A survey of the Civil Defense Agenda illustrates the deterioration in volunteering as a result of the pandemic. Most of the helpers have already been victims of personal attacks. Despite attacks during the Corona period, every fifth volunteer wants to intensify their voluntary commitment in the future. It is now up to politicians to provide further positive incentives for volunteering.
“Something happened in Austria: you feel it, I feel it.” Red Cross boss Michael Opriesnig sums it up in a nutshell. Since the challenging pandemic period with its measures, a dichotomy in society is hard to deny. Our more than 3.5 million volunteers – whether they were paramedics, Florianis or volunteers from other organizations – felt it firsthand, according to a survey by the Civil Protection Agenda (2000 respondents).
For example, 55 percent felt a worsening of the pandemic, almost half had experiences with attacks – mostly verbal -. One in four (25 percent) was personally assaulted while on duty, and the figure for paramedics is even higher at nearly a third. Motivation drops: 40 percent thought about reducing or ending their commitment.
Now, according to the spirit of the fire and rescue service, politics must fill the gaps in society and make volunteering more attractive. The chairman of the National Council, Wolfgang Sobotka, also sees it this way: “It is important to provide more positive incentives.” Whether or not the politicians will implement this remains to be seen.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
