Functional future at a glance: Medical service is gaining in importance

Functional future at a glance: Medical service is gaining in importance

A significant development within the fire brigade in the Villach Land district is taking more and more shape. The fire brigade medical service (FMD), which ensures medical and hygienic care for fire brigade members, is increasingly becoming important. As district fire brigade doctor Stefan Kogler explained in an interview, around ten firefighters are currently active who take on an advisory function. Particular attention is paid to the fact that these doctors not only support theoretically, but also gain practical experience during the fire brigade exercises in order to be able to intervene more effectively in an emergency. This initiative is viewed as a step in the right direction, since the awareness of the importance of medical support within the fire brigade is growing, as my district reports.

fire brigade paramedics in regular operation

In addition, the possibilities grow through the introduction of fire service. Eleven fire paramedics are currently active in the district who have undergone special training. Kogler wants this function to pass on for regular operation and to join the fire brigade with even more members with paramedics training. These paramedics take on tasks that do not compete with emergency services, but are particularly important in situations of self -protection and danger zones. Your role is to ensure that injured firefighters or people can quickly get help, even if the emergency services cannot intervene due to security risks. This procedure has been tested in a pilot project and is to be expanded in the future, as the Lower Austria State Fire Brigade Association emphasized.

Both functions, both that of the fire brigade and those of the fire brigade paramedics, are crucial for the security and efficiency of the fire brigade's operations. It is all the more gratifying for Kogler that the municipality of Finkenstein has already provided three emergency backpacks for these operations - a signal that underlines the seriousness and value of these medical possibilities.

For further details about medical care within the fire brigade and the specific requirements for fire doctors, the Lower Austrian State Fire Brigade Association is an informative contact point.