Every second volunteer fire department member has experienced violence during operations in recent years. This comes from a survey. Mostly these were verbal attacks, but there were also physical attacks.
Half of the volunteer fire departments in Germany have experienced violence in the form of insults or physical attacks in the past two years. This is the result of a nationwide survey by the German Fire Brigade Association (DFV) and the German Statutory Accident Insurance (DGUV). 49.5 percent of members of voluntary fire departments confirmed similar experiences in service.
According to the fire department and accident insurance, verbal violence dominates in the form of insults and insults with words or gestures. According to the survey results, 90 percent of those affected reported this. 36 percent said they experienced intimidation or threats. Just as many reported that they had been specifically threatened with vehicles hitting them. Around 14 percent had fireworks thrown at them while on duty.
According to the information, more than 6,500 firefighters took part in the first nationwide online survey of this kind.
The extent and intensity of the crimes are increasing
Experiences of violence are now a “sad everyday occurrence” for active members of the fire brigade, said fire brigade association chief Karl-Heinz Banse. Such attacks have been happening for many years, especially in large cities, and not just on New Year’s Eve. What is new, however, is the extent and form of the acts. Banse suspects that the willingness to do so will be increased by the possibility of presenting them on social media.
He criticized the judiciary’s unwillingness to punish such acts. Attacks on emergency services are also attacks on the state, he emphasized. The volunteers are far too often the target of insults and threats and are therefore under severe psychological strain. Such aggression is not trivial. The fire departments are concerned that young talent could lose their motivation because of this development.
Perpetrators from all walks of life
The head of the DFV Social Affairs Committee, Thomas Wittschurky, emphasized that, according to the survey’s findings, the attacks came from people “across all classes”, not just from migrants. Most of them are individuals, only in a few cases is alcohol or other drugs involved.
Acts of violence against emergency services are not a normal phenomenon that must and can be tolerated, emphasized the managing director of the Statutory Accident Insurance, Stefan Hussy. “They demotivate and frustrate those affected. This harms voluntary work and ultimately society as a whole.”
Campaign aims to remedy the situation
The fire brigade association and accident insurance appealed “to all parts of society to resolutely oppose violence”. Hussy explained that the DGUV wanted to use a campaign under the motto “#Approaching Violence” to promote more respect for emergency services in schools, among other things. The protection of emergency services is an important concern of accident insurance.