Balance sheet for 2024

The fire department saved 642 lives

Protective clothing, tools and vehicle fleet: everything is always ready for action at the fire department - just like the firefighters, who were able to draw an impressive balance for the previous year in Carinthia.

(Bild: Birbaumer Christof)

After the peak years marked by natural disasters in terms of fire department operations, 2024 was once again a year with a normal volume of operations: 355,271 hours of operations were carried out, 642 lives were saved - mainly during storms. And a new deputy fire service commander was elected.

Provincial Fire Service Officer Daniel Fellner and Provincial Fire Service Commander Rudolf Robin were able to present a "very positive performance report" for the previous year. "642 - that is the number of lives that were saved by our comrades in 2024. Incredible, impressive and awe-inspiring is the number I would like to express today. I would like to thank our Carinthian fire departments for their constant, self-sacrificing work, which is also accompanied by many hardships in everyday life." If you include those rescued during lift and apartment openings, the number even rises to nine human lives per day, according to the fire department officer. 

Fire departments in Carinthia

There are currently 428 fire brigades in Carinthia. Last year, two volunteer fire departments were merged in Lavanttal.

These 428 fire brigades are made up of 387 volunteers, 30 company fire departments and one professional fire department.

25,611 men and women (the proportion of women is seven percent - and rising) are active in fire departments.

In 180 youth groups, 2047 ten to 15-year-olds are introduced to the fire department.

25,611 active firefighters
There are currently 428 fire departments in Carinthia. According to Rudolf Robin, the membership trend is positive: 25,611 men and women are active in fire departments. "The modernization of training with increased practical components and the improved framework conditions motivate new members to get actively involved. The investment by the state of Carinthia in disaster relief is also particularly important. With the planned acquisition of KAT equipment by the state of Carinthia, the performance of the Carinthian fire departments will be raised to a new level."

1.4 million hours for the fire department - for the people
5785 firefighting operations and 12,869 technical operations - a total of 18,654 operations had to be completed in the previous year. Our firefighters spent 355,271 hours on these operations. Including time spent on training and further training, exercises, maintenance and administrative work and other services, Carinthian firefighters spent around 1.4 million hours on a voluntary and unpaid basis.

Fire operations have been declining for years (5785 in the previous year), while operations at alternative energy generation plants (43 incidents in the previous year; twice as many as in 2023) and rescuing people from lifts and opening apartments (1284 operations) are on the rise.

The disaster relief operation following the storms in Lower Austria fell under special technical assistance in the previous year. 

Friedrich Monai is Rudolf Robin's new deputy.

(Bild: Bezirksfeuerwehrkommando St. Veit)

Vice Chief by drawing lots
Elections were held in the evening: The position of Deputy Provincial Fire Chief was to be filled. The candidates were Kurt Schober and Friedrich Monai. The latter won by drawing lots after a draw.