By Dirk Böttger, Katharina Metag and Axel Lier
At the beginning of the night shift, Berlin’s highest-ranking firefighter took up his duties. Not in a smart uniform, but in red trousers and a white shirt, Dr. Karsten Homrighausen (54) on an ambulance.
It was probably an attempt to experience the needs of the emergency services up close…
The BZ had repeatedly reported on the sometimes catastrophic conditions at the fire brigade. The authorities keep declaring a state of emergency. Too few ambulances, too few staff and an alarm system that is not adapted to Berlin conditions!
Before the shift begins, the head of the agency cooks with his colleagues from the emergency services Photo: Spreepicture
After an extraordinary works meeting on Monday, the state fire director announced that he would work with politicians to revise the rescue service law and “take prompt account of the increased need for rescue services”. He also promised to use additional ambulances to relieve the firefighters.
How dramatic the situation actually is – but the authorities want to have had no idea. The “Berlin brennt” association, on the other hand, criticizes this in an information letter and gives dramatic figures: According to an internal survey of paramedics, up to 65 percent of rescue operations are “absolutely pointless”!
On Friday night, the fire chief was able to see for himself while accompanying the ambulance team 5100/1. Due to the lack of ambulances, the people of Neukölln went to work in their own district. But also to Johannisthal, Schöneberg and the Kudamm.
After the shift, the state fire director also seems exhausted Photo: Spreepicture
The experienced firefighter actually lent a hand himself – with patients and in the station kitchen. It was unclear whether the nocturnal excursion caused the head of the authorities to rethink.
When asked by the BZ, the fire brigade refused to provide information about the use of the state fire director.
Benjamin Jendro, spokesman for GDP Berlin: “We think it’s good and important that the LBD looks at the problems on site and actively participates in supplying the population on an equal footing. At the staff meeting, his colleagues made it very clear to him that they wanted more grassroots contact, and it shows his size that he takes the criticism to heart.”