The fact that there is a fire department with volunteers in Germany was news to Genco Barshan. Until emergency services rescued him and his family. The 40-year-old is now a firefighter himself and promotes it in the Turkish community.
Genco Barshan promotes the volunteer fire department on YouTube and Instagram.
Bild © hessenschau.de
December 21, 2021 could have ended in disaster for Genco Barshan and his family. He, his wife and his daughter had made themselves comfortable on the couch in front of the television at home in Steinbach (Hochtaunus). “It was winter. All the doors were closed,” Barshan remembers. And so at first no one noticed the smoke pouring out of the kitchen.
Video contribution
Video
04:45 Min. |23.08.24, 18:00
From rescued to rescuer – Genco Barshan gets involved in the fire service
Image © hr
End of video
“I want to do that too”
Ultimately, it was the dog’s barking that alerted the Barshans. The family got to safety, Genco Barshan grabbed the fire extinguisher and initially tried to put out the fire himself. Shortly afterwards, the fire brigade arrived. “Everything was done in ten minutes,” says Barshan.
But it wasn’t just the speed of the emergency services that impressed him. He was even more surprised that they were not professional firefighters, but members of the Steinbach volunteer fire department. People who rush to help others without pay: “That’s when I decided that I wanted to do that too.”
Three years later, Barshan is not only a member of the volunteer fire department in his town, he also tries to inspire others to join, especially people who, like him, have a Turkish migrant background.
In December 2021, Barshan first came into contact with the volunteer fire department – because his kitchen was on fire.
Image © Private
Speech in Turkish
On his Instagram channel “Kirmizi Kamyon 112” (in Deutsch: The red truck 112), the 40-year-old addresses his audience in Turkish. The translation runs in white letters above the image. Barshan speaks through the window of an emergency vehicle – the eponymous “red truck”. “95 percent of the entire fire service in Germany consists of volunteers,” he tells the audience. “Yes, I know, it’s a little hard to believe.”
The disbelief that Barshan expresses here corresponds to what he himself felt almost three years ago. “The concept of a volunteer fire department is actually unknown in Turkey,” he explains. He himself was deeply astonished at the time. And many people in the Turkish community certainly feel the same way.
Creating insights
“Many people with a Turkish background don’t even know this,” Barshan believes. That’s why he tries to provide insights, publishing videos and photos on Instagram and YoutubeYou can see him putting on protective equipment, laying hoses, doing exercises and fitness training. Scenes from the not quite everyday life of the volunteer fire department.
It is no coincidence that the videos all look very professional. Before he moved to Germany in 2009, Barshan worked as a cameraman for a news channel in Turkey. Communication through strong images was basically his livelihood. He has now switched careers and works as a cyber security engineer.
Valuable educational work
Barshan started his social media channels after explaining the idea to his fire chief. The number of his followers is still manageable. Nevertheless, Steinbach city fire inspector Dominik Hagen is convinced of the concept: “Many people in society don’t even know how the volunteer fire department system works,” says the 29-year-old. Barshan is therefore doing valuable educational work.
The volunteer fire brigade in Steinbach handles around 100 missions per year, stresses Hagen. 55 active members are available for this. There are currently no concerns about recruiting new members. There are currently 40 members in the youth fire brigade and a further 30 in the mini fire brigade. “Nevertheless, everyone who wants to join the fire brigade is welcome and very welcome,” says Hagen.
Barshan has already passed on his enthusiasm. Not only is he now active in the volunteer fire brigade, but so is his 13-year-old daughter. When asked what he likes best, he answers with one word: “camaraderie.” The word also exists in Turkish, but it has a slightly different meaning.
Editorial staff:
Danijel Majić
Broadcast:
hr-fernsehen, maintower, 23.08.24, 18:00
Source: hessenschau.de, with information from Carolin Lemuth.
