The fire station is bursting at the seams

Created: 04/04/2022 15:01

By: Stephan Müller-Wendlandt

Honors and cake: Chairman Philipp Mehlich (from left) and Commander Bastian Sandbichler honored Mayor Rupert Steigenberger and Kathrin Misselwitz.

© Andrea Jaksch

At the annual meeting of the Berg volunteer fire brigade, it becomes clear that the volunteers need a new building.

"The development possibilities are exhausted," said commander Bastian Sandbichler.

Berg

– facts and figures Emotions – the annual general meeting of the Berg volunteer fire brigade can be broken down to this common denominator.

A good 50 members, guests of honor and sponsors came to the Landgasthof Post in Aufkirchen on Friday evening.

They experienced an annual meeting led by chairman Philipp Mehlich calmly and with wit.

The Berger fire brigade was called to 123 missions in 2021.

The sum of 13 fires, 27 alarms from fire alarm systems, 74 technical assistance and nine First Responder operations, explained Commander Bastian Sandbichler.

The volunteers went out 36 times with the turntable ladder.

The outstanding event was the hailstorm that swept across the Ostufergemeinde on June 22nd.

At around 2:30 p.m., the weather service announced the worst storm in decades in Berg.

It covered the community with a layer of hail up to 20 centimeters thick.

The emergency vehicles were initially unable to move out because the exit was blocked by hail or broken-down cars.

43 missions were counted that day.

The Berger firefighters worked a total of 8,805 hours (2020: 3,771).

They were divided into 6820 hours of training (2480), 1752 hours of use (2020) and 233 hours of other (413).

With his thanks to comrades and club members, the municipal council and the town hall administration, Sandbichler combined the recommendation to look for a plot of land for a new tool shed.

"Our fire station has definitely reached its performance limit," he said.

An internal working group looked for possible upgrades for the building with the result: "The development possibilities have been exhausted."

At the end of last year, the Berg fire brigade had 167 members (2020: 166), including 62 active and youth firefighters.

55 passive members and 43 sponsors complete the balance sheet.

The preparations for the 150th anniversary are on the right track.

It got emotional when the previous youth worker Kathrin Misselwitz presented her last annual report.

She and her comrade-in-arms Tim Lindner resigned from their posts for private and professional reasons.

The girls paid tribute to the former youth worker with an acceptance speech that moved them to tears and a photo collage.

Tim Lindner received the same thanks.

The chairman of the district fire brigade association, Michael Polednik, went one better.

He presented Kathrin Misselwitz with the silver badge of honor in recognition of her commitment to the fire service board.

Mayor Rupert Steigenberger was also honored for his 40-year membership in the fire brigade.

Mehlich also presented him with a beer mug "on behalf of the community".

He paid tribute to Steigenberger,