Fire department in Lower Saxony: More women for effective operations!

Fire department in Lower Saxony: More women for effective operations!

The fire department in Lower Saxony is facing exciting challenges. At a time when many social conditions are changing, the need for well-prepared and equipped fire service associations is becoming increasingly clear. Olaf Kapke, the president of the State Fire Brigade Association (LFV), emphasizes that recruiting new members and motivating active forces are crucial tasks. In particular, the integration of women and newly arrived skilled workers will be at the top of the agenda in 2025.

The challenges are diverse: The number of fire departments in Lower Saxony is decreasing, while the number of active firefighters is continuously increasing. In 2022, 130,622 active firefighters were counted for the first time, which represents a positive trend. At the same time, the proportion of women, which rose from 10.5 percent in 2013 to 14.2 percent in 2022, is a positive sign. Over 5,400 women are now involved in fire departments like this Fire department magazine reported.

Growth and trends in Lower Saxony

Despite the increase in members, the fire department has to respond to the declining number of volunteer fire departments. Since 2013, the number of fire departments has decreased by 4.3 percent, meaning smaller units are closing. However, these closures lead to stronger, more effective fire brigade locations that create better operating conditions. This could be an opportunity to optimize the fire service landscape and specifically address the needs of the population.

Another aspect that is increasingly coming to light is the rapid construction speed of new training facilities, modern seminar rooms and training facilities. Here too, Kapke emphasizes the importance of human resources, which should not be neglected. A targeted expansion of the infrastructure could mean that the fire department can better meet current and future requirements.

A strong network for emergencies

As important as fire and disaster protection is, around two thirds of all operations involve providing assistance in the event of accidents and emergencies. Firefighters in Germany can be reached on the emergency number 112. The legal framework is set out in the respective state laws, and the fire brigades are organized through city, district and state associations. There are different formats of fire departments, including the volunteer fire department, the professional fire department and also company fire departments.

Kapke also emphasizes that the progress in fighting forest and vegetation fires as well as in concepts for moorland fire and flood protection is encouraging. The number of deployments increased by 27 percent in 2022 compared to the previous year, and the challenges ahead are clear. With 451 forest fires last year, the willingness to get involved is essential.

Overall, it shows that Lower Saxony is on the right track, but is also facing major challenges. The increase in members, especially women, is a ray of hope, but it remains to be seen how the fire service associations will react to the declining number of individual fire departments. The course has been set for 2025 and everyone involved is called upon to work together to achieve the best for the emergency services and the population.