Press release from the German Fire Service Association: A rescue lane for emergency services saves lives
"Always form a rescue lane in traffic jams on the highway," urge Hartmut Ziebs, President of the German Firefighters' Association (DFV), and Alfons Weinzierl, Chairman of the Bavarian Firefighters' Association (LFV). The background to this is the tragic bus fire in which 18 people lost their lives yesterday in Münchberg (Bavaria). "Our forces are well trained and
experience in such situations - but they were still unable to help the people trapped in the burning
people trapped in the burning bus. A correctly formed
the fire department, ambulance service and police get to the scene as quickly as possible
to the scene as quickly as possible without wasting valuable time," they explain.
Ziebs and Weinzierl call for flame-retardant interior fittings in coaches: "These prevent the fire from spreading in a flash." They welcome the European regulations for automatic fire alarm systems in all areas not directly visible to the driver and the fitting of an extinguishing system in the engine compartment: "This means that fires can be detected and fought at an early stage." The association bosses also appeal to all drivers to provide assistance in the event of an accident: "A correctly used fire extinguisher can stop an incipient fire and thus save lives!" More than 100 volunteer firefighters were on site in Münchberg. "Our volunteers are the backbone of comprehensive fire protection in Germany," emphasized DFV President Ziebs. LFV Chairman Weinzierl adds: "In Bavaria alone, more than 311,000 men and women are active in the volunteer fire departments - that's a third of all volunteer firefighters in Germany!"
Press contact: Silvia Darmstädter, telephone (030) 28 88 48 8-23, e-mail darmstaedterdfvorg Twitter @FeuerwehrDFV, www.facebook.com/112willkommen
You can find all DFV press releases at www.feuerwehrverband.de.