Increasing number of deployments: Heilbronn fire department fights against unnecessary alarms!

Increasing number of deployments: Heilbronn fire department fights against unnecessary alarms!

The volunteer fire departments in the Heilbronn area have recently recorded a significant increase in the number of deployments. On average, the forces are deployed more than twelve times a day, which is increasingly worrying not only the firefighters, but also those responsible. Reinhold Gall, an experienced firefighter and honorary chairman of the Heilbronn district fire brigade association, is critical of the type of operations that are often not within the fire department's remit. Gall estimates that around 20 to 30 percent of alerts are unnecessary. Ordinary tasks such as clearing branches after light storms or cleaning up fallen portable toilets eat up resources and time that could be better used elsewhere. What is particularly explosive, however, are the frequent operations to clear up traces of oil, as was recently the case with the Obersulm fire department, which was called to such incidents five times within two weeks. These operations are not only complex, but often also legally unclear, since responsibility for removing oil traces usually lies with the road construction authorities, i.e. federal, state, district or municipality.

Gall criticizes the fact that the fire brigade is alerted to house emergency calls, for which a service provider is usually responsible. Not only is this inefficient, but it could also cause problems with the firefighters' employers, who are obliged under the Fire Department Act to attend alarm calls. In order to improve the situation, the fire department and control centers are calling for more detailed examination of emergencies before emergency services are alerted. Public outreach is considered crucial to inform callers about the potential costs of petty operations.

The economic aspects

But it's not just the operations themselves that give experts headaches, but also the associated costs. As a rule, the costs of fire brigade operations are borne by the municipalities; However, in certain cases, such as prank calls or grossly negligent behavior, they can be passed on to the person responsible. For example, callers could be asked to pay if there is no emergency situation. The costs can vary significantly depending on the type of operation and are often worth a warm meal - in Berlin, for example, the fees are EUR 4.70 per minute of operation for a fire brigade, while crane trucks cost EUR 11.70.

The municipalities therefore face a financial burden that cannot be ignored. Often the callers who alert the fire department about the smallest concerns such as removing water from basements or cleaning up light traces of oil are not informed about the possible costs. Some even sent the fire department away when they were informed about the costs. This shows how important it is to create awareness of the correct use of emergency numbers and to encourage a change in thinking among the population.

Clarify responsibilities

Another problem that arises during operations is the lack of clarity about responsibilities, especially when it comes to cleaning up oil spills. In Schleswig-Holstein, for example, the State Office for Road Construction and Transport (LBV.SH) is responsible for federal roads, while construction yards or fire departments take the necessary measures for municipal roads. These unclear responsibilities can lead to the fire department being called out disproportionately often for operations that are not part of their main tasks. A recommendation for action to clarify these responsibilities is therefore considered useful in order to both relieve the emergency services and use public resources more efficiently.

With all of these considerations, the fire department is faced with the challenge of concentrating its valuable time and energy on real emergencies - because every minute counts when human lives are at stake. SWR reports that the future of operational tactics depends on a change in thinking among the population. It remains to be hoped that both callers and the community will engage more intensively with the critical issues surrounding the emergency number 112 in the coming months.

It is shown again and again how important it is to see the fire brigade not only as a force in emergency situations, but also as part of a larger community that ensures safety and order. Public acceptance and the correct use of emergency calls is a common concern for everyone.