Page 2: One million volunteers and yet personnel concerns

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Today, over one million volunteer firefighters are on call around the clock, spread across 23,977 volunteer fire departments in Germany. In addition, there are 754 plant fire departments, which protect industrial plants with potential hazards, and 111 professional fire departments, which are mostly deployed in large cities. This means that 96 percent of fire department work is carried out by volunteers, although many fire departments complain about a lack of recruits despite the seemingly good figures. After all, the task is very personnel-intensive and commuting makes it a challenge, especially during the day, to have enough emergency personnel on site when needed.

It is stipulated that the fire department must be at the scene within 15 minutes of being alerted, in large cities within 10 minutes.

Almost 11 percent of firefighters are women

The proportion of women in the fire brigades is still low at 10.8 percent, but is steadily increasing. On the one hand, fire departments have become more flexible and professional, and on the other, almost a third of the 22,898 youth fire departments responsible for training young people are already female.

In addition, more and more information technology is being used in operations. Firefighting equipment is becoming increasingly digital: digital thermal imaging cameras, drones and computers help to assess the situation and provide orientation. During operations, new types of vehicles and technologies such as photovoltaics require more and more specialist knowledge, meaning that firefighters are now being trained and further educated in many special areas.

Tips for areas with heavy rainfall and flood risk

The German Fire Brigade Association makes the following recommendations in the event of flood risk:

• Find out about current weather developments regularly from radio, television or the internet, for example with warning apps such as NINA or KATWARN.
• In flooded areas, only move on visible ground, avoid forests and slopes - trees can fall or masses of earth can slide down.
• In endangered areas, secure building openings and sewage shafts, cellars and cellars.
• Make sure that non-return valves in cellars are functional.
• Park vehicles safely and with foresight in higher areas.
• Observe barriers, road closures and stopping restrictions.
• Please follow the instructions of the emergency services and do not hinder their work.
• Please understand that emergency scenes are prioritized when there is a high volume of incidents.
• If the fire department no longer needs to be deployed because the water has already drained away or your own help has been successful, please report this to the fire department again.
• Report accidents and fires via the emergency number 112. Please keep the emergency lines free for real emergencies during a storm and report damage that does not pose an acute danger only after the acute storm surge has ended.

Whereas fire departments used to be much more involved in firefighting, nowadays technical assistance, such as after accidents and in extreme and severe weather situations, is the most common type of operation. The latter in particular have increased noticeably and keep the fire departments very busy. In such situations, you always realize what it means to be on duty for people in need.

The author has been a member of a volunteer fire department for over 25 years.

(mawi)