First set for the old "Elfi" still in sight

Created: 01/26/2022, 09:02

By: Andrea Graepel

"Elfi" in action: The Herrschinger boat (during an exercise) is older than most of its crew.

© ike

The boat of the Herrsching volunteer fire brigade (STA-K8) is not just a fire brigade boat, but a civil protection boat.

"Elfi", as it is also called, is 35 years old.

Herrsching's commander, Daniel Pleyer, fought for a replacement for four years and threatened to fail due to lack of responsibilities.

Not without a touch of satisfaction, he is pleased that on Monday there was finally a funding decision in the amount of 85,000 euros for a replacement purchase in the town hall.

Mayor Christian Schiller announced the good news in the evening at the municipal council meeting.

Herrsching

– The civil protection boat was assigned to the Herrsching volunteer fire brigade. This means that the Free State can request it in the event of flooding or the like. So the people from Herrsching were ready to leave the yard even when the Elbe flooded. Since such operations are rather rare, the boats are also used for fire brigade purposes on the lakes - for laying oil booms, for example after a tank breakdown in Stegen in 2018. Another boat is stationed in Starnberg. But only the county seat was awarded the contract for a new boat.

The dilemma in Herrsching was that the emergency vehicle formally belongs to the Free State, but the Starnberg boat belongs to the district. Despite all the arguments that the people of Herrsching were also quick on the Wörthsee and on the Pilsensee, the district under District Administrator Karl Roth refused to spend money on a boat that, strictly speaking, was stationed on foreign waters. Because the district office of Landsberg is responsible for the Ammersee. He also waved it off, saying that covering the Ammersee with fire-fighting boats was sufficient. And for the community, the purchase would have exceeded their duty. Finally, the government of Upper Bavaria shook hands with the people of Herrsching. An application for a replacement purchase should be made to the government via the district office. There is a special support programthrough which 75 percent of the costs for a new boat (approx. 140,000 euros) could be financed. But nothing happened.

that the district will participate in the remainder of the replacement purchase.

But also that Frey used his contacts with his former office, the Ministry of the Interior, to draw attention to the urgency of purchasing a replacement for the decrepit boat.

"We still have to work out how we split the remaining amount with the district," says Schiller.