In 2022, the corona pandemic made less demands on the THW in the north-east than in 2021. Instead, the volunteers helped with storms or exercises. People with disabilities can also help.
Rostock (dpa/mv) - After many operations because of the corona virus, the past year has been quieter for the Technical Relief Agency (THW) in the north-east. In total, the volunteers had a little more than 30,800 hours of service. According to their own statements, there were 75,000 in 2021 - 23,000 of them alone in connection with the corona pandemic. At that time, for example, masks or quick tests were often transported or vaccination centers were built, said André Axmann from the Rostock local branch of the German Press Agency. In 2022, that would “go to zero”.
The flood action in Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia also provided many hours of action in 2021. In 2022, the hurricane low "Zynep" initially meant work. In the further course of the year, events such as the Fusion Festival or the Hanse Sail were added. Task forces also transported material for the construction of a protective fence against swine fever.
In August, the volunteers took part in the international environmental exercise "Balex Delta" near Warnemünde. 400 emergency services - including the THW - and 15 ships from Germany and the other EU countries bordering the Baltic Sea rehearsed for accidents involving oil or hazardous chemical substances.
According to Axmann, another important exercise took place in December in cooperation with the Ministry of the Interior. The aim was to train for a possible interruption in the energy supply. "So that means the electrical engineering group, which, with its large unit, ensured that the ministry could be able to act over a longer period of time."
Axmann emphasized that assignments accounted for only a small part of the working hours. These numbered more than 226,800 for the year 2022. This also included work with young people, training courses and information events. There are currently 1,376 volunteers in the north-east. Most recently, THW together with the fire brigade used posters in Rostock to try to get reinforcements under the title "Feuerwerk". One wants to expand this hitherto unique action to the whole country if necessary.
The staffing situation varies greatly depending on the local branch. Parchim, for example, is urgently looking for reinforcements. In Rostock, on the other hand, people have been looking for a new property for a long time because the existing premises are no longer sufficient.
Everyone can help at THW. "So we also have the opportunity to include people who have certain physical limitations in our ranks," emphasized Axmann. "So we also have services in the staff." Wheelchair users could work in administration or the kitchen. "A lot of people don't know that either."
The THW is a 98 percent volunteer organization of the federal government with the task of technical and humanitarian aid.
