporary ground works. Specialist planning therefore needs the specific construction activity to traceably assign existing information and additional survey requirements.

Select services for buildings and external installations
Two people with a tablet beside a marked construction area; plans lie in the foreground.

Link temporary arrangements to the construction plan

If alternative areas or temporary connections are created during modifications, the associated earthworks must be stated separately. Temporary use does not change their technical assessment. Purely organisational changes remain distinguishable from actual ground interventions. The survey depends on location, depth and the information already available for the relevant area.

Clarify survey tasks for temporary arrangements
Two people with a tablet beside a marked construction area; plans lie in the foreground.

Clarify site conditions before selecting methods

Paved surfaces, utilities and existing structures can affect preparation. Identify accessible areas and known limitations. The technical approach depends on the specific question and existing installations. The achievable survey assessment is evaluated for the planned ground intervention, ground conditions and areas actually accessible.

Select methods according to existing installations and survey access

Plan the main building, external works and temporary arrangements together

At an operational emergency service site, construction and operations must work together. For explosive ordnance planning, the relevant factor is the specific change in the ground, rather than the facility's designation. Long-standing use alone does not answer this question.

Person with a tablet on a marked construction area in front of an industrial building.

Appliance bay and extension

Foundations and excavations are described with working space and shoring points where applicable. The survey must match the intended depth. An existing report for external areas cannot be applied to a new appliance bay without spatial and technical comparison.

Explosive ordnance assessment for new industrial buildings
Two people with a tablet beside a marked construction area; plans lie in the foreground.

Temporary site and provisional arrangements

Additional foundations and utilities for temporary arrangements are considered like other planned ground interventions. An alternative area used only for operations is distinct from this. The actual construction scope determines the comparison, not the temporary nature of its use.

Select services for ground works associated with temporary arrangements

Specify the forthcoming construction decision precisely

An emergency service site may combine new construction, modifications and temporary alternative arrangements. First, it is defined which construction phase is to be prepared now and what information is missing.

An existing site is extended

Existing reports are compared with the new footprint, ground intervention depths and connections. Previous use provides context but does not replace this comparison. Volumes not covered are clarified separately. For the extension, building components, foundations, equipment foundations and utility connections are described as spatially distinguishable. Additional working spaces form part of the current construction task. The specialist contractor can thereby clarify which existing assessments are usable and where new questions arise. A relocated excavation or changed connection is communicated with actual location and depth references. After a supplementary survey, the design change to which the new report section relates is recorded. The operator and site management receive the corresponding attachments together with the results and limitations. Outstanding marginal areas also remain identifiable for the following construction phase.

Operations move temporarily

Explain whether the temporary arrangements involve foundations, utilities or other earthworks. This is necessary to distinguish the new construction task from merely relocating operations. The organisational suitability of the site remains a separate operator decision.

The design shows the ground works planned for the temporary arrangements with their areas and depths. These may include additional foundations or connections to existing utilities. The specialist contractor compares this task with available information and identifies possible gaps. The operator explains which work areas are accessible and which operational prerequisites need consideration during coordination. If the temporary arrangement changes, the specialist contractor receives the new revision for assessment.

For later dismantling or return to the original condition, the ground interventions actually planned at that time are considered again. A report remains limited to the task and areas it documents.

Dismantling is followed by new construction

Conditions after dismantling can change accessibility and survey conditions. The design therefore describes which survey is planned at which stage and what information is needed before the next ground intervention. For each phase, the expected existing installations, planned works and required technical assessment are described. Areas not yet accessible remain visible as outstanding tasks. Preparatory measures are also coordinated according to their actual ground interventions; necessary surveys and protective measures are considered before those interventions. After construction conditions change, the specialist contractor receives current information on access, installations and design. It assesses whether the planned approach still matches the task. Each work status is documented with plan attachments and assessment limits and handed over to the next construction phase. Changes and outstanding survey areas remain traceably assigned.

Context

Plan access roads and connections during modifications

Also plan the access routes and standing areas needed during modifications. A temporary installation, relocated gate or new utility connection may, for example, require its own ground works. For the explosive ordnance enquiry, show which interventions relate to which temporary stage and which will change again after construction.

DGUV Information 205-008 addresses safety in the planning and operation of fire stations, including arrival, departure and emergency response routes. This information supports the responsible fire service designers and personnel. For ambulance stations and other security service sites, requirements are clarified with the operator according to their respective use. The fire station guidance cannot be applied indiscriminately.

Project-specific tasks

Assess changed ground works before each construction phase

01

What new ground intervention is involved?

