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Alarming accidents: Fire brigade in Brandenburg fights for safety!
Brandenburg will record a worrying increase in fire department accidents in 2024. Experts call for security measures.
Alarming accidents: Fire brigade in Brandenburg fights for safety!
In 2024, the number of accidents and injuries in professional and volunteer fire departments in Brandenburg reached a sad peak: a total of 608 incidents were registered, which means an increase of 265 compared to 2020. This reports n-tv. CDU MP Rainer Genilke described these figures as alarming and sees them as a wake-up call for those responsible.
The increase in accidents among volunteer firefighters is particularly worrying. These experienced an increase from 493 accidents in 2023 to 558 in 2024. In contrast, the number of accidents in professional fire departments fell to 50, which represents a decrease of 15 cases.
Genilke is calling for more measures from the state government. A nationwide and systematic accident analysis is urgently needed to identify the causes and weak points. A safety concept must also take into account clear standards for training operations and better aftercare for injured emergency services. The requirements for fire departments have also changed due to technical developments, which is why an updated safety concept is necessary.
Firefighting accidents at a glance
The tragedy surrounding fire department accidents not only affects Brandenburg, but also affects other federal states. In January 2024, two firefighters were injured in a kitchen fire in Munich that spread to the upper floor when parts of a staircase collapsed. This shows how unpredictable operations can be for the fire department. Loud atemschutzunfaelle.de The number of injuries is constantly increasing. There were similar incidents with injuries in North Rhine-Westphalia, including a building fire in Kreuztal and a roof fire in Minden, in which firefighters were injured by collapsing parts.
The dangers also became clear in a tragic situation in a senior citizens' residence in Bedburg-Hau, where a fire killed four people and left numerous injured. Emergency services were also affected by the dangerous conditions.
Need for new safety regulations
In order to meet these challenges, DGUV regulation 49 “Fire departments” was created, which replaces the almost 30-year-old accident prevention regulation (UVV) – see above safe-firefighting.de. The need for this revision is no coincidence: new findings from accidents and changes in fire service technology are clear indicators that safety precautions urgently need to be revised. Contractual conditions and operational processes have also changed and require adapted regulations for fire departments.
The accidents of 2024 highlight the devastating impact of operations that not only protect the lives of citizens but also pose a high risk to emergency responders. It remains to be hoped that the necessary reactions and measures mentioned will be implemented quickly in order to increase safety on operations and reduce accidents.