Fire departments upgrade

After St. Anton: more expertise for helpers

Klaus Friedl from the Imst fire department explained the function of a large pump to LR Astrid Mair.

(Bild: Hubert Daum)

The number of fire departments responding to storms is increasing dramatically. St. Anton am Arlberg was the high point so far this summer. A new concept is now to make the emergency services fit for the future. On the Arlberg, the previously inconspicuous Jungbrunntobel is to be built up.

The (unbelievable) good news from St. Anton is that no one was injured in the devastating event of the century on August 16th. The volunteer fire departments played a major role in the kaleidoscope of helpers. Astrid Mair (ÖVP) chose the very heart of the FF, the fire department school in Telfs, to announce further good news: A new concept is to make disaster operations even more efficient in future.

The "new concept" is intended to expand competencies
In 2014, the police were called out 1,300 times after extreme weather events; this year, they have already been called out 2,200 times. "We have the fire under control, we need to gradually improve our disaster control, although I think the operation in St. Anton went perfectly," says Provincial Fire Service Commander Jakob Unterladstätter, flanked by LR Mair, who will also make the "new concept" financially possible.

The fire departments did a great job in St. Anton.

(Bild: Land Tirol)

The competencies of the Tyrolean fire departments will be expanded. Essentially, it is about retrofitting fire engines, purchasing additional special equipment, further adapting training and ultimately learning from previous operations.

We have the fire under control, we need to gradually improve our disaster control, although I think the operation in St. Anton went perfectly.

Jakob Unterladstätter, Landesfeuerwehrkommandant

43 large generators
We are currently well equipped with 18 large pumps or 43 large power generators, says Provincial Fire Service Inspector Rene Staudacher, but: "In view of the ever-increasing number of operations, this will not be enough in the long term".

Five large mobile pumps
 The expansion of the equipment by a further five large mobile pumps is in preparation, as is the purchase of four additional units. At the same time, the vehicles are also being restructured. When purchasing, attention is being paid to standardization in order to achieve compatibility for all with a modular system. Adaptations are also already being made in the area of training on the subject of command in major emergencies or in the technical area.

19 million for the fire departments so far this year
The Tyrolean fire departments have already been supported with around 19 million euros in 2024.

Protection projects needed for the future

In St. Anton, the Jungbrunntobel, which threatens the Arlberg road and caused severe mudslides during the last storm, must be blocked.

Clearing work well underway
According to Mayor Helmut Mall, the clean-up work in St. Anton am Arlberg, which was badly hit by the storm, has made "incredible progress". Very important: the large debris basin has been clear again since Tuesday. "Around 40,000 cubic meters of material had to be cleared," explains Mall.

Another week of work on the bedload basin
However, it will take another week to clear the middle bedload basin in the area of the museum, according to the mayor. In principle, the houses had all been cleared and the army had cleared the badly hit Arlberghaus of debris and mud within seven days.

The wild devastation in St. Anton is history.

(Bild: Peter Freiberger)

This year, the mudslide from the Jungbrunntobel came three times.

Helmut Mall, Bürgermeister St. Anton am Arlberg

Little things are still missing
"Of course, there are still a lot of little things to fix in the village. New kerbstones or lanterns are needed, for example, and damage to the fields also needs to be repaired," says Mall.

Nobody expected a mudslide from Jungbrunntobel
The mayor emphasizes that new protection projects need to be developed for the near future. "We never expected the mudslide from Jungbrunntobel onto the Arlbergstraße - it came three times this year," says Mall. A temporary catch basin had been built, now an effective permanent solution had to be found. A shoring is absolutely necessary here.