Dear ladies and gentlemen,
Dear Minister of the Interior Reinhold Jost,
Dear State Secretary David Lindemann,
Dear Mr. President of the State Firefighters Association, Manfred Rippel,
Dear Mr. Christian Weber as host,
above all: dear firefighters
Forgive me if I leave it at this form of greeting, as the number of those who would deserve to be mentioned individually is so large that it would almost exceed the scope of this evening.
- today is a special day for our city of Homburg, because today we are opening the German Youth Fire Brigade Day 2022. This weekend, Homburg is entirely dedicated to the youth fire brigade – and of course, we are especially happy and a little proud of that
- I would like to thank you all this evening for coming, as I also consider your presence at this reception to be a great appreciation of what our fire departments in this country accomplish
- It is always an honor and a pleasure for me to attend appointments that involve the fire department. This is of course especially true for today and this weekend, as it is a nationwide event.
- it is not only great that we are hosting this event in Homburg, it is also great that it is under the main theme "Children and Youth in Europe." What could be a better motto? Therefore, I would first like to sincerely thank everyone at this point. I want to thank all the participating youths and children from the nationwide active fire departments who are here. I want to thank everyone who has been and is involved in organizing these days and especially the German Championship.
- my thanks also go to everyone responsible for the creative competition “We´re CreACTive” as well as for the participation in our family and children’s festival and the Blaulichtmeile. I would also like to thank the patron of the German Youth Fire Brigade Day 2022, Federal Minister for Family Affairs Lisa Paus
Salutation!
- I am convinced that Homburg is a great location for this major event. With the city park, the Saalbau, and our Waldstadion, we certainly have the right venues for the diverse gatherings, the creative competition, and the German championships.
- and we have great appreciation for the work and commitment of the fire brigades here in Homburg and the region
- on these occasions, it is often pointed out with a certain smile how important the fire departments are, especially in small towns and districts, for community life. And it is also true that fire departments often play a key role and are the driving force behind festivals and events.
- but to reduce the deployment of the men and women of the force to this alone would be wrong and far too limited in scope. This has been demonstrated not only here in Homburg but in many places throughout Germany in recent weeks. A few weeks ago, in addition to their daily duties, the emergency personnel often had to extinguish forest and field fires, and last Friday, numerous tasks were added following a storm with massive amounts of rain and the various consequential effects.
- thus it quickly became clear how much we all depend on the fire departments and what existential worries we would constantly have to face if the fire departments did not exist
- I am certain that these extreme weather conditions, which on one hand lead to forest fires and on the other hand to floods and landslides, will not become less frequent. Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely and warmly thank all the firefighters and also all those behind the scenes who support them, whether they are friends, spouses, or helpers.
Salutation!
- we all know that the tasks carried out by firefighters – men and women – are among the most important responsibilities of a community
- You are on the spot at all hotspots. The fire brigade has become a universal emergency unit that handles a wide variety of dangerous situations and ensures rapid assistance. Whether it is fires, accidents, and breakdowns, or environmental hazards, the fire departments are always competently on duty.
- certainly there are many areas of volunteer work in our society, without which much would not function as it does and which make up a large part of our quality of life. But the fire department is something special here. To put it simply, I would like to describe it as our fire chief often and gladly does. He then says:
"We run into what others run out of!"
That says it all.
- despite all progress in equipment and the use of modern technology, the fire brigade cannot do without high readiness for action, a sense of duty, community spirit, and the assumption of responsibility. Firefighting is primarily teamwork. This is proven time and again in every operation, and it is also practiced and trained.
- as part of this teamwork, I also see the work of those responsible who advocate for the concerns of the fire departments
- So if we agree on how important the fire department is for our society, it is obvious that we should and must especially support the next generation, meaning the youth fire brigades. Because without the next generation, this important institution would have no future.
- therefore, I would like to encourage you to use these days dedicated to the youth fire brigade also as an opportunity to promote the fire brigade and its concerns
- for that, I thank you. I also thank you for your attention. I wish the German Youth Fire Brigade Day 2022 a great event and all participants a wonderful time with us in Homburg
