Workers Samaritan Association of Austria

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Workers Samaritan Association of Austria
logo
founding 1927
Seat Vienna , Austria
main emphasis Ambulance service , ambulance transport , social work , humanitarian aid , social policy
Action space Austria
people Franz Schnabl (President), Reinhard Hundsmüller (Federal Managing Director )
Employees 2,151 (2019)
Volunteers 7,354 (2019)
Website www.samariterbund.net

The Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund Austria ( ASBÖ for short ; in today's parlance mostly just Samariterbund ) is an Austrian aid organization that is mainly active in the rescue service and ambulance transport . Historically, the Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund is based on initiatives by workers and craftsmen to help themselves in the field of emergency rescue and training in first aid . The ASBÖ is also a founding member of the International Samaritan Association .

Most of the employees are volunteers and civil servants , as well as full-time employees. In order to work in the ambulance and ambulance service, one must have completed training as a paramedic .

In order to demonstrate political independence, the shortened terms Samariterbund or Die Samariter are mostly used on uniforms, rescue vehicles and various documents ; only in the logo (etc.) is the full name Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund used. The name refers to the biblical parable of the " Good Samaritan ".

The current president of the ASBÖ is the former general inspector of the Vienna Security Guard and now state party chairman of the SPÖ Lower Austria , Franz Schnabl . Since March 22, 2018 he has been the second Deputy Governor of Lower Austria. The current federal manager of the ASBÖ is the former police officer and current politician Reinhard Hundsmüller . ASBÖ honorary president is the former president, entrepreneur and ex-finance minister Hannes Androsch .

organization

The ASBÖ has more than 240,000 supporting members and numerous donors who make the day-to-day activities of the Samaritan Association possible and help with the fulfillment of the various tasks. Due to the cost pressure and the constantly growing demands in the health and social sector, the non-governmental organization (NGO) is dependent on financial support from partners, sponsors and members. The Austrian seal of approval for donations guarantees that donations are safe thanks to strict quality standards and constant controls.

The organization consists mainly of volunteers and civil servants , but there are also full-time employees. In order to be active in the rescue and ambulance service, one must have completed 260 hours of comprehensive training as a paramedic . The Samaritan Youth, or ASJ for short, is active throughout Austria and offers children and young people between the ages of six and 18 a variety of activities - from learning first aid to participating in flea markets and collections for people in need to excursions, competitions, seminars, Workshops.

history

The time before the Samaritan League

At the time of the Industrial Revolution and before that, the medical care of the sick and injured was dependent on the social status. Depending on the status, one could be cared for by surgeons or demolition doctors, by city hospitals or simply by charitable church institutions. In the military, where caring for injured soldiers was a top priority, knowledge about caring for the injured and sick was also gathered.

Little by little a public rescue service was formed, but it was not enough for the constantly growing population. So one was dependent on private rescue companies, such as the Vienna Voluntary Rescue Society founded in 1881 .

1927: The Austrian Workers' Samaritan Service is founded

The Arbeiter-Samariterbund Germany was founded in Germany as early as 1888 , with the primary aim of caring for injured workers. In Austria, however, the Samariterbund, in contrast to its German sister organization, was founded from the workers' associations of the First Republic .

The Austrian Workers 'Samaritan Service was founded in 1927 within the Workers' Union for Sport and Physical Culture (ASKÖ) . The main task was to provide care and first aid for those injured in sports and leisure accidents. Shortly afterwards, a water rescue service was established. Before 1927, Samaritan medical workers were only known within the armed republican Schutzbund .

Because the Workers' Samaritan Federation was subordinated to the Republican Conservation Union, he could his first aid services not with political opponents (Conservative etc.) to accomplish, which is why in 1932 the release of the Republican welfare association with the establishment of civil Workers Samaritan Federation decided and was carried out. This should lead to a depoliticization.

Like other social democratic institutions, the Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund was banned by the organs of the corporate state in 1934 and lost all of its assets in the process.

