Record sum of 84 million euros for fire departments in Baden-Württemberg!

Record sum of 84 million euros for fire departments in Baden-Württemberg!

The fire department in Baden-Württemberg can be happy: Interior Minister Thomas Strobl has announced that the state government is providing a record sum of over 84 million euros for 2025. This was recently announced in Stuttgart and is a real reason for joy for the country's firefighters. According to baden-wuerttemberg.de, 72.3 million euros are earmarked for investments in equipment, vehicles and fire stations.

The remaining 12.2 million euros will go towards general support for the equipment and training of fire brigade members. The funding is allocated by the regional councils and the district offices, which is intended to ensure efficient distribution. These new funds are based on the Interior Ministry's revised administrative regulation, which has been in effect since January 1, 2025. It is intended to reduce bureaucracy and simplify grants in the form of fixed amounts.

Optimized procurement processes for fire engines

A special innovation is support in the procurement of fire engines through joint tenders. As a result, communities benefit from higher subsidies and cheaper prices. 69 fire engines are currently being tendered and the tender process is expected to be completed by the end of the year. This is particularly significant since the fire brigade in Baden-Württemberg was called out a total of 135,202 times in 2024. This corresponds to an average of 369 missions per day, with over 13,700 missions due to extreme weather conditions, as reported by staatsanzeiger.de.

The fire protection tax, which is distributed in the amount of 98 million euros, goes directly to the fire departments. Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann emphasizes the role of the fire brigade as a pillar of security in the country and points out the future need for fire brigade resources due to climate change. A clear sign that the fire brigade family, which has now grown to 115,605 firefighters, should continue to be well positioned in the future.

Positive balance of the funding

In the last five years, all eligible applications from municipalities have been positively approved. A total of almost 300 million euros went into supporting the local fire departments. Interior Minister Strobl emphasizes that the fire protection tax will be passed on one-to-one to the fire service. This not only supports the state fire brigade school, but also the procurement of urgently needed vehicles and equipment. The new administrative regulation is also intended to further improve the procedure for the future so that the fire service can continue to operate at the highest level, as im.baden-wuerttemberg.de emphasizes.

Overall, it shows that Baden-Württemberg has a good knack for supporting its fire departments, and the measures will help ensure safety and operational readiness in the coming years.