St. Veit: Volunteer fire department gets new fire engine!

St. Veit: Volunteer fire department gets new fire engine!

The St. Veit local council met on Wednesday evening and used the opportunity to make important decisions. A central issue was the procurement of a new small fire engine for the Hörzendorf volunteer fire department. With a price of around 210,000 euros, the new vehicle, which is being delivered by the renowned Rosenbauer company, will modernize the fire department and increase its operational capability. The municipality of St. Veit is covering around 123,900 euros of the costs, while an additional funding of 86,900 euros has been applied to the Carinthian Fire Brigade Association. This underlines the municipality's commitment to the safety of its citizens.

A small fire engine (KLF) is a standardized fire engine that usually carries around 500 liters of extinguishing water and thus independently supports firefighting in smaller operations. In Germany, a maximum permissible total mass of 4.75 tons is set and it can only be driven with a special fire brigade license. This shows the importance of such vehicles, which are particularly indispensable in smaller fire departments, as is also explained in Wikipedia).

Further measures for the future

In addition to the purchase of vehicles, there is also the ÖVP's demand to build a new market office with toilet facilities on the Wiesnmarkt grounds. The current location is no longer up to date and does not meet the required standards for the emergency services. The idea is to bring all rescue workers under one roof to improve the infrastructure. As a temporary solution, consideration is being given to moving the police and emergency services to the flower hall until the new office can be built.

Another aspect that was discussed in the local council concerns the parking regulations for the Wiesenmarkt, which were also decided. These measures are intended to contribute to the further optimization of the infrastructure in the region.

Efficiency through total procurement

In a larger context, Upper Austria has launched a pilot project that aims to address the price differences in the procurement of fire engines. Under the leadership of Fire Department Regional Councilor Michaela Langer-Weninger and Municipal District Councilor Michael Lindner, attempts are being made to relieve the burden on municipal budgets by purchasing professional equipment at fixed prices. This could also be of interest to St. Veit, as large price differences of up to 160,000 euros have been observed for similar vehicle types in the past. Municipalities have the opportunity to decide for themselves whether they want to organize vehicles through outright procurement or their own purchase, which offers additional flexibility.

With these measures, those responsible are focusing on sustainability and efficiency in order to increase the readiness of the fire departments and at the same time get costs under control. Certainly a positive development for the entire region.

For more information on the topics of fire engines, funding and community development, please visit the respective articles on the Small newspaper, on Wikipedia or on nachrichten.at.