Two boats are firmly moored in the rescue station of the German Lifesaving Society (DLRG) in Possenhofen. The jetty in between is so narrow that one wonders how the divers can slip into their suits stored there without falling into the water. The lounge on the first floor is also tight. There is no storage option; the board members have to take the files home with them.
The DLRG has no operations center, no office, no drone station and no place to be able to set vehicles. An ambulance is parked at the Pöckinger building yard, and two other vehicles are located elsewhere. “We are totally torn to pieces,” said chairman Walter Kohlenz. A solution is now in sight, but by the time it is implemented it could be in 2025.
The DLRG had proposed two variants. On the one hand, it should be investigated whether the water rescue in the planned new fire station near the Lindenbergsiedlung will get a place to stay or whether it will take over the existing building as soon as the volunteer fire brigade has moved out. In its most recent meeting, the Pöckingen municipal council unanimously decided in favor of the second variant. However, that will take a few more years. Since the new fire station on the community-owned property is still in the planning stage, Kohlenz estimates that a subsequent use for the existing building will only be ready in about four years.
Even if the DLRG is in the starting blocks and would rather have a rescue center today than tomorrow, Kohlenz is satisfied. “It is a big plus for the municipality of Pöcking that it accepts responsibility,” he says against the background that auxiliary services such as the DLRG are not entitled to public funds or grants. The association even has to finance the equipment and fuel for the rescue vehicles from membership fees and donations. Kohlenz gives the municipality high credit for the fact that Pöcking supports the emergency service as well as the voluntary fire brigade, which is one of the compulsory tasks.
The old rescue station is far too small for training courses with an average of 20 people, in Corona times there are higher requirements anyway. In addition, the theoretical courses usually take place during the off-duty time in winter. The station is only manned during the summer months. In winter it is mothballed and, according to Jürgen Römmler, head of the rescue dog squadron and head of operations, it is only opened in emergencies. Because there is no heating in the hut. The training courses must therefore be spread over several locations in Pöcking, for example on the Beccult, the training room for the fire brigade, the social station or the Protestant parish hall. It is particularly difficult for the rescue dog squad to find a place, as dogs are not allowed to go everywhere. “It takes a lot of organizational effort before we can hold a training course,” says Kohlenz.
The DLRG is satisfied with its rescue station in Paradise, which was built in 2003 and for which it is still paying off the loan today. However, for years the volunteers have wanted a home in which all areas such as water rescue, emergency vehicles and training courses are located under one roof. A home in the middle of town is also important in order to be able to attract offspring, said Kohlenz. Because so far the association has only been noticed by the citizens in the summer months.
But there is another problem: Who bears the costs, for example for the renovation of the old fire station according to the needs of the DLRG, if there are no subsidies? “We have no envy that the fire brigade is financed, but we would like it to be the case for the emergency services too,” says the chairman. After all, the new home is not an end in itself. “This is where good is being done for the citizen. We need that to be able to save human lives.” The DLRG’s clear demand therefore goes to politicians: every saving honorary position should be supported.