Stadtwerke Gießen and Kreisfeuerwehrverband Gießen e.V. are extending their successful cooperation.
The German fire service is based on people who work on a voluntary basis for the good of society. Only in large cities are there professional fire brigades. What most people don't realise: Volunteer fire brigades provide the same services as their professional counterparts. And they are no longer limited to putting out fires. They help with traffic accidents, rescue people and animals from dangerous situations, actively protect the environment by removing or neutralising harmful substances, and, and, and.
"This commitment is of inestimable social value," explains Ulli Boos, company spokesperson for Stadtwerke Gießen (SWG), adding. "That's why we will continue to support the voluntary fire brigades in the district in their important work for the next three years." In concrete terms, this means that SWG and the Giessen District Fire Brigade Association (KFV) are extending their cooperation agreement, which has been in place since 2011, until 2027.
Not just financial support
This support has always had various facets. For example, SWG acts as a partner at the district fire brigade day or the association meeting. SWG also provided a fire demonstration container for training purposes, helped to organise workshops and had one of the city buses decorated with a fire brigade design.
The KFV and SWG have been jointly organising the "Fire brigade of the future" competition as a central component of the cooperation right from the start. Volunteer firefighters submit projects that they can turn into reality in their fire brigades. At the end of each year, a jury of experts decides which projects win. The competition is not only well received, it has also already achieved a lot of good. "Many a winner has gone on to be named Hessian Fire Brigade of the Month," says Michael Klier, 1st Chairman of the District Fire Brigade Association, describing the benefits of the competition.
For a long time, the competition was organised under a specific motto, but for some years now those responsible have no longer specified a specific theme. And for good reason. After all, the fire brigades are best placed to judge where their problems lie and how they would like to optimise their work. Narrowing down the content would possibly exclude one or the other fire service - simply because the topic does not play a role for them. "Regardless of whether with or without specifications - the competition has always produced great ideas and projects from which the individual fire services benefit in real life," Michael Klier is convinced.
Thanks for many years
The extension of the cooperation is also an expression of mutual appreciation: "We have always worked together excellently over the years. We would like to express our sincere thanks for this. We look forward to many new and successful joint projects," summarises Ulli Boos.