During New Year’s Eve, the city of Groningen fire brigade cannot immediately send a car with six people to every fire. So in the event of an incident, an assessment is first made. “We are looking: can we let this burn for a while, or does a car need to come now.”
New Year’s Eve is one of the busiest nights of the year for the emergency services. In the city, thorough preparations are made that night in advance by the various teams that work together within the safety region: fire brigade, police, municipality, ambulance care and the Northern Netherlands Emergency Room.
We work with various scenarios and scripts, which also take into account current events. For example, will there be a fireworks ban? And what’s the weather like? It rains? A few years ago there was dense fog during New Year’s Eve, which meant that drivers could not see what was going on. The basic principle is that there are always enough people available in case a major incident occurs.
Since 2017, the police and fire brigade have been working together during New Year’s Eve in Groningen in the so-called Multi Surveillance Team. Inconspicuous cars drive past reports received through the control room. These often involve outdoor fires.
Can it still burn for a while?
“We are assessing the situation,” says Wout Blink of the fire brigade. “We look: can this burn for a while, or does a fire truck have to be called to it right away? We receive a large number of small reports during New Year’s Eve. We can’t always send a car there. We simply have to make do with four tankers. In practice this works very well.”
The MST team leaves the barracks on Sontweg around eight o’clock. “The control room is already overflowing, we have to get on the road,” says Blink. First it goes to Goudlaan. There is still a lot of wood smoldering in a lawn. The incoming rain quickly makes short work of the fire, where no further time is wasted.
Attendees have already settled in
In Hoogkerk it appears to be restless in the Verbindingsstraat, so the team then drives there. A group of about forty young people have gathered around a large wood fire. The stinking smoke reveals that tires are also burning. Those present have already settled in. The MST team notices a ‘grim’ atmosphere and calls for reinforcements.
When a police van arrives a little later, with a clearly audible barking dog inside, the team continues driving. The officers calmly get out and walk towards the group. They talk to the Hoogkerkers for a while and then get back in their car. The intention is for the fire brigade to take care of the flames.
Too bad guys, it was just as much fun
The MST team then ends up in Edelsteenlaan via the Legeweg. The same scene there: a large pile of burning wood, Christmas trees and furniture, surrounded by a group of noisy residents. It will only take a moment before the fire brigade appears here too. Six men jump out of the tanker and start putting out the fire. “What a shame guys, it was just as much fun,” shouts one of those present. Flames give way to thick, white smoke.
By then the MST car will already be back in the Oosterpoort. A fire with waste and wood is also crackling in the Meeuwerderweg. Illegal fireworks are set off by a handful of bystanders. But it appears there is little risk, so the signaling team continues on its way to the next report.