Wetzlar/Wiesbaden (dpa/lhe) - At the presentation of the Hessian civil protection prize, the Marburg-Gießen district association of the German Red Cross took first place and received 5,000 euros. The regional association Mittelhessen of the Johanniter-Unfallhilfe and the district association Hochtaunus of the German Red Cross took second and third place, as Interior Minister Peter Beuth (CDU) announced on Saturday at the ceremony in Wetzlar. The two prizes are endowed with 3000 and 2000 euros.
Beuth emphasized that civil protection in Hesse is carried out almost exclusively by volunteers. The helpers have demonstrated the immense clout of civil protection, for example, during operations in the context of the flood disaster, the forest fires in Greece and the construction of emergency shelters for Ukrainian refugees. "Without the great commitment of around 23,000 volunteers in more than 680 units, our voluntary system of non-police security would collapse."
Hesse also supports the commitment in the fire departments apart from the promotion of volunteer work and increases the budget for this from year to year, the minister explained. In 2021, the guarantee amounted to 42 million euros. This year, the state government is making 43 million euros available, of which around 20 million euros alone for the promotion of municipal fire-fighting vehicles and buildings. By 2024, investments in fire protection should increase to at least 45 million.
