Mayor Renze Bergsma praised the youth fire brigade in Coevorden in his New Year’s speech on Monday evening. The 25 members were guests of honor at the meeting.
“I saw them practice and I really became a fan of them,” said Bergsma, who had previously described the ‘real’ firefighters as super volunteers. “It is right that these men and women are the pride of the village and the city.”
Following the German example
The youth fire brigade was founded forty years ago, following the German example. “They already had such an association just across the border,” said head leader Johan Beenen. “It also served as a breeding ground for firefighters. They also wanted to pursue that in Coevorden. Successfully. For years, our youth fire brigade has been a springboard for the transition to both volunteer and professional fire brigades. Youth members continued not only in Coevorden, but also in places such as Enschede and Rotterdam.”
Yet that flow also had a hitch. Until 2014, twenty youth members made the switch, but in the past ten years it was only a few. Beenen: “We have become a broader association in recent years, with members further away from Coevorden. We also have young people from Emmen. To make the transfer in Coevorden, you have to live three or four minutes from the post on Hulsvoorderdijk. The fire brigade is expected to respond within six minutes of a 112 call.”
Stuck
There seems to be a change in sight, because last year two youth members moved on. “They receive thorough training and intensive guidance from experienced firefighters. That takes time and is why we as a post should not suddenly add too many young people. Otherwise, this guidance will be compromised, although there is still room for six new firefighters.”
According to Beenen, youth members often end up in care later on. “Helping people is in their blood. From an early age.”
The youth fire brigade received a check for 500 euros to spend at their own discretion.
Bergsma said he was following the fiddling around the distribution law with shame. “Coevorden has always taken its responsibility in the field of asylum generously. We don’t need a distribution law for that,” he, like his Emmer colleague Eric van Oosterhout, slammed municipalities that do not do so. “Our neighbors in Ter Apel are worried about it.”
Bergsma did say that Coevorden is at its maximum in terms of childcare. “Support weighs heavily and we must be careful with that.”