Change of color at the fire brigade: blue no longer mandatory!

Change of color at the fire brigade: blue no longer mandatory!

The fire brigades in Hesse are facing a significant innovation: The Hessian Ministry of the Interior has decided to lift the binding requirement for blue operational clothing. This was announced in Wiesbaden by Interior Minister Roman Poseck. The decision is intended to grant the fire brigades more independent design scope. However, the color change remains limited to the time of new purchases in order to keep the financial burdens for the municipalities within limits. Hersfelder Zeitung reports that the usual service clothing remains for the time being.

The district fire inspector Marco Kauffunger will not tire of emphasizing that the train drivers will continue to present themselves in red uniforms. And although there are no plans to change the colors of the protective clothing in the district, the topic of color variety in the fire brigade seems to stimulate discussions. Jörg Fleischhut, city fire inspector of Rotenburg, informs that a uniform appearance was recently procured in blue.

flexible colors and alternative materials

The suggestion for alternative colors is not new; Rather, the firefighters have long expressed the desire to obtain more freedom of choice in the color design of their operational clothing. A sand -colored option is now also considered, which serves the advantage of recognizing contamination more easily. hessen.de emphasizes that Interior Minister Poseck emphasizes the importance of motivation and modern framework conditions for the voluntary fire brigade.

An exciting additional discussion revolves around the fabric polybenzimidazole (PBI), which is very popular among fire brigade. These materials are characterized by high heat resistance and are mostly available in sand paints because the blue color on the PBI does not hold well. The quality of the firefighting clothing has generally improved enormously in the past two decades.

changes at the age of the emergency services

Another significant announcement concerns the age limit for participation in the operational departments. The aim is to raise the age limit so that firefighters can remain active up to the age of 67. Pilot projects have already been started in order to better understand the medical and psychosocial effects. hessen.de reports that the previous age limit in this context does not apply to the wearing of breathing apparatus or for line functions. Norbert Fischer, President of the State Fire Brigade Association, clearly speaks for this measure and at the same time thanks the Hessian state government for scientific support.