Deadline met:

Over 10,000 euros in costs for fire department test

A Mercedes GLC is at the center of the affair in Marchtrenk. Since 2019, district commanders in Upper Austria have been equipped with this as a service vehicle. In Marchtrenk, the controversial car is black and without blue lights.

(Bild: Kollinger Hermann/Hermann Kollinger, Krone KREATIV)

The deadline was just met: The financial issues at the Marchtrenker Florianijüngern can now hopefully be dealt with after requested documents were subsequently submitted. Now a tax office is examining them and must assess whether there was just sloppiness or whether there was fraud.

A firefighter - not the commander - came to the Marchtrenk municipal office and officially handed over six folders. At the last minute, on Monday evening. Just in time, because on Tuesday, October 1, the command would have been threatened with impeachment proceedings if the requested balance sheet documents were not submitted later.

Whistleblower revealed inconsistencies
As is well known, this deadline was set because the financial audit of the fire department by the law firm KPMG could not be completed as around 150 documents were missing. "The documents that have now been submitted will be passed on for examination and then we'll see what happens," says SP Deputy Mayor Heidi Strauss from Marchtrenk, who had started the case because suspected inconsistencies had been reported on the municipality's "whistleblower" website.

The documents were submitted on time as requested. Now they have to be checked and then we will see what remains at the end of the day. I hope that the missing documents are now complete.

Paul Mahr, SP-Bürgermeister der Stadt Marchtrenk

Black Mercedes at the center
In the center is a 105,000 euro Mercedes, black in color, but with a fire department license plate and allegedly purchased by the fire department itself after the commander wrecked a command car in Styria while intoxicated. "The years in which the current vehicle was purchased have not yet been audited," says the city office, as the auditors' interim report only covers the years 2020 and 2021, while the years 2022 and 2023, which have yet to be commissioned, are still open. Costs of more than 10,000 euros have been estimated for the audit.

"Fire brigade red" allegedly did not exist
The commander's statement in an email that the Mercedes was bought in black because it is not available in "fire department red" causes a lack of understanding. In neighboring Wels, there are three Mercedes GLCs in the fire department garage - built in 2019, '21 and '24. "All in red," says Mayor Andreas Rabl (FP). The commander on duty is allowed to use the latest vehicle "on permanent duty in order to be at the scene of an emergency in the shortest possible time", says the head of the town. In Marchtrenk, the car will now also be painted red and equipped with fire department technology.

I have now also managed to ensure that the town is represented by a lawyer in this matter. It is also important that we do not make any mistakes on the part of the city, such as overlooking deadlines. The investigation must be carried out quickly and transparently.

Heidi Strauss, zweite Vizebürgermeisterin von Marchtrenk (SP)

The fraud investigators from the Upper Austrian provincial police command are also working on the case and are awaiting the results of the city audit.

Kommentar

Es geht vor allem um die anderen

"Do you need some money so you can put a new Mercedes in your garage?" - firefighters are likely to hear these and similar messages when they go out with the peace light to ask for donations.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV, Alexander Schwarzl, Markus Wenzel)

Because while positive headlines, such as a victory at the Fire Brigade Olympics, stick with one fire brigade, negative reports quickly rub off on everyone. If there really was a scam going on here in Marchtrenk, it should not harm all the other firefighters who spend their free time for us and who deserve our appreciation and support.