Friedrichsdorf introduces unique fire brigade statutes with women's power!

Friedrichsdorf introduces unique fire brigade statutes with women's power!

In Friedrichsdorf, in the Hochtaunus district of Hesse, the CDU has submitted a proposal to simplify the fire brigade statutes. The aim of this measure is to eliminate the masculine form in order to improve clarity. The motion was approved at a meeting of the city parliament with 20 votes in favor, 12 votes against and one abstention. However, Mayor Lars Keitel from the Green Party has decided to only use female official titles such as “city fire inspector” and “fire brigade leader” in the future. This is intended to help promote equality.

The fire department in Friedrichsdorf is divided into four locations: Friedrichsdorf-Mitte, Seulberg, Köppern and Burgholzhausen. The adjustment of the statutes, which also contains an equality paragraph, is causing discussions in the city. The CDU parliamentary group leader Katja Gehrmann criticized the mayor's decision because, in her opinion, it represented a misunderstanding of the application. Your request to introduce clear and neutral language without gender forms could not be met by implementing the new regulation.

Considered individually: the citizens and the fire department

City fire inspector Pino Raguso expressed his understanding of the decision and emphasized that all decision-makers in the fire department support the new regulation. “We are here to treat everyone equally and that is important to us,” Raguso said. In the new statutes, Friedrichsdorf could potentially take on a pioneering role throughout Germany, as the use of exclusively female forms in such statutes is unusual.

The mayor emphasizes the importance of women in the fire department and their leadership roles. Interestingly, some of the “female military leaders” named Dennis and Daniel have the male equivalent, leading to additional discussions about gender identity and the use of language.

So it remains to be seen how the discussions about the fire brigade statutes and the topic of gender language in Friedrichsdorf will develop further. It is clear that the debate about gender-equitable language is also on the agenda in other cities and municipalities, but Friedrichsdorf could be a pioneer here with a unique step. The developments in this city are definitely an exciting topic for everyone who is interested in equality and modern language.

For more details and perspectives on this decision, you can visit the article Mercury and Hesse show read up.