Peine District Fire Department takes stock: Honors for heroes and declining operations

Peine District Fire Department takes stock: Honors for heroes and declining operations

The annual delegate meeting took place on Sunday, June 16, 2025 Peine District Fire Brigade Association took place in the cafeteria of the Edemissen school. The event offered a comprehensive review of the past year and was peppered with important reports and honors for the committed members of the district's fire departments.

The association's most important officials, including the treasurer and the district training manager, informed those present about the developments in 2024. It became known that the volunteer fire departments in the Peine district were called to a total of 1,476 operations - a decrease of 694 operations compared to 2023. There were 264 fire operations, including seven vegetation fires. In contrast, the 2023 numbers were 365 fires and 21 vegetation fires.

Missions and challenges

The decline in fire operations is encouraging, but the demands on the fire brigades remain high. Over half of the missions in 2024 were technical assistance, with 841 missions. The 160 storm operations and 129 door openings were particularly significant. There were also 225 alarms from fire alarm systems and 98 operations by the Peinerträger factory fire brigade, with a total of 3,257 members of the 51 local fire brigades, 20 base fire brigades, two main fire brigades and one plant fire brigade being deployed. A fact that illustrates how many people dedicate themselves to serving others.

District fire chief Rüdiger Ernst used the meeting to draw the participants' attention to the current situation and the challenges. Under the motto “More important than ever – your fire department!” he spoke about the decline in ideals that needs to be combated today. However, the fire brigade remains a central institution in society that stands for safety and assistance.

Honors for exceptional commitment

Another highlight of the meeting were the numerous honors that were awarded for the extraordinary commitment of the fire department members. These ranged from theFUK badge of honor in gold for Frank Maak through to various badges of honor and crosses of honor. Those honored include Mario Gotsch, Uwe Lungehausen and Bernd Hlawa. The members were honored for their tireless efforts, which are inextricably linked to the well-being of the community.

Not only the official reports and honors were part of the event: the musical accompaniment by the band of the Abbensen Volunteer Fire Department under the direction of Angela Nawo-Ernst created a celebratory atmosphere. The successful conclusion of the meeting was a joint lunch organized by the German Red Cross Peine.

A look at national trends

The structures of the fire department in Germany are complex. Loud Statista There are around 48,100 fire departments in Germany, which are divided into volunteer, professional fire departments, youth fire departments and company fire departments. The volunteer fire brigades in particular play a central role here: with over a million members, they make up the largest part. In 2022, they were deployed on around 229,000 missions to fires and explosions, an area that always requires a lot of personnel and equipment, even in Peine.

In summary, the delegate meeting of the Peine District Fire Brigade Association shows that despite the declining number of deployments and various challenges, the tireless efforts of the firefighters have lost none of their relevance. The ongoing commitment and the associated vigilance make the fire departments an indispensable pillar in our society.