Alarming increase in fire brigade accidents in Brandenburg!

Alarming increase in fire brigade accidents in Brandenburg!

Today, August 13, 2025, the alarm bell rings for the firefighters in Brandenburg. CDU MP Rainer Genilke is concerned about an “alarming increase in the number of accidents” among firefighters. In particular, the volunteer fire departments are increasingly coming into focus. Genilke calls on the state government to take urgent measures to improve prevention. A parliamentary question from the CDU parliamentary group has shown that the number of reportable accidents increased from 343 in 2020 to 608 in 2024, and the trend appears to be increasing.

A look at the statistics reveals that the professional fire departments remained relatively constant, while the volunteer fire departments increased their number of accidents from 296 in 2020 to 558 in 2024. Surprisingly, the fire department accident fund in Frankfurt (Oder) reports “relatively constant” accident numbers in recent years. Still, the pandemic colors the statistics with a complex mix of challenges and changes.

How the pandemic affects the number of accidents

In 2021, the pandemic resulted in a total of 848 reported accidents in the fire service accident fund operating areas, compared to 925 in 2020. This situation had numerous impacts on safety-related events. Many fire brigade events had to be canceled or held online, so the proportion of accidents at fire brigade events fell to just 3% - compared to 18% before the pandemic. The most common accidents occurred due to tripping and slipping, which accounted for almost a quarter of all reported accidents, with injuries particularly affecting the knee and foot areas.

The Hanseatic Fire Department Accident Fund North reports 2,511 insurance cases in 2023, which is over 200 more than in the previous year. Numerous accidents occurred in connection with fire operations, which increased by 34 accidents compared to the previous year. At the same time, accidents involving technical assistance fell, which is also a sign of the changing situation.

A positive light: increase in membership numbers

One bright spot in all the statistics is the increase in membership numbers in youth and volunteer fire departments since 2020. The vice president of the state fire brigade association, Daniel Brose, interprets the current numbers as normalization after a “Corona dent”. There are also interesting trends at the Brandenburg fire brigade accident fund: The number of serious accidents has doubled compared to the previous year and the number of accidents involving technical assistance has also shown a slight increase, but no deaths have been recorded. This gives hope that the dedicated firefighters will continue to be well protected and competently prepared for their challenges.

Finally, it is important to highlight the role of prevention and safety precautions. The fire brigade accident fund and the state fire brigade association always emphasize that occupational safety must have top priority. Innovative safety concepts and modernized personal protective equipment are essential to further reduce the number of accidents and ensure the safety of firefighters. In times of increasing demands on fire departments due to natural disasters and other emergencies, it remains crucial that everyone involved works together to create a safe environment.