1947: Reorganization after the Second World War

Number of groups
date groups
1947 1
1948 5
1949 7th
1950 9
1954 17th
1956 20th
1960 21st
1962 24
1964 22nd
1970 23
1975 32
1982 42
1985 48
1992 57
2007 47
2009 51

After the Second World War , the ASBÖ was reorganized in Vienna. The initiative came from Swiss Samaritans, since only in Switzerland and Sweden the Workers' Samaritan Association was not dissolved before and during the Second World War. So after the war, Swiss Samaritans wanted to set up a food store in Vienna, contacted Samaritans they knew and reformed the ASBÖ in Vienna in 1947. But since all occupying powers except the Russian had objections to a new establishment, a Samaritan League was initially only established in this occupation zone .

The first rescue vehicle went into service in Eichgraben as early as 1948 . One could quickly follow up on his earlier activities, so in 1950 nine groups were active in Vienna and Lower Austria. In 1954, the newly formed Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund in Austria was already being put to the test: During the Danube flood , disaster relief services proved their worth , where international contacts were used for the benefit of the population. In 1956, during the Hungarian crisis , the ASBÖ was a large part of the organization and coordinated, among other things, the transport of aid. 300,000 refugees have already received medical care and food at the border.

1960s and 1970s

Due to the great commitment of the ASBÖ during the Hungarian crisis, it was also known in broader sections of the population. Now you could present yourself to a wider public. One attempted to do this, among other things, by offering first aid courses for driver license applicants, which at that time were not yet required by law. When these courses for "immediate measures at the scene of an accident" became legally mandatory in 1973, the legislature was also able to draw on the experience of the Samaritan Association in this regard.

Gradually, the Samaritan Association became an increasingly important point of contact in matters of disaster relief, radiation protection and regular community service .

In 1971 the new federal headquarters of the Austrian Workers' Samaritan Association was opened in Vienna XV at Pillergasse 24.

1980s and 1990s

With the rapid development of society towards the end of the 20th century, the ASBÖ also had to adapt to the new circumstances.

The achievement in the social area became more and more important, the activities went far beyond the ambulance transport. It made a name for itself in setting up the so-called senior citizen alarm and supporting the disabled. The requirements also grew in the field of sports and leisure events. This is how the Vienna City Marathon was supervised in the 1980s and 1990s . Since then, the medical surveillance department at the annual Danube Island Festival has also been in charge .

But other events, such as music events, the Pope's visits to Austria or the Wiesen Jazz Festival , were under the medical management of the ASBÖ.

In 1992 a new federal building was opened in Hollergasse 2-6 in Vienna XV.

Since 2000

The Samaritan Association has been established throughout Austria since 2000, but its levels of activity vary in the individual federal states. Its presence is greatest in Vienna , where up to 1000 transports are carried out every day. ASBÖ has a similarly strong presence in Lower Austria , Upper Austria and Salzburg . The individual local groups are constituted as independent associations and are relatively loosely organized in a federal structure with a federal association and nine regional associations.

Across Austria, the Samaritan Association is the second largest rescue organization after the Red Cross , but it is the leader in individual urban agglomerations. The spectrum of areas of application nowadays ranges from the classic rescue service and ambulance transport, to home nursing, senior alarms and meals on wheels (“vitality menus”) to water rescue , disaster relief, refugee care and rescue dog teams . After the disaster relief operation in Sri Lanka, an increasing international commitment began. Since 2007, the GEZA (Society for Development Cooperation) has also been successfully established as Austria's third largest development aid organization with projects in South and Central America and Africa.

While in parts of Lower and Upper Austria the ASB takes over the sole rescue service provision, in other regions the local groups carry out the rescue service together with other organizations or are limited to ambulance transport, transport services or individual social services or training in first aid.

The services in the area of ​​geriatric care are growing rapidly. In Styria, for example, there are already five so-called senior competence centers, four of which are under the management of the Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund Gruppe Graz, which is by far the largest center in Stubenberg / See with 100 beds and is managed directly by the federal organization. In 2008 and 2009, the federal organization set up four more such centers (2 of which are still under construction) in Burgenland (Strem, Weppersdorf, Draßburg and Olbendorf).

