New DRK district chairman Hartmut Linnekugel sets a fresh course!

New DRK district chairman Hartmut Linnekugel sets a fresh course!

A change at the top of the German Red Cross (DRK) in the region: After twelve years in office, Günther Hartmann has resigned as chairman of the DRK Korbach-Bad Arolsen district association. The long-time district chairman did not stand for re-election, which meant that Hartmut Linnekugel, former mayor of Volkmarsen, was now able to succeed him. With a breath of fresh air at the top, we hope to continue the DRK's successful work. How WLZ online reported, the previous deputy chairmen were also confirmed in the board election: District Administrator Jürgen van der Horst and Harald Schacht from Ehringen. In addition, Jürgen Trumpp remains on board as treasurer.

The newly elected board has an ambitious composition: Marko Lambion will act as legal counsel, Alfred Deutsch is the new member representative and Dr. Harald Ise was appointed conversion officer. Dr. Jacqueline Frichs takes over the office of association doctor, while Gerda Stück from Korbach also joins the committee. The full-time managing director Michael Wehmeier takes care of organizational matters and, together with the extended board, will steer the course of the DRK in the region.

Extensive services and diverse offers

The DRK district association is not only an important player in the rescue service, but also employs a total of 320 people who are available for various services. The annual turnover of 16.5 million euros underlines the economic relevance of the organization. The 96 paramedics who carry out around 13,000 missions every year in the cities of Korbach, Bad Arolsen, Willingen/Usseln and Herbsen are particularly active.

In addition to emergency care, nursing plays a central role in what the DRK offers. The district association maintains a total of 49 fully inpatient care places and 84 places for assisted living in Korbach. In Volkmarsen there are a further 14 places available for assisted living and in Volkmarser Wittmarstrasse there is a care shared apartment with 12 places.

Training and courses for the public

The DRK also pays particular attention to training and educating the public. The offering ranges from various Red Cross first aid courses, designed for different target groups and purposes, to health courses such as yoga and water aerobics. The range also includes specialized training, such as the early defibrillation (AED) course and advanced training for caregivers. More information about this can be found on the DRK Korbach website: drk-korbach.de.

In the context of the public emergency service, an analysis commissioned by the Federal Highway Research Institute points to interesting developments. This analysis outlines the performance of the emergency services in Germany and shows that around 16.1 million missions were extrapolated in the period from 2020/2021. This number underlines the importance of efficient emergency services, which are particularly high in urban regions. How Bast reported, the average response time of the rescue workers was 8.7 minutes, which is an important criterion for their performance.

Overall, the new district chairman Hartmut Linnekugel faces major challenges, but also opportunities to further develop the DRK's solidarity and willingness to help in the region.