Ribnitz-Damgarten (dpa/mv) - Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig (SPD) handed over a new fire engine at the end of her summer tour on Saturday at Fire Brigade Day in Ribnitz-Damgarten (Vorpommern-Rügen district) and acknowledged the work of the fire brigades in the state. "Every day, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, they are there for all of us: the many thousands of firefighters in our country - men and women, full-time and volunteer," she said, according to the press release. This is a commitment to society that cannot be taken for granted. "They are cornerstones of our security."
The state has provided 50 million euros for the modernization of the fire brigades. Schwesig emphasized that it was the largest procurement program for the fire brigade in the history of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. More than 300 vehicles would be purchased.
According to the Ministry of the Interior, 151 fire departments in the state already have new fire engines specially developed for Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The program will run until 2023. There was previously an investment backlog, especially among the volunteer fire brigades. According to the state fire brigade association, almost 26,000 firefighters are active in 947 volunteer fire departments throughout Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
