Mühlengeez (dpa/mv) - The head of government in Schwerin, Manuela Schwesig (SPD), thanked the firefighters in the state on the occasion of the fire brigade festival of the state government in Mühlengeez (Rostock district). "You are there for us whenever we need you, around the clock, 365 days a year. Our security is in good hands with you!" Schwesig was quoted as saying in a statement from the State Chancellery.
She would like to thank the around 25,000 active members of 930 volunteer fire brigades, more than 600 youth fire brigades and 6 professional fire brigades. "Every year they extinguish around 6,000 fires and have 40,000 relief and emergency calls."
The agricultural show MeLa continued to take place in Mühlengeez at the weekend. Agriculture and the volunteer fire brigades are two mainstays of the villages and smaller towns, it said.
Schwesig underlined the importance of volunteer work. Without this, social life comes to a standstill. The state government supports the fire brigades with the largest procurement program for fire brigades in state history. In the current budget, 50 million euros are earmarked for the purchase of 300 fire engines.
