With over 800 participants, this seminar was the most well-attended of the past three years in the "Focus on Animal Welfare" project. Not only farmers, but above all fire brigades, had already put a stop to registrations a week before the event on 20 November 2023. Bernhard Feller from the North Rhine-Westphalia Chamber of Agriculture spoke about fire protection measures in pigsties. Dr Florian Diel (Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences) spoke about strategies for evacuating dairy cattle in the event of barn fires.

Across all animal species, it was found that lightning, electricity/short circuits and technical defects account for a good 50 % of the causes of barn fires. If a fire occurs, it cannot be assumed that the animals can and will save themselves. Dangers from fire and smoke are not recognised as such by animals. They will not leave their familiar and supposedly safe environment and, if they wanted to, they would not be able to open their stalls on their own. Therefore, solutions must be created that can be opened by the fire brigade from the outside and thus provide a second access or rescue route for the animals. An animal rescue concept, agreements with possible helpers (neighbours) or a fire drill can ensure quick and safe help in an emergency.

Cattle in particular have a poor adaptation to light and dark, they are easily blinded and are reluctant to run into the dark. The escape routes and the "assembly point" should therefore be illuminated, but not dazzling.