On Monday, two units from the region with a total of 66 firefighters left for the disaster area in Lower Austria. The deployment is planned for four days and will be replaced by new personnel after 48 hours.
The country has been spared from heavy rainfall and devastating storms, which makes the situation in eastern Austria all the more dramatic. The terrible images from the disaster area leave no one in Vorarlberg untouched.
Fire brigades in constant use
In the eastern states, approximately 1,160 fire brigades are currently continuously active. Due to the challenging situation, assistance was requested from Vorarlberg on Sunday evening. The district fire inspectors were informed that same evening and operational planning began.
On Monday afternoon, a total of 66 Florianis left the region with 16 vehicles to help their comrades in Lower Austria. They each had four powerful large and sludge pumps in their luggage.
Shortly after arriving in Tulln, the helpers were supposed to go into action. According to State Fire Chief Herbert Österle, the two units were supposed to operate completely self-sufficiently, meaning: all food was taken along and people slept on camp beds.
But the firefighters won’t get much sleep: “The operation will last about 48 hours, with a maximum of three hours of rest. After two days, the two units will be replaced by new troops from Vorarlberg,” Österle explains.
The willingness to help could not be greater
He had no problem finding enough volunteers, on the contrary: there was a lot of sympathy, even if support was needed after next weekend, there would be more than enough people available: “The helper gene is very strong in the fire brigade, countless members are ready to go on holiday to help.”
However, there was still a lot of paperwork to be done before departure: Due to the legal situation, it is up to the respective mayors to release the assistants – they then have to inform the employer and apply for leave. But the Florianis from Vorarlberg did not let the bureaucracy stop them.
Source: Krone
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