Fire station in Hitzerode: construction costs rise to 1.3 million euros!

Fire station in Hitzerode: construction costs rise to 1.3 million euros!

In the small community of Hitzerode, which is part of the town of Berkatal, there is news that makes the hearts of firefighters beat faster. However, the planned new construction of a fire station is also causing the municipality's financing plans to falter. The construction costs shot up from an originally estimated 1.1 million euros to now around 1.3 million euros. As [HNA](https://www.hna.de/lokales/witzenhausen/neubau-des-feuerwehrhaus- Hitzerode-wird-teurer-als-geplant-94004303.html) reports, the municipality has to finance around 1.1 million euros through loans in order to be able to realize this important project.

The fire department is currently housed in an old double garage from the 1970s, which not only has no heating, but also does not have adequate sanitary facilities or separate changing rooms for members. As of 2020, the building was classified as no longer viable and was announced to be decommissioned in 2025. This makes the new building, which is planned very close to the community sports center, all the more urgent.

A house for the future

The new facility will be equipped with modern sanitary facilities and will also provide separate changing rooms for female fire department members. The Hesse Technical Testing Service has emphasized that fire stations must be designed in a progressive and functional manner in order to meet the increasing requirements, as set out in the recently revised DIN standards. These standards were published in 2024 and serve as the basis for planning contemporary fire brigade buildings. Particular attention must be paid to hygiene, safety and accessibility. For example, changing rooms must be gender-separated and sufficiently large, whereas the minimum number of parking spaces for fire engines has been reduced from 12 to 9, as FUK Dialog explains.

In Hitzerode, the community has already taken the first step: the base plate has been poured and the topping-out ceremony is planned for before Christmas. The aim is to move into the new tool shed in early summer 2026, a ray of hope for the community, which has been dealing with the issue since the 1990s. The original plan to add a fire station to the sports center failed, which is why a free-standing building is now being built right next door.

A step into the future

What is particularly pleasing is that the community has to step into the breach financially, but also receives support: the Werra-Meißner district is providing around 42,000 euros, while the state of Hesse is providing around 126,000 euros. This shows how important fire and safety infrastructure is not only for the municipality of Hitzerode, but for the entire region.

The new fire station will not only replace the ailing old location, but will also meet the latest fire station standards necessitated by recent changes to standards. It remains to be hoped that the project will remain on time and within budget so that the fire department can soon move into a modern, well-equipped home. Without a doubt, this is a significant step for the community of Berkatal and the fire department, which is indispensable as critical infrastructure. Those responsible in Berkatal have definitely shown a good hand in this project.