Describe the change from the current phase, for example an additional foundation point or a new connection. Identify its location and planned depth. State whether existing areas are merely being used differently or new access routes, standing areas and connections are being constructed. This establishes which interventions need consideration during preparation.

02

Which existing findings apply to this area?

Compare existing explosive ordnance reports with the changed design. The volume addressed and its limitations must be identifiable. For example, for a temporary standing area beside an appliance bay, check whether an existing report actually covers this area and the planned depth.

03

Who decides on operational use?

Identify those responsible for site operations and the construction project, and the contact for explosive ordnance work. Deciding whether an access route or site is operational involves different questions from surveying a volume of ground. Record in the handover note who decided on operational use and which explosive ordnance report applies to the next ground works.

Link the survey and construction task in the project records

For fire, rescue and security service sites, the ground interventions to which a result applies must remain traceable. The documentation brings together baseline data, the survey actually carried out and its conclusions. A property designation or short completion note is insufficient to assess later changes to the construction project.

Retain documents with their scope

Available site plans, historical assessments and earlier survey reports are provided with their dates and attachments. Location and level references are important for excavations, appliance bays, equipment foundations and utility connections. Undocumented assumptions are recorded as outstanding information. This keeps clear during method selection which assessments are based on documents and which conditions still need clarification.

Record the work actually carried out

The areas surveyed, methods used and departures identified are assigned to the construction revision implemented. An inaccessible area or an area where data cannot be evaluated is not summarised as completed. Changes during fieldwork also belong in the result documents. This distinguishes the report's assessment from a survey originally planned but not carried out.

Hand over results for the next construction phase

The handover identifies the surveyed volume, applicable conditions and remaining questions. Relocation of temporary facilities or additional connection pipelines must subsequently be checked against this scope. The parties must be able to identify whether existing findings remain applicable or supplementary work is needed. An assessment of the surveyed area must not be extended to further areas or greater intervention depths without review.

Document construction sections and operational transitions

The project records should distinguish assessments of existing installations, temporary arrangements and new construction. A shared property address does not automatically make survey volumes identical.

Existing site documents

Historical information, utility plans and earlier survey reports are provided with their attachments. Unknown or conflicting existing asset information remains identifiable.

Operational interfaces

The operator specifies requirements for access, work windows and communication. This information helps organise the survey but does not constitute an explosive ordnance finding.

Handover after individual measures

Completed and outstanding ground interventions are assigned to their design revisions. On return from temporary arrangements, it must be checked whether the next construction phase involves new or changed ground interventions. The affected area is identified for any necessary follow-up surveys or exposures. Recovery of confirmed explosive ordnance is coordinated with the permitted scope of activity, local responsibilities and documentation. After actual exposure or clearance work, the corresponding findings and clearance records are included.

Next steps

Check documents before the next construction phase

01

Mark changes to the construction plan

Mark what is new compared with the last agreed phase. Include existing result plans and identify alternatives not yet defined. This allows the additional areas and depths requiring technical assessment to be established.

02

Identify missing documents and decisions

Agree which documents and decisions are missing before the next construction activity. Temporary operational arrangements may need other specialist assessments in addition to explosive ordnance assessment. For each outstanding assessment, clarify who will carry it out and which documents are needed. Where historical questions remain outstanding, suitable sources are researched and aerial photographs evaluated for the affected areas. The findings are assigned to today's dismantling, temporary and new-build areas and incorporated into survey planning.

03

Hand over survey results to the next construction phase

Pass the survey scope and remaining limitations to the next construction phase. A later return to the original access route may involve new earthworks that need another check against the existing report. Those responsible for operations clarify whether and under what conditions emergency service operations can continue meanwhile.

From reviewing existing records to construction by section

The work follows actual construction conditions and planned transitions. Survey areas, access and work windows are coordinated with the site operator.

1

Define construction phases

Designers and the operator identify existing installations, dismantling, temporary arrangements and new construction with their respective ground interventions. Existing explosive ordnance documents are compared with these tasks.

2

Prepare the survey

Access, existing utilities and possible interference are clarified for the intended date. Unavailable areas remain identifiable as outstanding in planning.

3

Agree the survey method

The method is selected according to the basis for suspicion, ground conditions, intervention depth, interference and accessible areas. The operator, site management and specialist contractor coordinate necessary surveys and protective measures with each temporary stage and the access needed.

4

Carry out the investigation

The commissioned survey is carried out in the agreed appliance bay, equipment and connection areas. Survey data, findings and limitations are recorded with location, depth and design references.

