Volunteering in civil protection: Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is planning award!

Volunteering in civil protection: Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is planning award!

Wismar, Deutschland - In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, movement comes into the recognition of voluntary commitment in disaster protection. The state parliament has asked the state government to introduce an honor for special achievements in aid organizations, similar to how it already exists for the fire brigade. This initiative is intended to represent a visible sign of public appreciation that recognizes the importance of the numerous citizens who take responsibility in crisis situations. Interior Minister Christian Pegel announced a rapid implementation and sees the need to act quickly to honor the merits properly. A bill could soon be available, whereby the exact details are still in the room

The recognition will not only be symbolic. In the event of many years of cooperation in the organizations, the honor should be linked to financial benefits. These will play an important role to promote the commitment of the volunteers and to react to the challenges such as demographic change and falling population. An example from the fire brigade shows that relatives of volunteer fire departments will receive financial recognition for their commitment in the future. There are anniversary grants from 100 euros for 10 years, to 250 euros for 40 years of service. These changes are part of a draft law that includes the adaptation of the 1993 fire protection law

growing interest in disaster protection

Disaster protection in Germany, which rely on more than 1.7 million citizens, rely on volunteers. Over 90 percent of the committed citizens work on a voluntary basis, which underlines the importance of the topic again. While demographic changes and the country escape reduce the pool of volunteers, interest in disaster protection relevant to disaster is increasing. This was initiated in particular by media reporting on the new civil protection concept of the Federal Government lifts .

The Johanniter-accident help e. V. is committed to a higher appreciation of volunteer protection with various initiatives such as the "Helping Hand" volunteer award and the volunteer card. Employers are also increasingly required to release their employees for exercises and operations, but also benefit from the skills developed by the volunteers, which are also helpful in operational security tasks.

conclusion: an important step for the recognition of volunteering

Such a sign of recognition is more than just a symbol; It is an important signal in times when volunteers are increasingly struggling with challenges. The voluntary commitment to disaster protection, which includes a variety of tasks such as support for large operations such as flood events or forest fires, should be more appreciated in our society. With these measures, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania shows that it does not forget and rewarded the performance of his volunteers. Now it remains to be seen when the implementation of this important initiative is imminent.