Fire department

Climate change leads to record deployment figures

Provincial fire service commander Franz Kropf, fire department officer Provincial Councillor Heinrich Dorner, Michael Hauser (managing head of the Burgenland fire department command) and fire department director Sven Karner.(Bild: Carina Fenz)

In 2023, the fire services had to respond to a total of 8,072 incidents, an average of 22 incidents per day. Vegetation fires and flooding events are the biggest drivers of the deployment statistics.

The Burgenland fire departments were called out around 22 times a day last year, more often than ever before. A total of 8072 deployments, 715 more than in 2022, were recorded by the provincial fire service association in 2023. The number of deployment hours also increased by 26,000 to around 136,000, and 455 people were rescued from emergency situations. "The main drivers of the deployment statistics were fighting vegetation fires, which increased by 37%, and heavy rain and flooding events, which even doubled compared to 2022," explained Provincial Fire Service Commander Franz Kropf.

Climate change poses major challenges for fire services
Dry, hot summers as a result of climate change and the progressive silting up of Lake Neusiedl will continue to pose major challenges for fire departments in the future. Adapting operational tactics accordingly is the top priority, says Kropf. However, the enormous interest in training courses proves that the Florianis are well prepared for all types of operations. 8,246 firefighters took part in the 81,860 hours of classroom and online training provided by the provincial association.

Dorner: Record sum of 7.5 million euros for the fire services 
Significant investments were also made in equipment and facilities. "A total of almost 7.5 million euros was provided by the state. This record sum was invested in the safety of the people of Burgenland," emphasized Provincial Councillor Heinrich Dorner. For example, equipment for fighting vegetation fires, boats or sonar devices and equipment needed for the disaster control concept were purchased. Dorner was particularly pleased that the number of members exceeded the 18,000 mark for the first time in 2023. "In contrast to other associations, the fire departments can look forward to more members." The fire departments are also well equipped for operations in Burgenland's first tunnel, which will go into operation on March 22 as part of the opening of the S7 expressway. Over the past few years, 200 tunnel firefighters have been trained for this.

Fakten

Figures and statistics Deployment figures 2023

8,072 deployments - 22 deployments per day

Around 136,000 deployment hours worked

Over 65,000 members of the FW deployed

455 people rescued / rescued from emergencies

Number of fire departments

309 volunteer fire departments and six company fire departments in 45 fire department sections in nine fire districts

Number of members

13,965 active members

2,175 youth firefighters

1,647 reservists

229 fire department kids