Fire brigade in Schwedt in shock: thieves steal vital devices!

Fire brigade in Schwedt in shock: thieves steal vital devices!

In a comprehensible shock state, the Schwedt fire brigade, which was the victim of a brazen only shortly before the handover of its new central fire station. Unknown perpetrators broke into the old guard in the city center and stealed valuable special devices, including a hydraulic scissors and a spreading maker with the associated battery. These devices are of essential importance to free injuries from accidental vehicles. Heiko Hinsche, deputy district fire chief, expressed that this theft not only caused material damage. "It is emotional," continued, because the devices are indispensable for rescue campaigns. With an attentive eye to the future, he suspects that the stolen tools may be used for other crimes such as the theft of catalysts. This illustrates the worrying development in dealing with rescue workers, which Brandenburg's interior minister René Wilke also denounces by referring to the lack of respect for it.

The intruders were equipped with a split hammer and managed to penetrate the guard in just four minutes and steal the valuable devices. The financial damage that the fire brigade bears as a result is 35,000 euros. "We have no choice but to switch to friendly fire departments while we are waiting to get the devices replaced," said deputy mayor Silvio Moritz. The city has already taken measures to improve security by handing over video recordings to the police and initiating a review of the safety precautions. However, the implementation of larger investments should not be made at short notice due to the financial situation.

a worrying trend

In addition, there is a worrying trend in the region, as the Berlin fire brigade reports. In the current year there has already been an increase in thefts of heavy tools that are essential for operations and rescue campaigns. By June 2023, 21 motorized tools were stolen, a terrifying increase compared to 4 in 2022 and 6 in 2021. Hydraulic spreader and cutting devices are particularly popular with criminals who are used not only for fire service activities, but also in burglaries and other crimes.

This development is alarming. The fire brigade has been calling for the safety precautions in the fire guards for some time, which have so far been insufficiently implemented. An example is an incident in which a man tried to steal objects during an assignment on the fire truck, but was held by the team. Benjamin Jendro from the police union speaks openly about catastrophic security states and suggests using active fire brigade colleagues as security guards. Measures for video surveillance are also urgently required, because without this the theft of expensive devices is almost a child's play for the perpetrators.

The security investments and the strategic measures that need to be brought are now more important than ever. It is all the more important to raise awareness of the public for this topic and to promote respectful handling of our rescuers.

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