At the same time, more than 15 employees per shift ensure that help arrives at the patient on average about 10 minutes after an emergency call is received. The rescue team must work with the highest concentration and is constantly on call – the short rest periods must be urgently used for relaxation. However: “The employees only have a very small common room, the sanitary facilities are tiny and outdated, and the office space is only four square meters. There is no question of rest or even sleep. The old building has become unworthy for these services,” says Dr. Claudia Meyer-Lang, head of the emergency doctor location – speaking from her own experience. It is therefore high time for a technically and spatially modern building.
For about 15 years, there was a struggle to find a location for the construction of a new station, which was finally found last year above the hospital parking lot. And now the building permit from the Lower Building Authority (UBA) is also available: a many-page document, for the creation and approval of which the Saarland authorities have worked together in an exemplary manner, as Timm Mathis, managing director of the sponsoring company, the Zweckverband Rettungsdienst und Feuerwehralarmierung Saarland (ZRF), confirms. “The UBA supported us in all matters, and even the State Road Construction Authority (LfS) moved up inspection appointments so that the building permit could be granted quickly,” he says. The LfS had to approve the relocation of the town sign for the entrance to the site – which means St. Ingbert has become 20 meters “longer.”
For the safety of the population
Mayor Dr. Ulli Meyer had declared the new construction of the emergency station a top priority, as he believes that "for the safety of the population, a society must be able to plan and build an emergency station itself." He also expresses his gratitude for the excellent cooperation between the UBA and all involved parties. The relief over the received approval is evident on the faces of all actors. The groundbreaking is planned to take place this year, once all wastewater-related issues have been resolved. Planned construction time: 1.5 years. According to the ZRF, this timeline should be adhered to, although material shortages, higher construction costs, and the lack of skilled workers are causing concern among the builders. "But I have confidence in the construction administration, which has already anticipated and prepared for these problems," Mathis is convinced.
For Peter Zwirner, Managing Director of the KKH, the new construction of the emergency station is also an "important sign for the district hospital and emergency care in the region," as he emphasizes. Roland Engel, District Manager of the DRK District Association St. Ingbert e.V., stresses: "A strong emergency station is an important aspect for the safety of the population in the region and throughout Saarland." In addition, a technically and spatially modern building is also a good incentive for recruiting paramedics, who are urgently needed. Local head Irene Kaiser shares from her own experience: "I have experienced it myself: the emergency service is incredibly quick to arrive when there is an emergency. To ensure this remains the case, we urgently need a modern station in St. Ingbert."