In 2007 the Samaritan Union celebrated its 80th anniversary.

Services

Ambulance of the type VW-T4

Special services

The social mission of the Samaritan Association consists of numerous supraregional and regional initiatives such as B. “LernLeo” (free tutoring and learning facility for children and young people aged 6 to 14 years), “Nikolauszug” (an Advent weekend in cooperation with the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) for disadvantaged children) and in cooperation with the Post AG campaign “Play Christkind!” (Christmas gifts for children from families at risk of poverty). The Samariterbund-Welfare Foundation "For Life" offers financial support for sick, needy children and young people (up to 16 years of age) in medical emergencies that are not covered by the social network. The "Samariter-Wunschfahrt" enables palliative care patients to take a trip within Austria with a special vehicle and is free of charge for patients and their companions.

ASBÖ regional groups

Burgenland

The bases Andau, Hornstein and Weppersdorf are represented in Burgenland.

Carinthia

Carinthia has an office with the Villach Group , which has existed since 1985.

In 2008 the operational activities were transferred to the Samariterbund Kärnten Rescue and Social Services non-profit GmbH.

Lower Austria

Lower Austria has 25 groups, making it the largest ASBÖ organization in Austria.

  • Altlengbach group
  • Dunkelsteinerwald group
  • Ebreichsdorf group
  • Eichgraben group
  • Frankenfels-Schwarzenbach group
  • Gaaden-Wienerwald group
  • Group size Gerungs
  • Loosdorf group
  • Maria Lanzendorf group
  • Mödling group
  • Persenbeug group
  • Pottenbrunn group
  • Purkersdorf group
  • Group Pöchlarn / Neuda
  • Rabenstein group
  • St. Pölten Group
  • St. Georgen / Steinfeld group
  • St. Veit / Gölsen group
  • Steinfelden-Schönau-Leobersdorf group
  • Ternitz-Pottschach group
  • Traisen group
  • Traiskirchen / Trumau group
  • Traismauer group
  • Wilhelmsburg Group
  • Wiener Neustadt group

At all locations except Mödling , Purkersdorf , Wr. Neustadt and St. Pölten , ASBÖ has the sole rescue contracts with the municipality.

The Purkersdorf group was founded in 1968. The group has been active in the rescue service since 1979. In 1996, on the initiative of chairwoman Brigitte Samwald, Purkersdorf became the location of an ambulance, which has since been operated continuously in alternation with the Purkersdorf Red Cross. The agency has been on a steady upward trend since 2000. The rescue center was able to expand its fleet from just 3 vehicles to a total of 13 vehicles by 2008. This makes the agency one of the largest in the Samaritan Association of Lower Austria. In addition to the classic rescue service and first aid courses, there was also a wide range of social services. In addition to "meals on wheels", senior trips, youth trips and emergency telephones are also offered. The Samariterbund has been running a social market since 2009 and sells furniture, clothing, dishes, books and other everyday items at low prices. In 2011 the social market was awarded the "Richard Löwenherz Prize" from the state of Lower Austria as a communal social project.

Since 2017, the Samariterbund Niederösterreich has been manning the so-called emergency medical vehicles (NEF) together with the Red Cross Lower Austria as a contractual partner with the state of Lower Austria. Here the bases in "Lengbach" (Altlengbach / Neulengbach), Melk, Purkersdorf, St. Pölten and Ybbs / Persenbeug are changed every week between the Samaritan Association and the Red Cross. In GR. Gerungs is currently the only NEF provided by the Samaritan Association.

Upper Austria

There are four groups in Upper Austria:

  • Group alcoves
  • Bad Ischl group
  • Feldkirchen Group
  • Group Linz

The Linz Group has existed for many years as an organization roughly the same size as the Red Cross Linz City. The organization serves the greater Linz area with its vehicles from three offices in the Urfahr, Spallerhof and Bindermichl-Keferfeld districts. In addition, the ASB Linz operates an emergency vehicle (NEF) in the emergency medical service and is active in the social field (home nursing, meals on wheels, handicapped transport, assisted living, etc.).

