Fire brigade heroes in MV: Who wins the large selection of reader?

Fire brigade heroes in MV: Who wins the large selection of reader?

On June 26, 2025, the final vote for the popular OZ campaign "Feuerwehrheld of the Year" starts. Until July 16, readers have the opportunity to choose their favorite from a selection of four impressive regional winners who were previously nominated in hands-on activities by the Ostsee newspaper. The four finalists are exemplary for the tireless use of numerous firefighters in the region and beyond.

The nominees are:

• Michael Homuth (54 years) : As a military leader of the Hornstorf volunteer fire brigade, Homuth has been committed to fire brigade since 1985. He is currently working on the preparation of the fire brigade on the challenges associated with the development of a new industrial area.
• Tim Nahrstedt (35 years) : chief extinguishing master at the Kühlungsborn volunteer fire brigade. His career started in the youth fire brigade at the age of 13. 15 years ago he was seriously injured during an assignment, which makes his tireless efforts all the more admirable.
• Anne Berner (38 years) : Member of the Kröslin volunteer fire brigade since 2019, she entered to spend more time with her husband, the military leader. In the event of a major fire in a carpentry, she was in use for 21 hours and took over the respiratory protection monitoring.
• Gregor Wedig (66 years) : The former military leader of the Nieppars volunteer fire brigade, who has served over 17 years. Although he has given up his office, he is actively involved in operations and estimates the positive cooperation in the team and the feedback that he receives after missions.

special awards and honors

In another example of the commitment in the fire brigade industry, 30 people were awarded the German Fire Brigade Association (DFV) on the same weekend in Fulda for their special services to the fire service. The event impressively shows how valuable the commitment of firefighters in Germany is. Among the honored, the Iserlohn Christian Eichhorn, who was awarded the German Fire Brigade Cross in Gold, can also be found. He campaigned for the digitization of the fire brigade. Other award winners include Thorsten Elser, who campaigns for the youth fire brigade, and Volker Harks, who is known for psychosocial support for emergency services.

"The awards illustrate the high level of commitment and professionalism in fire brigade," says a spokesman for the DFV. Such honors are not only a form of recognition, but also contribute to emphasizing the importance of the fire brigade in society.

The structure of the German fire brigade

The fire brigade in Germany is well organized. The large number of voluntary fire departments are supported by legal framework conditions in the respective federal states. Fire brigades have been organized about the time of the ancient Romans, and during the 19th century the first fire brigades were created, often out of gymnastics clubs. The first professional fire brigade was launched in Berlin in 1851. To date, the main difference in public voluntary fire brigades and professional fire brigades in larger cities, a structure that is regulated by the state fire brigade laws, as an overview of Medinstruct shows.

communities are based on public fire brigades that consist of volunteer firefighters, while in industrial areas of company fire brigades that have become particularly important for fire protection in companies.

For the participants of the vote on the "fire brigade hero of the year" there is also an appealing incentive: among the participants, a cruise with arosa is raffled off 5000 euros, which could increase the desire for a voice.

If you want to learn more about the remarkable commitment of the firefighters in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania or take part in the vote, find more information in the [report of the Ostsee-Zeitung] (https://www.ostsee-zeitung.de/Mecklenburg-Vorpommern/feuerwehrheld-des-in-mv-das-vier-finalisten-der-ot-akt4fmbbxuvcfutxey.html) and the German Fire Brigade Association.