Emergency Service Organizations Demand Changes to Reform
Eight leading German emergency and air rescue organizations have reiterated their calls for significant improvements to a planned reform of emergency services. Key demands focus on reliable funding and meaningful participation in future decision-making bodies.
Eight prominent German aid and rescue organizations, including Malteser Hilfsdienst, DRF Luftrettung, and ADAC Luftrettung, alongside the German Fire Brigades Association (Deutscher Feuerwehrverband), have collectively voiced their demands for amendments to a proposed reform of emergency services. The groups gathered in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin to bring their concerns and requirements to the attention of federal politicians, emphasizing the need for stable funding and transparent decision-making.
The initiative stems from the German government's planned overhaul of emergency service structures. While the organizations generally support the reform's objectives of enhancing emergency response, they have identified two critical areas requiring improvement. Firstly, they are calling for clear legislative financing frameworks that account for the specific demands of emergency rescue operations. Secondly, they seek appropriate, voting-member representation within the planned national expert committee tasked with developing recommendations for emergency rescue services.
According to the organizations, ensuring a consistently operational emergency service that meets the highest quality standards and can attract sufficient qualified personnel is only possible with reliable future financing and the inclusion of those directly involved in daily operations in political decision-making processes. The demonstration aimed to underscore these demands and the necessity for continued collaborative development of the reform.
The participating organizations included ADAC Luftrettung, Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund, Deutscher Feuerwehrverband, the Association of Heads of Professional Fire Brigades (Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Leiterinnen und Leiter der Berufsfeuerwehren), Deutsche Lebens-Rettungs-Gesellschaft, Deutsches Rotes Kreuz, DRF Luftrettung, and Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe. Their demands also received support from the German Association of Cities (Deutscher Städtetag) and the German Association of Districts (Deutscher Landkreistag).