The traditional comradeship evening of the Idar-Oberstein volunteer fire department recently took place at Fire Station 1. In addition to honors and promotions, a new all-terrain fire engine for operations in difficult terrain was also put into service.
Thanks for outstanding voluntary commitment
In his speech, Mayor and Head of the Fire Department Friedrich Marx thanked the firefighters who deal with a wide variety of operational scenarios throughout the year with the words: "It is all of you, all of you together, who make me go to bed every night reassured in the knowledge that we can rely on a large number of men and women who will stick their necks out for us in the event of an emergency." And Marx continues on the subject of expensive "toys" for the members of the fire department: "The active members of the fire department don't need clothing, equipment or vehicles, let alone fire stations! It is our community of people in need of protection that requires these things. It's not the firefighter who needs the rescue shears, but the trapped driver; it's not the firefighter who needs the turntable ladder, but the helpless person who is trapped in the attic of their home and fears for their life." Together with Lord Mayor Frank Frühauf, Marx and the city council agree that "those who bear responsibility for the safety of citizens should not lack anything that protects our lives, but also theirs".
Mayor Frank Frühauf also praised the achievements of the fire department in his welcoming address, "and would also like to thank the families and relatives of active firefighters for their support and commitment. They often let their loved ones go, and often at the most inopportune times. They share worries and hardships. They are the silent heroes in the background who are also part of the success of our volunteer fire department. Thank you for that."
He also emphasized the outstanding youth work, which ensures that the Idar-Oberstein fire department does not have to worry about a lack of new recruits.
In his operational and activity report, head of the fire brigade Jörg Riemer looked back on an eventful year with a total of 296 alarms. "In the past, the fire department was only responsible for fighting fires, but now traffic accidents, personal rescues and many other things have been added," says Riemer, describing the situation. The fire department's 170 volunteers are out and about every day, and youth work is particularly important, as most of the active firefighters come from the company's own youth work. He also thanks "the administration as well as the city council for the necessary investments in the fire department, even if they are sometimes difficult discussions". However, the head of the fire service also points out that the fire department needs to be better equipped for operations involving the consequences of climate change.
In his welcoming address, the new fire and disaster control inspector Lukas Klein pointed out that he had only been in office for six months, but that there were already numerous constructive starting points for mutual operational support within the district. He also pointed out that voluntary work deserves recognition and respect.
A new vehicle for the fire department
A fire department UTV (Utility Task Vehicle) was put into service with the symbolic handover of the vehicle keys to Jörg Willrich. This is an all-terrain, all-purpose vehicle designed for operations in rough terrain, such as forest fires. It is used for the rapid transportation of personnel and material, for initial reconnaissance and is also used for firefighting with attachments such as extinguishing modules.
Honors for special services
The speeches were followed by the awarding of decorations for particularly long-serving active members:
Peter Erb was awarded the Bronze Fire Brigade Badge of Honor for 15 years of active, loyal service with the fire department.
Carolin Edinger and Christoph Weber were awarded the Silver Fire Brigade Badge of Honor for 25 years of service with the fire department.
Olaf Hartenberger, Thorsten Hartenberger, Christian Kurz, Martin Herzog and Hanno Stilz were awarded the Golden Fire Brigade Badge of Honor for 35 years of service with the fire department.
Promotions and appointments
After honoring long-serving firefighters, junior firefighters Zoe Inboden, Elias Werner, Luc Dibooglu, Marcel Kraft, Brandon Busacker, Ralf Kleinschmidt, Chayenne Bernstein, Nevio Quint, Quirin Köster and Francesco Kraus were signed up for active firefighting service.
A number of firefighters were also promoted and appointed to new positions:
Johanna Junker, Svenja Kirschberger, Maja Koop and Finja Schütz were appointed female firefighters, while Elias Junker, Thomas Kirschberger, Philipp Risch and Marcel Krummenauer were appointed male firefighters.
Merle Fuhr was appointed senior firefighter, Constantin Schuch and Jakob Schwindt were appointed senior firefighters.
Annika Späth and Hannah Veeck were promoted to chief firefighter, Jan Kluge, Leon Priebe, Asko Schulz and Leon Ruppenthal were promoted to chief firefighter:
Jonathan Lehmann, Peter Erb, Jonas Ohlinger and Marcel Spengler were appointed fire chiefs.
Eileen Haas was appointed senior fire chief, Kevin Fuhr and Benjamin Freimann were appointed senior fire chief.
Felix Schöneck, Moritz Veeck, Jan Adam and Kevin Reidenbach were appointed fire chiefs.
Jens-Lukas Weber and Christoph Weber were appointed Senior Fire Chief and Rolf-Peter Veeck was appointed Chief Fire Chief.
The emotional highlight of the evening was the retirement of a long-serving firefighter from active service. To standing, prolonged applause from those present, Chief Fire Officer Ralf Steuer was relieved of his duties as an active firefighter. He received a gift from the fire department management and his comrades as a token of thanks.