The big day of the move came in Siegertsbrunn at the weekend. And even if there is less than 800 meters between the old and new home, it still takes around 100 helpers from morning to night as well as a logistical masterpiece to get everything from A to B. And above all: to continue to carry out everyday tasks despite the stress of moving. Which means in this case: Should it become necessary, you would have to drop the moving boxes and move out. Because anyone moving to a new home on Saturday is the Siegertsbrunn fire brigade.
“We didn’t have to make any compromises and got a completely new fire station,” says Sebastian Walch, looking so satisfied as if he had just put his favorite dish on the table. The commander of the Siegertsbrunn weir is standing next to his deputy Leonhard Hörger in front of the almost 6.5 million euro new building on Egmatinger Straße, opposite the tennis courts. From Walch’s point of view, the fact that the building is currently still largely anonymous, since the Weir lettering will not be attached above the seven gates for two weeks, is only a side note. And yes, a number of firefighters – including him – would leave their old home in the town center with a lot of melancholy. But for that they are finally moving into “a fire station that is state-of-the-art,” emphasizes the commander. And what he doesn’t say, but certainly thinks: The same is pretty much the opposite of the previous home of his military.
This fire station was built in 1969 – at a time when Siegertsbrunn was still an independent municipality. And you can see the more than 50 years of the building in every nook and cranny. The firefighters often had to maneuver when they wanted to get one of their five vehicles out of the garage – because some of them were parked there one behind the other. The recruitment of new members has recently been deliberately reduced, says Walch. “We just had no more space and no more lockers.” In the only office, barely 20 square meters in size, there were three computers – “and they were still running Windows XP,” says Walch with a grin.
Proud of their new house: Commanders Leonhard Hörger (left) and Sebastian Walch.
(Photo: Claus Schunk)
How different is the new fire station. Here the vehicles are parked next to each other in a spacious hall; In addition to several offices, there is a spacious training room and a smart parlor with a wooden look. Walch emphasizes: “All rooms meet the specifications for a fire station for a fire department of our size.” The only extra is a fitness room – “also as an incentive for young people,” says the commander. In addition to more space, the decisive difference compared to the old homeland is the technology. The new fire station is completely digital in many areas. “When the alarm goes off, the barrier opens automatically and all the lights go on,” says Walch. Instead of a hose tower – which was rejected, also in order not to disturb the free view of the Leonhardikirche – the Siegertsbrunn fire brigade now has a hose washing system. In the future, not only our own hoses will be cleaned here, but also those of the Höhenkirchner weir.
The only drop of bitterness: When the move is completed on Saturday evening, the people of Siegertsbrunn can’t even celebrate it with a small drink – thanks to Corona. The public also has to be patient before they can take a look inside the wood-clad building. “But when it’s allowed again, we definitely want to have an opening party and an open day,” announces Walch. Then the old fire station could possibly already be history. According to the plans of local politicians, it is to be demolished and replaced by a modular day-care center. Until then, the building will be used for other purposes, says Sebastian Walch. “It will now become a collection point for donations in kind for Ukraine. And if it becomes necessary, we could also set up accommodation for refugees there.”