The ambulance and ambulance vehicles of the Linz, Feldkirchen and Alkoven groups are dispatched from the Linz control center. Emergency calls to the emergency number 144 reach the rescue control center of the Red Cross, but may be given to the Samaritan Association located closer.

A water rescue group existed in Weißenbach am Attersee until 2006.

Salzburg

Salzburg has two groups:

  • Regional group Salzburg and
  • Zell / See group

The Salzburg regional group was founded in 1973 and is now one of the largest independent groups in Austria with over 100 vehicles and up to 1000 transports a day.
The core business is the transport service for people with special needs as well as ambulance and ambulance transport. The regional group also operates two senior day centers in Hallein and Schleedorf.

The other range of services of the Salzburg Group:

  • First aid course
  • Event support
  • Samaritan menu service (meals on wheels)
  • National and International Disaster Relief Service
  • Intensive care transports
  • Europe-wide return service

Styria

Another ambulance from the Graz group in front of the Judendorf-Straßengel clinic

To date, there are two groups in Styria:

  • Graz group
  • Langenwang Group (Mürzzuschlag)

The Graz group was originally founded in Rohrbach-Steinberg as the Hitzendorf / Rettung Liebochtal group. In 2004 the head office was relocated to Graz, Rohrbach became the first Graz branch. In 2007, the second Graz branch was opened in Gössendorf , which was closed again in 2009. The Rohrbach-Steinberg branch was closed in 2011. In the north-west of Graz, in Judendorf-Straßengel , a new branch office was opened in 2009, it was closed again at the end of 2014 and taken over by the local Red Cross . The head office of the Samariterbund Graz is located at Puchstrasse 216 in the Puntigam district and is staffed 24 hours a day so that it can independently dispatch rescue equipment in the event of emergencies that arise in the company's own control center (e.g. emergency number, blood and organ transports, etc.) . The Samariterbund Graz has 17 vehicles in operation, four of which are ambulances , including the Tigis Europa and Otaris light types . There are also six NKTWs , KTWs and BKTWs in use.

The Graz group has had a water rescue team since 2002. A SEG has existed since the beginning of 2012. The Graz Group is also active in the following areas:

  • First aid course
  • Event support
  • National and International Disaster Relief Service
  • Intensive care transports
  • Europe-wide return service

The Langenwang group in Mürzzuschlag was founded on May 20, 1989 and supplements the supply of medical services and ambulance services in the region; it is also not involved in the regular rescue service.

Tyrol

San-Motorrad ASB Tirol

The Samariterbund Tirol was only founded in 2003, and from 2007 there was a rescue service contract with the Wildschönau community . In the course of the nationwide tender for the new Rescue Service Act, the Samaritan Association entered into a bidding consortium with the Red Cross. This enabled further offices to be opened or jointly managed with the Red Cross.

Since July 1, 2011, the ambulance vehicles in Kufstein and St. Johann in Tirol have been operated together, and an ambulance is stationed in Schwaz . An ambulance and two ambulances followed in Innsbruck, as well as an ambulance and five ambulances in Wörgl and Kirchbichl . The vehicles are connected to the Tyrolean control center in Innsbruck and are centrally dispatched by this.

In addition, the Samariterbund Tirol has a rescue dog team, a crisis intervention team, a motorcycle team and both a youth group in Kirchbichl and Innsbruck.

Vorarlberg

In Vorarlberg there is the Feldkirch group . From a base near Feldkirch city center, a catchment area of ​​20 congregations is covered together with the WCC. The vehicle fleet includes 2 ambulance vehicles, 4 KTWs and one MTW, which can also be used as a B-KTW. An ambulance is always on duty; additionally at least three on weekdays and one KTW on weekends.