5

Assess results

Data and findings receive specialist interpretation. Unresolved areas, follow-up investigation and the next decision are identified for operators, designers and site management.

6

Receive the result

The technical assessment describes the volumes addressed and conditions. Site management and the operator relate it to subsequent works and report changes before they are carried out. The report and plan attachments document the technical assessment, areas addressed and survey limitations.

Technical assessment

Coordinate the routes and survey areas needed

Define access during the survey

Tell the specialist designers which access routes the operator needs during the intended phase and which areas are actually available for work. For fire stations, the DGUV highlights possible conflicts between arriving personnel and departing vehicles. The operator and its designers clarify this traffic management separately from the explosive ordnance survey.

Identify existing foundations and utilities

An area intended for temporary arrangements may still contain old foundations, metal utilities or reinforced paving. These conditions can affect the survey and belong in the documents. Installations can affect surveys even in a cleared yard. Whether a Surface survey or another method is suitable is assessed for the planned ground interventions. Necessary surveys and protective measures are planned before ground intervention during vegetation clearance, dismantling, surface breaking or creation of access roads and work areas. Areas accessible later are surveyed before the respective subsequent interventions.

Clarify hygiene requirements with the rescue service

An ambulance station also has its own requirements beyond ground intervention. Under § 23 IfSG, rescue service management in Germany must, among other things, ensure the necessary infection prevention measures and hygiene plans. The relevant specialists clarify which requirements apply to the specific construction and use phase.

Select methods according to the ground intervention and ground conditions

Existing buildings, metal installations and services can affect survey feasibility. The useful combination of methods depends on the planned ground intervention and accessible construction stage.

Historical aerial photographs and documents

Assessment of historical aerial photographs and other documents helps establish suspected explosive ordnance hazards. It considers previous uses and identifiable indications in the investigation area. This provides a basis for deciding on further measures. It does not replace a technical survey of the ground and cannot describe every later fill or subsequent change.

Historical aerial photograph assessment for the construction area

Magnetometry and TDEM

Magnetic and electromagnetic surveys detect different physical properties. Utilities, steel parts, reinforcement and metal-bearing made ground can affect data evaluation. A signal is initially a survey finding, not a confirmed object identification. Method selection must therefore consider expected target objects, surroundings and actual data interpretability together. Magnetometry detects magnetic anomalies; TDEM detects time-dependent electromagnetic responses from electrically conductive objects.

Magnetometry and site conditions Assess electromagnetic surveying

Ground-penetrating radar

Ground-penetrating radar adds information where the question and ground conditions are suitable. The discernible depth and distinguishability of structures depend, among other things, on ground conditions and existing installations. It is not a universal replacement for other survey methods. Whether a combination adds useful information is decided using the specific survey objective.

Ground-penetrating radar and its limitations

Downhole and deep-ground survey

For deeper ground interventions, surveys from suitable borehole or survey points may be considered. The location, depth and technical construction of these points must be planned. An assessment of one point or limited area cannot be applied to the next excavation merely because it is nearby. The report must identify the volume actually surveyed. For individual equipment foundations or shoring points, the ground volume to be assessed and achievable survey coverage are compared before a borehole grid is defined. Necessary surveys and protective measures are determined before boreholes are created. Casing, drilling depth and documentation are coordinated with the task and site conditions.

Coordinate deep-ground and borehole surveys

Excavation supervision and investigation of findings

Work during construction is neither required nor sufficient merely because an excavator is working on the site. Its use is defined in relation to previous surveys, suspected hazards and the construction sequence. Unclear areas, interfering installations and intended ground intervention depths must be discussed before work begins. Any necessary investigation of findings must be planned separately. Each working layer is technically surveyed and assessed before controlled removal in layers with supplementary visual inspection. These steps are repeated down to the agreed excavation base. Excavation layers, stop signals, authority to issue instructions, reporting procedures and documentation are agreed with site management and specialist personnel before work begins.

Excavation supervision for the planned section Explosive ordnance recovery following technical clarification

Provide investigation results for the next construction phase

For fire, rescue and security service sites, traceable work on the specific ground interventions is essential. FONTANA-EOD describes the agreed survey scope and limitations of the methods used. Conclusions are derived from the documents and results actually available. Unresolved information or limited survey conditions remain assigned to the affected survey area.

The same design revision for planning and fieldwork

The planned ground interventions are maintained on an agreed site plan. Where changes occur, the revision replaced is recorded. This prevents the specialist contractor inadvertently working to older geometry while construction is already preparing a different ground intervention.

