If the power goes out in Bavaria, fire stations absolutely need an emergency supply. Some municipalities urgently need to upgrade here, the fire brigade association warns.
Munich (dpa / lby) - In the event of power failures, fire stations urgently need to continue to receive electricity via an emergency supply. The head of the state fire brigade association, Johann Eitzenberger, pointed this out: "The light must not go out in the fire station," he told the German Press Agency. "A fire station needs an emergency power supply, that's the plan. But we know that's not the case everywhere." Here the municipalities are called upon to improve accordingly. The fuel supply for the fire brigades must be secured, because not only the vehicles usually need diesel, but also emergency power generators.
Eitzenberger underscored the importance of the volunteer fire brigades in Bavaria for civil protection: "We are present in every town, are the first point of contact for civil protection, the commander is the first point of contact when it comes to averting danger."
The requirements in addition to the classic fires and technical assistance in the event of accidents are diverse: "In the area of natural hazards, we have to deal with floods, mudslides, heavy rain, storm damage, forest and vegetation fires - the entire range, which is ultimately based on climate change." This has to be considered at a regional level. "Solidarity does not end at the local border. Aid must be provided beyond counties and administrative districts, transnationally and sometimes even internationally." The association wants to contribute "to using the incredible potential of performance as resource-saving as possible for individual communities, but as effectively as possible for those seeking help".
An important step on this path is a cooperation agreement that the association concluded with the Ministry of the Interior last year.
In the case of civil protection, the following also applies: "You can't communicate enough with each other. That starts with educating the population." The warning day in December was important. It worked better than two years ago. "You have to take a close look at why it didn't work out everywhere."
The warning of the population via siren remains the most important thing in the event of danger. "The siren has an alarm function, it's a signal: something isn't normal. Then you can look at your cell phone, turn on the radio or TV. It's in the interests of our association that there are nationwide locations for sirens."
According to the association, there are around 7,700 voluntary fire brigades in Bavaria with around 320,000 volunteer firefighters. Only the seven major Bavarian cities have professional fire brigades.