The vehicles are - like all other means of the rescue services, fire brigade, mountain rescue, crisis intervention team, emergency helicopter and water rescue - connected to the rescue and fire brigade control center (RFL) Vorarlberg and are alerted centrally by this.

After more than three years of planning and preparation, the ground-breaking ceremony took place in April 2013 for the construction of a new joint base for ASB and ÖRK, which will be unique in Austria in this form. Both organizations will work under one roof in a four-storey building: the joint use of training and meeting rooms, garage, warehouse, etc. creates synergies and should bring advantages for both partners. The completion of the 4.5 million euro building is planned for December 2014.

Vienna

RTW and N-KTW of the ASBÖ Vienna

In Vienna , the federal and regional associations have their own vehicle fleets, which means that the ten Viennese groups need fewer vehicles. As the largest aid organization in the city, the Samariterbund provides at least three ambulances and around 70 ambulances every day - in close cooperation with the Viennese ambulance , which is legally responsible for the ambulance service - most of which are manned by full-time employees and civil servants, but also by volunteers . The regional association performed well over 30,000 primary missions in 2008 and carries out up to 900 patient transports a day.

The ten Vienna district groups are distributed across the city as follows (the responsible districts in brackets):

The Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund Floridsdorf-Donaustadt (ASBÖ 921), founded in 1952, is the largest district group of the Vienna Samaritan Association and one of the largest in Austria with its base at Vienna's Donaucity . With over 30 full-time employees, around 330 volunteers and 100 people doing community service every year, this group is particularly responsible for the supply in the northern districts of Vienna.
The power spectrum of the ASBÖ 921 includes the emergency services, ambulance services , ambulance services , emergency medicine, Rückholdienste , disaster relief , water rescue , youth work and performing first aid COURSES.
In close cooperation with the Viennese professional rescue service, the Floridsdorf-Donaustadt rescue base provides 2 ambulance vehicles and 1–4 ambulance vehicles that are in use 24 hours a day all year round. In addition to the main operational area in districts 22 and 21, districts 2 and 20 are also part of the group's catchment area.
The Danube Island Festival , which is frequented by three million visitors every year, represents a special test : Since its inception in 1982, the entire sanitary support of the festival has been organized by Group 921 and carried out with the support of Samaritans from home and abroad.

literature

  • Paul Meihsl (ed.): From self-help to organization of operations: the history of the worker Samaritan being. Pichlerverl., Vienna 1992, ISBN 3-85431-071-4 .
  • Thomas JJ Wallnig: The challenge of helping. 80 years of the Austrian Workers' Samaritan Association (1927–2007). Echomedia Verlag, Vienna 2007.
  • Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund Österreichs (Ed.): Hygiene in the ambulance service, Facultas Verlag, Vienna 2011, ISBN 978-3-7089-0684-3
  • Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund Österreichs (Hrsg.): Professional studies for the Austrian medic, Facultas Verlag, Vienna 2012, ISBN 978-3-7089-0818-2
  • Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund Österreichs (Hrsg.): Pediatric emergencies for the staff in the rescue service, Facultas Verlag, Vienna 2019, ISBN 978-3-7089-0714-7
  • Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund Österreichs (Ed.): Medical Basics for Rescue Service Personnel, Facultas Verlag, Vienna 2019, ISBN 978-3-7089-0715-4

Web links

Commons : Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund Österreichs  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Arbeiter-Smariter-Bund-Österreichs: Annual Report 2018. Retrieved on May 13, 2019 .
  2. ↑ Samaritan Association and Red Cross improve cooperation. In: Upper Austria news. April 25, 2018, accessed May 7, 2019 .
  3. ^ ASBÖ Annual Report 2006. ASBÖ Press / Public Relations Department, 2007, accessed on August 1, 2016 .
  4. ↑ Connection of the Arbeiter Samariterbund Tirol  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , ILL press release, August 9, 2011@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.leitstelle-tirol.at  
  5. ↑ Ceremonial groundbreaking: Rescue center in Feldkirch , accessed on August 2, 2013 /