In recent years, THW volunteer operatives have been in action for a total of several million operational hours. The THW provides technical assistance during operations, which means that specialists with technical expertise can provide assistance in a range of situations, such as natural disasters, accidents or emergencies. This assistance can take different forms: it could mean the volunteers search for and rescue people, secure buildings, remove hazardous materials, or purify water for drinking. For this, THW operatives make use of their specialised equipment and expertise to provide effective technical assistance

The THW only deploys in response to official requests, which may come from the police, fire service or the governments of other countries. The THW offices with paid staff all have on-call duty services which are the point of contact for the public authorities and authorised organisations. Additionally, many municipal fire departments and emergency dispatching centres can alert the volunteer-based THW local sections.

Local sections are open to anyone becoming a new member – prior technical knowledge is not required. The THW Basic Training and other specialist courses all ensure that operatives acquire the expertise they need for their operations.