Distinguish survey findings from assessments

An anomalous signal is initially a finding requiring technical assessment. Conversely, difficult or unreliable data evaluation cannot be treated as a negative result. Useful further investigation is decided in view of the survey question and site conditions.

Agree handovers explicitly

The site construction and operations management receive the results and limitations needed for the next decision. For outstanding areas, the information or measure still missing is clarified. This gives the project parties an identifiable handover point between surveying, assessment and further construction.

Project sequence and coordination

Keep construction responsibilities and emergency service organisation separate

Those responsible coordinate construction with site use. The explosive ordnance documentation describes the volume of ground surveyed with its area and depth limits.

Operator

The operator organises use and identifies operational contacts. Requirements for readiness and transitions between existing facilities and temporary arrangements are defined there.

Planning and construction management

They provide ground interventions, depths, methods and construction phases. The parties must know changes in good time so that surveys and construction use the same revision.

Specialist company and competent bodies

FONTANA-EOD addresses the commissioned explosive ordnance scope. Authority information and find procedures are clarified with the locally responsible authorities. Decisions on operational use of the emergency service site rest with those responsible.

In Germany, state ordnance disposal services and locally competent authorities carry out hazard response and find management. Their involvement and public-order or building-control tasks are established for the project location. Outside Germany, local responsibilities apply. Contacts, requirements and reporting are assigned to the specific works.

Documentation

What the explosive ordnance report establishes for the next works

The results report describes the areas actually surveyed, reference levels and technical limitations. For a traceable handover, it should be assigned to the relevant temporary stage and design revision. This allows a check of which forthcoming ground works the report covers and which areas still require surveying or technical clarification.

Operational authorisations, technical survey reports and subsequent changes belong in the project records as different documents. When changing existing arrangements, also compare the report with earthworks for temporary access and the later return to the former access.

Technical foundations: BFR KMR: Clearance planning and clearance concept – introduction · BFR KMR: Geophysics · BFR KMR: Documentation · DGUV Information 205-008: Safety in fire stations · § 23 IfSG: Infection prevention in medical facilities

The Baufachliche Richtlinien Kampfmittelräumung contain requirements for historical and technical investigation, clearance concepts, procurement and documentation within their defined federal remit. Their application to the specific construction project at the emergency service site, together with local requirements and responsibilities, is clarified separately.

Consider adjacent work tasks

Appliance bay foundations and technical connections have different geometries. Preparation should cover both with their intended depths and actual construction conditions.

Person in high-visibility clothing beside a utility trench, with solar panels and wind turbines in the background.

Coordinate utility routes

Assign utilities, chambers and connection areas within the construction sequence.

Coordinate utility routes
Four people in orange high-visibility vests in front of two excavators on a construction site.
Person with a yellow survey cart on a footpath in front of a hedge.
Construction phases

Link specialist assessment to construction sections

Preparation of a new site

The design shows the selected construction area and possible alternatives separately. Existing findings can thereby be assigned to the next specific decision. Outstanding information is identified. The survey scope is then derived from the ground works actually planned, rather than merely the designation as a future emergency service site.

Modifications alongside continuing use

The operator explains organisational conditions and identifies the relevant contacts. The specialist contractor describes prerequisites for the agreed survey. Both sets of information are brought together in a specific sequence. If the work area or access changes, the achievable specialist scope is agreed again.

Further additions after completion

Additional equipment foundations or connections are compared with the earlier report by location and depth. The original documentation remains unchanged. The comparison shows which findings are applicable to the new task and where another technical question needs to be addressed. A known site address alone does not replace this comparison.

Project site

Clearly state the site and contacts

Illustrated map of Germany with location markers on a construction site.

Show the property and construction section

State the location, facility and affected area. A marked access route helps on large properties or those with several entrances. Include contacts for construction planning and operational organisation. The regional overview helps orientation; technical preparation additionally needs the specific ground works and their spatial references.

Illustrated map of Germany with location markers on a construction site.

Include project-specific requirements

Available authority information and earlier reports are provided with complete attachments. Their respective scope remains identifiable. A document for an existing building may have different boundaries from a new utility route. The relevant parties clarify outstanding questions before an assessment is used for a different construction activity.

Understand the results

Assign technical results and operational decisions

Understand the survey scope

The report and results plan describe the area, task and specialist work actually carried out. Areas not addressed and significant limitations remain identifiable. Site management compares this status with the forthcoming ground works. An earlier commission at the same site does not automatically provide a comprehensive assessment of every later extension.

