A fresh high in fire department activities.

Crises - A fresh high in fire department activities.

During the past year, the Baden-Wuerttemberg fire department dealt with more emergencies than ever before, mainly because of the high temperatures. The Interior Ministry revealed that the number of call-outs increased by 1.5% to a record high, second only to the "heat wave" of 2003. In total, they attended 133,994 incidents and alarms (124,335 in 2022). The most frequent type of call-outs involved technical assistance operations like rescuing trapped individuals in accidents or restoring damage caused by storms.

Firefighters were summoned to handle 21,521 incidents of actual fires (16% of the total). However, they returned without taking any action in 21% of the situations due to false alarms. Statistics show an increase of 12% in such call-outs from the previous year. Furthermore, there was an increase in the number of injured firefighters. 140 volunteers and professional firefighters were injured (compared to 100 in 2022), while the number of volunteer firefighters who got hurt reached 1,709, according to the Baden-Wuerttemberg accident insurance. There were no firefighter deaths reported on duty.

The fire service in Baden-Wuerttemberg is growing in numbers each year. 115,440 individuals participated in the municipal fire departments in 2022 (114,861 in 2022), with many (112,751) being unpaid volunteers. The number of female firefighters rose by 6% to 8,798. Additionally, the youth fire brigade saw an increase in participation from young people. 37,662 members played a role in the youth fire brigade in 2022 (34,428 in 2022).

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1. The intense heat in Stuttgart contributed significantly to the record-breaking number of emergencies handled by the Baden-Württemberg fire department.
2. The steep rise in false alarm calls to the fire department, particularly in Stuttgart, saw a 12% increase compared to the previous year's statistics.
3. The Baden-Württemberg Interior Ministry reported that aid organizations in Stuttgart observed an increase in emergency situations due to the high climate, leading to the need for additional support.
4. In response to the drastic increase in emergencies, particularly fires, the Stuttgart fire department announced plans to recruit more female firefighters to boost its workforce.
5. Following the record temperature in Baden-Württemberg, including Stuttgart, the ministry of the Interior urged local communities to develop long-term strategies for addressing climate-related emergencies and fires.
6. Amidst the surge in emergency situations in Stuttgart and throughout Baden-Württemberg, leading government officials and community leaders emphasized the importance of promoting public awareness about fire safety and emergency preparedness.

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