District fire brigade day 2023 in Grossarl: Pongau fire brigades present performance record
The district fire brigade day of the Pongau fire brigades took place on April 14 this year. The district fire brigade command invited to the Hotel Edelweiß in Grossarl.
The event, which was gracefully framed by a delegation from the Grossarl traditional music band, kicked off with an exhibition of the new vehicles for 2021 and 2022. District Fire Brigade Commander LBDSTV Robert Lottermoser then presented an impressive performance record. Numerous awards were also made.
District Fire Brigade Commander LBDSTV Robert Lottermoser welcomed numerous guests from politics.
As representative of Governor Dr. Wilfried Haslauer appeared the member of parliament Elisabeth Huber. In addition, the state of Salzburg was informed by LAbg. Sabine Klausner and the Deputy Mayor of Grossarl, Hans Ganitzer.
Numerous mayors also attended the event; above all the host, the mayor of Grossarl Johann Rohrmoser and the president of the Salzburg municipal association, the mayor of St. Johann Günther Mitterer.
On the part of the district authorities, district catastrophe officer Ing. Norbert Paßrucker was welcomed, who represented district captain Hofrat Mag. Harald Wimmer; also DI Dr. Rudolf Schmitt from the torrent and avalanche control.
State Fire Brigade Commander LBD Günter Trinker was also present; as well as the district fire service commanders of the neighboring districts, OBR Markus Kronreif from Tennengau, OBR Klaus Portenkirchner from Pinzgau and OBR Klaus Lugstein from Flachgau as well as from the Liezen district area fire service commander OBR Reinhold Binder and his deputy BR Benjamin Schachner.
Furthermore, the organs of the Pongau district, the section fire service commanders BR Christian Lackner, BR Josef Prommegger and BR Matthias Egger, as well as the bodies out of service honorary district fire service commander LBDSTV Christof Unterkofler, the honorary section fire service commanders BR Ernst Rieder and BR Peter Listberger, and section fire service commander aD BR Roman Spiegel.
The friendly emergency organizations were also strongly represented; above all by district police commander Obstlt Thomas Winkler, district rescue commanders Gerhard Wechselberger and Peter Ripler, the commanders of the Krobatinkaserne battalion commander Obst Johannes Nussbauer and from the Austrian water rescue provincial operations manager Herbert Gehwolf and district operations manager Bert Haunsperger.
District fire brigade commander LBDSTV Robert Lottermoser presented the personnel changes in the district and then an impressive balance sheet for the years 2021 and 2022. Lottermoser was able to draw a positive summary of the development of the Pongau fire brigades. Because the number of members has been steadily increasing for years, both in the active team and in the youth fire brigade. In concrete terms, this means that the Pongau fire brigades had 2,343 active members and 293 youth fire brigade members at the end of 2022. For comparison: In 2015, 2,128 volunteers were still involved in the active team and 214 in the youth fire brigade.
The increase in the team is also necessary, because the total hours are also increasing steadily. With 218,225 hours worked, 2022 was an absolute record year. In comparison, just over 170,000 hours were worked in 2015 and only 82,787 hours in the lockdown year 2020.
State fire brigade commander LBD Günter Trinker aptly commented on this fact in his speech with the words: “The fire brigades came out of the corona pandemic stronger than they went into it.”
The district fire brigade day is always an occasion for appointments, promotions and awards. In 2023 the following people were awarded:
Appointments and Promotions
• BM Alexander Huber, fire brigade Schwarzach:
Appointed section clerk dangerous goods and measurement service and promoted to administrative inspector
• BM Kurt Huber, fire brigade Bischofshofen:
Appointed Respiratory and Body Protection Section Clerk
• VI Alexander Moosbrugger:
Appointed district clerk for respiratory and body protection and promoted to senior administrative inspector
Awarded the medal of merit of the Salzburg State Fire Brigade Association
• VI Rupert Abfalter, Bad Hofgastein fire department
• VI Stefan Hauser, Bad Hofgastein fire brigade
• HBI Daniel Lienbacher, Werfen fire brigade
• FARZT Robert Rettenegger, Bischofshofen fire brigade
• HBI Christoph Toferer, St. Veit fire department
Awarded the 3rd level seal of merit of the Salzburg State Fire Brigade Association
• VI Christoph Bacher, St. Johann fire department
• BR Matthias Egger, Dorfgastein fire brigade
• OBI Gerhard Kader, Kleinarl fire brigade
• HBI Bernhard Langegger, Untertauern fire brigade
• OBI Florian Vierthaler, Filzmoss fire brigade
Awarded the 3rd level seal of merit of the Federal Fire Brigade Association
• OBI Ronny Baier, Bischofshofen fire brigade
• BI Markus Draxlbauer, Schwarzach fire brigade
• BI Harald Palzer, Bischofshofen fire brigade
• POI Christoph Rainer, fire brigade St. Johann
Awarded the 2nd level seal of merit of the Salzburg State Fire Brigade Association
• BR Christian Lackner, Flachau fire brigade
• HBI Hartmut Wetteskind, Bischofshofen fire brigade
Awarded the seal of merit of the Salzburg state fire brigade association
• BR Benjamin Schachner, BFK deputy. District of Liezen
• DI Dr. Rudolf Schmitt, torrent and avalanche control
Awarded the 3rd level badge of honor from the Salzburg State Fire Brigade Association
• Johann Rohrmoser, Mayor of the Grossarl municipality
• Johann Ganitzer, Deputy Mayor of the Grossarl municipality
• OBR Reinhold Binder, BFK District Liezen
Awarded the 2nd level badge of honor from the Salzburg State Fire Brigade Association
• Obstlt Thomas Winkler
Awarded the 1st level badge of honor from the Salzburg State Fire Brigade Association
• Norbert Paßrucker, District Disaster Advisor
Awarded the honorary certificate of the Pongau district
• Alexander Guggenberger, Wagrain Fire Department
• HBI Gerald Öhlinger, St. Veit fire department
• OBI Markus Huber, Werfenweng fire brigade
• HBI Alexander Weiss, Werfen fire brigade
Appointed Honorary Section Fire Commander
• BR Roman Spiegel, BFK aD Section 2 Pongau
After the successful event, the district’s annual report was handed over to the fire brigades.
Special thanks go to the Großarl fire brigade for organizing the event, as well as to the sponsors and supporters; above all the municipality of Großarl, the Hettegger family from the Hotel Edelweiß, the traditional music band Großarl and Peter Hettegger and Ernst Toferer from Wochta-Bier!
Text and images:
WE Stefan Hafner
Section Clerk Public Relations
Pongau District, Section 2
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