Pilot project in Stendal: Fire brigade training now also during the week!

Pilot project in Stendal: Fire brigade training now also during the week!

Tangermünde, Deutschland - There are a variety of fire departments in Germany, but the volunteer fire brigades play a particularly important role. With around 48,100 fire departments, most of which are organized voluntarily and have over a million members, they are an essential part of disaster protection. It is all the more alarming the fact that many of these weirs in Saxony-Anhalt lack specially trained members. According to a report by MDR, the necessary prerequisites for comprehensive training are often missing, especially for working people who cannot find time for training at the weekend. Therefore, an exciting pilot project in the Stendal district was launched, which enables training during the week. This initiative aims to improve the situation by being able to participate in training courses during their working hours without feeling that their professional obligations must suffer.

The pilot project has already proven itself. In Tangermünde, for example, the regular training times for troop training from seven to eight weekends could be compressed to just five days. With this intensive approach, at least three new firefighters could be trained during the first course. District Administrator Patrick Puhlmann emphasizes the importance of this project and emphasizes how important well -trained firefighters are for the safety of the population. It supports the measure that the municipalities involved financially underpin, in which the comrades's salary is also taken into account. However, the Interior Ministry makes it clear that a legal exemption for operations should not be overused, which increases the pressure on employers to release the employees.

training and requirements

The basic training in the volunteer fire brigade, also known as a troop training, is an obligation for all fire brigade candidates. It consists of two parts, the first part of 70 hours theory and practice. Here the firefighters learn everything important for fire fighting, technical assistance and legal aspects. There are various teaching options that also offer the opportunity to learn in the evening during the week or in intensive courses over 10 to 14 days. After completing this basic training, the candidates have to take part in regular training units of their fire brigade over two years in order to achieve the necessary 80 hours for the official appointment as a firefighter AB-ZUR-Feuerwehr.de

In recent years, the distribution of tasks of the fire brigades has changed. While the classic extinguishing rates are still playing a central role, the application mandate has become more diverse: from human rescue to technical assistance to animal rescue-the requirements for the voluntary fire departments have increased Statista.com Missions that the fire brigades had to cope with in 2022.

Future visions and challenges

But the volunteer fire brigades are not only faced with challenges in terms of training. The State Fire Brigade Association sees the need for specially trained forces, because the numbers stagnate and the tasks become more diverse. Courses for specialized tasks such as radio operators or machine operators are also on offer, while there is the possibility to take advantage of further training at state fire brigade schools. The fire brigade of the Stendal district relies on continuing to offer weekend courses in order to meet a wide variety of needs.

The fire brigade is more than a profession - it is a calling. The willingness to help in an emergency needs well -trained forces. This is the only way to ensure the security of the population. The pilot project in Saxony-Anhalt is a good step in the right direction. However, it remains to be seen whether this initiative will be imitated and whether the handling of the firefighters is improved sustainably.