Rioters with knives: Police in Gütersloh on constant duty!

Rioters with knives: Police in Gütersloh on constant duty!

On Saturday afternoon, a 45-year-old man from Gütersloh caused quite a stir when he triggered a fire alarm in the Holzheide district around 4:30 p.m. According to eyewitness reports, he hit doors and windows and also handled a knife. Alerting the police led to a tense operation as the man offered considerable resistance, punching and kicking police officers as he attempted to be taken into custody. After a short but violent argument, the police finally managed to get him under control and taken into custody.

But that's not all: at 7:55 p.m. there was another incident at his home address, where he rioted again and threatened his neighbors with a knife. The second time the police called into action and intervened again, which ultimately led to the man being admitted to a psychiatric clinic. The Gütersloh police have already initiated an investigation against the 45-year-old. The exact background to his behavior is still unclear, but such incidents highlight the challenges that emergency services face every day.

Psychological stress for emergency services

The conditions that emergency services are confronted with in various cities, such as Mainz, are often stressful. The Mainz fire department, for example, is not only confronted with everyday operations, but also regularly with suicides and suicide attempts. The emergency services are used to interrupting their free time and reacting quickly when neighbors make an emergency call - but mental health often falls by the wayside. According to Michael Ehresmann, who speaks for the approximately 600 firefighters in Mainz, dealing with traumatic operations such as finding corpses creates additional psychological pressure.

One example is emergency door openings that occur every two to three days, with firefighters often faced with the frightening reality that many of those found have been dead for weeks or months. The need to talk about such experiences is strongly emphasized within the fire service. There are also cases in which firefighters require psychological help due to the harrowing operations.

Usage sensitivity and acceptance

Despite the high level of acceptance that the fire department in Mainz enjoys, the emergency services are often under pressure. Especially when passers-by film operations, additional stress occurs. The situation becomes even more complicated when firefighters arrive and a person is still alive, but they later die. Although saving lives is the primary goal, the emotional toll cannot be underestimated.

Overall, the picture that emerges is one of increasingly intensive and often traumatic operations that affect both the police and the fire department. While emergency services work tirelessly to keep us safe, it is important to also take their psychological stress seriously.