Societal Dynamics - Approximately 11,000 kids and adolescents are part of young firefighting units.
The number of young people joining fire departments in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is increasing, with a total of 10,931 members in the 628 youth fire departments by the end of 2023 - an increase of 600 from the previous year. President of the state firefighters' association, Hannes Möller, considers this a slightly positive trend.
One reason for the growing interest in fire departments is the involvement of these organizations in schools. In 2018, the state association signed a framework agreement with the Ministry of Education to provide extended after-school activities in full-day schools. This led to the start of the "Fire Department Makes School" project.
Despite these successes, recruitment efforts don't always yield the desired results, particularly in rural areas where young people often leave to work or study in urban centers. According to Möller, recruitment in these areas is quite challenging. However, he noted with satisfaction that more girls are joining the youth fire departments, with approximately 40% of members being female.
The fire departments currently have around 26,000 active volunteers in the 965 volunteer departments in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. In addition to the loss of young people, the general demographic shift poses significant challenges for maintaining operational readiness, especially in small villages.
On a brighter note, the technical equipment available to the fire departments has seen significant upgrades. The government has invested 50 million euros for new vehicles and firefighting equipment, and an additional 50 million euros for renovating and constructing new fire department buildings. Nevertheless, there's a significant backlog of work to be done.
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The youth fire department in Wismar, a city in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, has seen an increase in membership, contributing to the overall growth in the state's youth fire departments. This surge in interest can be attributed in part to partnerships between fire departments and schools, such as the "Fire Department Makes School" project. Encouragingly, the youth fire department in Wismar also boasts a high percentage of female members, aligning with the state-wide trend of more girls joining these associations.
