By emergency call

Every Burgenlander needs help once a year

Emergency paramedic Norbert Muhr is one of many helpers who were able to intervene to save lives thanks to their efforts.

(Bild: Christian Schulter)

Every second counts! When the alarm goes off at the LSZ team, the professional rescue chain gets into full swing.

Fire with smoke inhalation in Unterfrauenhaid, heart attack of a pedestrian in Neusiedl am See, young driver with serious injuries after an accident on the A6 in Kittsee - the alarm bells ring in the provincial safety center when an emergency occurs. The result is both frightening and impressive: in one year, more than 140,000 operations of all kinds were coordinated.

Helping quickly and efficiently
Helping is their vocation! As soon as people get into life-threatening situations or find themselves in a difficult medical situation, the employees of the State Emergency Operations Center (LSZ) pull the strings in the background so that help can be provided quickly and efficiently. Whether on the road or from the air - all operations are handled by the 40 professional helpers at the control center in Eisenstadt. "We receive an average of 890 calls every day," says Head of Service Markus Halwax. At peak times - such as during the floods - 1500 to 2000 calls were registered within just 24 hours.

Increase in hotline 1450
The fire departments had to deal with more than 10,000 calls in 2024, 2500 more than in 2023. Ten percent of the increase was due to the health advice hotline 1450. Qualified specialists were able to draw on their wealth of knowledge in more than 5000 assignments. "We pass on advice on how to apply a curd compress as an anti-inflammatory home remedy over the phone. This also applies to the easily digestible carrot soup for diarrhea and other tips in response to symptoms such as fever or joint pain," explains control center manager Mario Promintzer.

Every second person in Burgenland makes use of an ambulance service. Almost 50,000 emergencies involve collapses, heart attacks, broken bones, bicycle falls or insect bites. Apart from the work of the fire department, more than 130,000 alarms were reported to the rescue service and ambulance services in 2024.

There is no time for the emergency services to take a breather
This year, the LSZ has already received more than 5,000 alarms. The callers often react nervously: "Don't ask so many questions, just send someone," the helpers are sometimes told. The fact is, the rescue chain is already in full swing despite the questions on the phone. "Statistically speaking, every Burgenlander dials the emergency number once a year and ends up at the LSZ. Behind each of the 325,315 calls in 2024 was a special fate. This is why it is so important that the staff and emergency services ensure smoothly functioning rescue chains," emphasizes Governor Hans Peter Doskozil.