Storm, hail, continuous rain: The weather outlook is gloomy, for parts of Bavaria there are already warnings of floods. The firefighters feel well equipped – but warn that more must be done to detect extreme weather earlier.
Bavaria has to arm itself for rough weather: Stormy gusts and continuous rain have been announced for the near future, the flood news service warns that – especially in Franconia – waters could overflow their banks.
Increasing extreme weather conditions also challenge Bavaria’s fire brigades, they are on duty in heavy rain, floods and storm damage. Filling and stacking sandbags, emptying cellars, evacuating houses, removing fallen trees – these are just a few of the tasks for which fire departments are indispensable. “There is already a broad dialogue here with all authorities and organizations active in the field of disaster control. We are well positioned in Bavaria, but of course there are opportunities for improvement,” said Johann Eitzenberger, head of the State Fire Brigade Association. He is thinking here of a further specialization of individual aid contingents or of the common use of the data for the early detection of extreme weather situations. Additional training offers are also conceivable. Forest and vegetation fires are also an important area in connection with climate change. “Advancing these issues will also be a focus of our work in the coming year.”
Basically, Bavaria’s firefighters are experienced and trained in dealing with extreme weather events and providing assistance: “This is nothing new,” emphasized Eitzenberger. The disaster relief in Bavaria works well, the organizations and authorities involved complement each other. Bavaria’s fire brigades have to go out for technical assistance much more often than for fires. Technical assistance is understood to mean, for example, assistance in the event of accidents, but also in the event of floods or storm damage.
In the 2020 deployment statistics, 20,000 fires were registered – and 107,000 technical assistance. According to figures from the Interior Ministry, there are around 326,000 active firefighters in Bavaria, of which around 316,000 are volunteers in 7,500 voluntary fire brigades. There are also seven professional fire departments as well as around 160 works and 50 company fire departments.