Since the beginning of the war, firefighters from Brandenburg have brought almost 600 tons of firefighting and life-saving equipment and 70 emergency vehicles to the Ukraine. Olaf Scholz (SPD) was also impressed by this: To talk about the Fire Brigade Aid Bridge Ukraine To speak, Federal Chancellor Scholz visited the main station of the Potsdam fire brigade on Saturday.
But the helpers also approached the Chancellor, who has his constituency in Potsdam, with a request: “We hope that the Federal Government will support us in being able to continue to help our comrades in Ukraine,” said Daniel Brose, one of the Vice President of the Brandenburg State Fire Brigade Association.
The fire brigade auxiliary bridge Ukraine started shortly after the beginning of the Russian war of aggression: On March 9, 2022, the first convoy drove to the Polish city of Rzeszów, about an hour’s drive from the Ukrainian border. The professional fire brigade in Poland operates a logistics hub here and transports the relief supplies from there to the Ukrainian city of Lviv.
Mr. Scholz was very interested, I didn’t get the impression that it was just a mandatory appointment for him.
Jan von BergenVice-President of the Brandenburg State Fire Service Association
Eleven aid convoys have already traveled to Rzeszów. The next one is scheduled to start between July 8th and 10th with a special donation: a fire truck signed by the Federal Chancellor himself.
If Olaf Scholz he did not reveal on that day that he would also provide the requested support. In any case, Jan von Bergen, vice president of the regional fire brigade association, is optimistic: “Mr. Scholz was very interested, I didn’t have the impression that it was just a mandatory appointment for him,” he says.
Aid is to continue after the war
The state of Brandenburg is already supporting the fire brigade auxiliary bridge with 25,000 euros, Interior Minister Michael Stübgen (CDU) is the patron of the project. “That’s good, but it’s not enough,” says von Bergen. It’s not just about the money: in addition to the costs of travel and meals, the fire brigades would also be happy to receive advice.
“We are interested in questions like: what about insurance coverage if we want to go to the Ukraine? Is it also possible for us to help there to set up voluntary fire brigades? In order to clarify these questions, we need, ”said von Bergen.
Scholz said he was “impressed how much solidarity work for Ukraine done”: “One cannot say thank you enough,” said the Federal Chancellor. It’s not just about tangible help, but also “emotional support for those who experience Russian bombing terror every day”.
You come back down to earth, all our luxury problems are gone at once.
Jens Heindorfvolunteer firefighter
The relief operation was also emotional for the firefighters involved: “Being able to help there made me feel happy,” says Jens Heindorf, deputy chief of the volunteer fire brigade in Potsdam-Bornstedt.
He’s been on the 14-hour drive to Rzeszów a number of times. The Polish city is not so dissimilar to Potsdam, he says. There are castles and parks that invite you to take a walk.
Driving through Poland always gives him particular pleasure: “Firefighters are highly valued there: Construction workers greet us when we drive past and space is made for us on the autobahn,” says Heindorf. There is no sign of the war raging a few hundred kilometers to the east. Nevertheless, the trips made him thoughtful: “You come back to earth, all our luxury problems are gone at once,” he says.
Sebastian Rost helped out from home. The young firefighter is responsible for the logistics of the relief effort. For him, helping his Ukrainian comrades in the war zone is a matter of course: “The news showed that Ukrainian fire stations were also being shot at,” he says. “Even fire engines burn down. That hits you,” says the young firefighter.
After the aid convoy in July, during which the emergency vehicle signed by the Federal Chancellor was handed over, another trip is planned for 2023.
Von Bergen says they would like to send relief supplies three to four times a year. “And it should continue after the war. We want to help with the reconstruction,” he says. In the Ukraine, for example, there is no voluntary fire brigade as we know it in this country. Von Bergen would love to help set them up and train them.