Explore results and terminology

Retain the parties' respective responsibilities

Responsibility for operational readiness remains with the relevant operator. The explosive ordnance specialist contractor documents its agreed technical scope. For construction preparation, both sets of information are brought together without conflating their subjects. Changes to the plan or access are communicated to the respective responsible contacts and assessed before the affected activity.

Assign tasks and technical documents traceably

Technical information

Critical infrastructure: brochure

Work at critical infrastructure requires careful coordination with operations and construction design. The brochure explains preparation, suitable investigations and traceable result documentation.

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Critical infrastructure: brochure – page 1

German · 8 pages

Questions from planning

Questions about modifications at emergency service sites

Does long use as a fire station establish the explosive ordnance status?

No. The length of operational use does not show which areas and depths have been surveyed for explosive ordnance. For new earthworks, existing documents must be checked against the specific ground intervention.

Must foundations for temporary arrangements also be considered?

Yes. Where they involve ground works, their location and depth form part of preparation. The fact that a component is to be removed later does not automatically limit its actual ground intervention.

Who confirms that the station can be used again?

Those responsible for operations decide on the basis of the necessary documents and prerequisites. The explosive ordnance report describes the survey of the agreed volume of ground.

Do the DGUV guidelines for fire stations apply to every security service site?

The DGUV information cited relates to fire stations. Requirements for another facility must be clarified using its actual use and the applicable specialist requirements. The requirements for the specific facility are therefore decisive.

Must the return from temporary premises be considered again?

If this involves new or changed ground works, they are checked against the documented survey scope. A purely organisational change is distinct from this. Outstanding technical questions must be clarified before each ground intervention.

Which information helps define the cost scope?

This includes construction phases, ground intervention areas, depths, existing explosive ordnance documents, interference and accessibility. Requirements of continuing operations are also stated. These details provide a more specific basis for defining the service scope than site size alone. Suitable methods, ground build-up, technical evaluation and documentation are considered when defining the services.

Which data are needed for temporary arrangements?

The planned foundations, utilities and other ground interventions are needed with their location, depth and construction details. Access and time constraints also help planning. Merely relocating operations is distinct from this.

What happens if a suspicious object is found?

If an unexpected suspicious object is encountered, stop work in the affected area immediately. Do not touch, move or continue to expose the object. Leave the immediate area, keep your distance and keep others away without putting yourself at risk. In Germany, notify the police immediately on 110; outside Germany, use the local emergency reporting procedure. The responsible authorities determine the next steps. Inform site management, the client and those responsible for the site; internal reporting must not delay the emergency call.

Relate the enquiry to the ground intervention actually planned

Initial contact is possible with provisional documents. Mark which details are confirmed and which are still planned or unclear. Describe the next project decision needed; the suitable method is agreed together according to the intervention and survey conditions.

Location, depth and construction details

Send the address or region and a site plan showing excavations, appliance bays, equipment foundations and utility connections. Include planned intervention depths, reference levels where applicable and the intended construction method. Working spaces and additional ground interventions outside the structure footprint should also be identifiable. Where alternatives exist, it must be clear which is selected and which is only a possible option.

Existing findings and constraints

Send complete explosive ordnance documents with attachments and relevant existing asset and utility plans. Information on made ground, metal installations or restricted access helps the assessment. An extract without a site plan may obscure a report's spatial scope. Known gaps or conflicting details should therefore be stated in the initial enquiry.

Timing and specialist contacts

State the intended construction period and the responsible site construction and operations management. Describe whether tendering is being prepared, a specific ground intervention is to be coordinated or an existing report is to be checked against a change. The next technical step is developed from this information. A firm assessment of the work involved or timing requires a sufficiently defined task.

Documents for the planned ground intervention

Send the plan for the next temporary stage, changes from the previous phase and existing explosive ordnance reports. Identify the contact who coordinates operational routes and use decisions. We clarify the survey requirements with you and which project details are still needed for a quotation.

To assign your enquiry: Sectors and applications. Project region.

Project enquiry

Have your project assessed

Whether historical aerial photograph analysis, explosive ordnance surveying, surface surveying using GPR, magnetometry or TDEM, deep-ground surveys, downhole surveys, excavation supervision, area clearance or ordnance recovery is needed depends on the location, ground disturbance, depth, ground and existing documents. An early ordnance assessment provides clarity for tendering, programming, occupational safety and construction.

FONTANA-EOD combines its Section 7 SprengG licence, specialists holding Section 20 SprengG certificates of competence, suitable survey and clearance methods, and traceable documentation. Send the site plan, depth of ground disturbance, construction phase and existing documents for an initial technical assessment.