Münster (dpa/lnw) - After the flood of the century in 2021 in North Rhine-Westphalia and the corona pandemic, the German Red Cross (DRK) is calling for a modernization of civil protection. "We need a greater appreciation of voluntary work and at the same time a reduction in bureaucracy," said DRK state chairman Uwe Krischer on Friday in Münster. "Our volunteers want to be there and help during the crisis. However, they experience that the amount of bureaucracy surrounding our operations has increased rather than decreased. This leads to great frustration," said Krischer.
"In addition, the grants granted by the state have not been adjusted for more than a decade. This means that we have to bear the cost increases of recent years and also the current ones ourselves," said Rolf Lüder. He heads the Red Cross Office in North Rhine-Westphalia.
The population must be able to help themselves better again in the crisis and be prepared accordingly. "We see local educational programs, the inclusion of personal emergency preparedness in school curricula and training in first aid as sensible measures here. The DRK can play a direct role here with its nationwide structures," said Krischer.
