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Bavaria's Red Cross launches offensive for better disaster protection!
Bavaria invests in disaster protection: BRK launches new initiative to improve population safety and equipment.
Bavaria's Red Cross launches offensive for better disaster protection!
Bavaria's Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann celebrated the commissioning of the state reserve of the Bavarian Red Cross (BRK) in Deggendorf today. This new initiative is seen as crucial for civil protection in Bavaria and offers state-of-the-art operational resources and specialized personnel that can be deployed quickly and flexibly in Bavaria and nationwide in the event of major disasters. Herrmann emphasized the values of personal responsibility, solidarity and crisis and disaster prevention and emphasized that protecting the population has the highest priority.
The state reserve complements state investments in disaster protection. The BRK itself has also invested its own resources in the initiative in order to remain operational and capable of acting. This measure is particularly relevant given the flood situations in Bavaria in May and June 2024, which led to 18 disasters. Herrmann thanked all emergency services for their commitment and willingness to work for the well-being of their fellow human beings. He stated: “The state provision is a milestone for our disaster protection.”
Congress on disaster protection
However, BRK boss Angelika Schorer expressed the urgent need for more money for equipment and training in order to meet the challenges in disaster protection. In particular, she criticized the fact that the federal government had not set up a special fund for civil defense, which restricted the work of aid organizations. Andrea Lindholz from the CSU emphasized the need to improve civil and civil protection and called for armament that goes beyond military aspects.
Challenges and solutions
Another proposal to increase staffing in civil protection includes the introduction of a service year for young people in order to attract volunteers. In addition, the acute shortage of materials in civil defense was pointed out; 40 percent of the required equipment is missing, especially for floods and major disasters. The challenges posed by climate change and increasingly frequent weather extremes make such measures necessary.
The Bavarian Interior Ministry expressed optimism about the future challenges and stated that Bavaria is well positioned. A total of 90 million euros were made available for disaster protection in the 2024/2025 double budget. This budget is intended to help finance equipment for voluntary aid organizations and fire departments and thus better protect the population in crisis situations.
For more information: Bavarian State Ministry and BR24.