Mornes tank fire engine local fire department Bernburg handed over
Bernburg. Heat protection sheathing, roof-mounted spotlights and special firefighting backpacks with steel pipes for the firefighters – thanks to the support of the Ministry of the Interior and Sport, the Salzlandkreis has invested further in modern firefighting technology.
At the beginning of this week, a new fire truck specially designed for forest and field fires was officially put into service. District Fire Chief Hans Ulrich Robitzsch handed over the keys to the vehicle to Frank Jäntsch, head of the fire protection department of the city of Bernburg, in front of the fire department’s technical center in Staßfurt. There, the Magirus tank fire engine will be stationed at the fire department depot of the Bernburg local fire department. The reason for this is that the firefighters are always ready for action. In addition, the local fire department has undertaken to provide support in so-called supra-local operations. This also includes tasks in the area of disaster control. Bernburg’s central location and access to the autobahns also play a role here.
The local fire department can also use the vehicle for local firefighting. The respective cities and municipalities are responsible for the fire departments. However, the Salzlandkreis, with the responsible specialized service, assumes supra-local tasks in the area of fire and disaster protection.
The acquisition costs amount to around 304,800 euros. The state of Saxony-Anhalt covers about 88 percent of the costs.
Vegetation fires continue to increase due to persistent drought. In order to be able to react better to the changed conditions, the Salzlandkreis, also thanks to the support of the state government, has had two mobile extinguishing water tanks, each with a capacity of 30,000 liters, since the middle of last year. These are stationed in Schönebeck.
District Administrator Markus Bauer says the firefighters are on duty for the citizens at any time of day or night, mostly in addition to their jobs. “We must support this voluntary work to the best of our ability. This includes modern technology for efficient firefighting.” According to district fire chief Hans-Ulrich Robitzsch, the tanker is one of the most modern vehicles currently available, with a capacity of 6,000 liters of water and 200 liters of foam for fighting vegetation fires, due to its equipment and operational capabilities. Firefighters can extinguish fires while driving, among other things.