New fire brigade boom in the Hochtaunus district: million-dollar projects started!

New fire brigade boom in the Hochtaunus district: million-dollar projects started!

This week there were two important groundbreakings in the Hochtaunus district that made the firefighters' hearts beat faster. In Bad Homburg and Usingen, significant investments are being made to replace the old fire stations with modern, functional buildings. The fire department needs modern structures that meet current needs.

In Bad Homburg, a new fire station is being built in the Ober-Erlenbach district, with a total cost of 7.2 million euros. Completion is scheduled for August 2027. Meanwhile, a technical building is being built on a demolished old fire station in Usingen. The entire project in Usingen costs 20 million euros, and the fire department will set up modern equipment maintenance and a respiratory protection section here. Mayor Steffen Wernard (CDU) highlights the financial challenges, as the municipality has to make its own contribution of 13 million euros.

Need for new facilities

The need for action is evident in several cities in the Hochtaunus district: Oberursel, Königstein, Kronberg and Steinbach are also facing the challenge of modernizing their fire brigade infrastructure. Many houses date from the 60s and 70s and no longer comply with current regulations. District Administrator Ulrich Krebs (CDU) points out the importance of the planned S-Bahn extension to Usingen, which is also of great importance for the fire department.

In Oberursel, the new emergency response center (GAZ) on Lahnstrasse celebrated its groundbreaking ceremony. With a total volume of 39 million euros, it will replace the old fire station from 1977. Mayor Antje Runge describes the GAZ as the largest infrastructure project in recent decades, which will not only provide public services and security for citizens, but will also function as a crisis center itself. Plans include, among other things, a vehicle hall for 23 vehicles, workshops and training rooms.

Optimization of the emergency services

The new GAZ in Oberursel will also include a 26 meter high training tower, which will help improve occupational safety for the firefighters. City fire inspector Valentin Reuter emphasizes the importance of the center for the future of security. The planned hot fire training will particularly benefit the emergency services.

In addition, the course is already set for a new station in Kronberg, which will replace the old station from 1969. In Königstein, a new station is being built in the Mammolshain district, with a cost estimate of 4.7 million euros. In Steinbach, however, the building application for a new station was postponed until next year.

Overall, these projects show that the cities in the Hochtaunuskreis are willing to invest in the safety of their citizens and the operational readiness of the fire brigade - an important prerequisite for fire protection, which is viewed as a mandatory municipal task. Especially at a time when the demands on rescue workers are constantly increasing, these new buildings are a step in the right direction.

To learn more about the details, readers can check out the coverage Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and the Frankfurter Neue Presse consult.