State Fire Brigade Association Vorarlberg

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The Vorarlberg State Fire Brigade Association was founded as a public corporation with legal personality and based in Bregenz . The current seat is in Feldkirch . The state fire brigade association includes all local and company fire brigades set up in the state of Vorarlberg , all fire insurance companies active in the state and all honorary members of the association. It has the task of safeguarding and promoting the fire police interests of the country, in particular advising and supporting the authorities, professional training and representation of firefighters, honoring their special merits and supporting them when they are harmed in the performance of their duties. The activities of the state fire brigade association are subject to the supervision of the state government with regard to their legal and statutory compliance .

history

After the end of the Second World War , the Provisional State Government within the meaning of Section 1 (2) of the Constitutional Act of May 1, 1945, StGBl. No. 6, on the restoration of legal life in Austria ( legal transition law ), repealed the legal provisions of the German Reich in the field of fire extinguishing. The fire police was dissolved as a state institution. In accordance with the provisions of the relevant laws, the municipalities took over their duties again.

On October 30, 1945 there was a meeting between Governor Ulrich Ilg and representatives of the Vorarlberg fire brigades regarding the rebuilding of the fire service in the state . Before the war, two fire brigade associations were still active in Vorarlberg (the Vorarlberger Feuerwehrgauverband, founded in 1875, and the Bregenzerwald district association for fire and rescue services ), the re-establishment of a separate association for the Bregenzerwald fire brigades was rejected by the state government due to the size of the country. Josef Mittempergher was entrusted with the management of a provisional state fire brigade command. District commanders were introduced to the fire brigades in the three political districts - initially provisionally: Lothar Maier in Bregenz, Josef Wellinger in Feldkirch and Karl Ratt in Bludenz .

In the years up to 1948, intensive work was carried out on a new fire police order for Vorarlberg, which came into force on April 9, 1949 (LGBl. 16/1949) and, apart from a few amendments, is still valid today. At the same time as this law, the Implementation Ordinance (LGBl. 17/1949) came into force, with which a provisional association management was to be appointed up to the appointment of the district fire brigade inspectors and the establishment of the state fire brigade association, which was entrusted with the implementation of the preparatory work. After completing this preparatory work, Josef Mittempergher was appointed regional fire brigade inspector and chairman of the regional fire brigade association Vorarlberg at the first association day on July 17, 1949 in Hohenems . The structure, tasks and operations were regulated in more detail by the statutes issued by the state government (Appendix IV to LGBl. No. 17/1949).

tasks

According to the ordinance of the state government for the implementation of the fire police regulations, the state fire brigade association has the statutory task of safeguarding and promoting the fire police interests for the entire area of ​​the state of Vorarlberg by pooling all facilities and resources serving them. In particular, he is responsible for:

  • advising and supporting the authorities in the creation and implementation of fire protection regulations and in the use of public funds made available for fire protection purposes,
  • Uncovering the causes of damaged fires, influencing the issuing of fire prevention regulations and educating the population to cooperate in fire prevention through constant education and reminders,
  • the care for the greatest possible increase and permanent maintenance of the efficiency of the fire brigades set up for fire fighting in adaptation to the local needs and possibilities through uniform design, appropriate equipment and continued training,
  • the professional training, especially of the firefighters intended for leading positions and the creation of the facilities required for this, or the ability to visit suitable training facilities in other countries,
  • representing the general professional interests of firefighters, promoting their enthusiasm for service and camaraderie, honoring their special merits and supporting them when they are harmed in the performance of their duties.

The state fire brigade association also has the tasks

  • to set uniform service badges in accordance with Section 31 of the Fire Police Regulations with the approval of the state government for all fire brigades in the state of Vorarlberg. These are to be worn visibly on the left chest side of the clothing.
  • To regulate the prerequisites and conditions for training and practice in the use of extinguishing systems and in solving the tactical tasks that arise in the event of fire for all fire brigades in the state of Vorarlberg.
  • Determination of a permanently manned position to receive emergency calls from the fire brigade for the purpose of relaying the alarm in accordance with Section 16 (3) of the state government ordinance on the nature of nursing homes.
  • Issuing instructions for pressurized water pipes for the extraction of extinguishing water to be set up by the municipalities,
  • Submit a statement of accounts on the overall management including an activity report to the state government for review.
  • The state fire brigade association is to be heard with regard to the use of funds from the state fire brigade fund, which is administered by the state government, and with regard to the selection of the state fire brigade inspector.

According to § 11 Paragraph 1 of the ordinance of the state government for the implementation of the fire police regulations (Annex IV: statutes of the state fire brigade association Vorarlberg) and § 56 par.2 of the law on fire police in the state of Vorarlberg, is the competent supervisory authority for the activities of the state fire brigade association with regard to its law - and in accordance with the statutes, the state government, which can also override unlawful or unlawful resolutions and orders of the state fire brigade association in accordance with Paragraph 3.

organs

The organs of the state fire brigade association are the association chairman, the association management and the association day. The association chairman is the respective state fire brigade inspector (LFI). This represents the association externally, conducts the day-to-day business and financial management, compiles the annual financial statements and the annual activity report, prepares the items to be discussed for the association management and the association day, presides over them and implements their resolutions. The LFI, who works full-time, is appointed by the governor. The district fire brigade inspectors (BFI) who are not full-time are appointed by the district authorities. You only receive an expense allowance. The district representatives, on the other hand, are elected by the fire departments at the Association Day.

The association management is responsible for advising and making decisions on all fundamental and important matters of the association, in particular drawing up the budget, reviewing the annual accounts, making decisions on the use of budget funds, submitting applications for the use of funds from the state fire brigade fund and - after obtaining the consent of the state government - the appointment of honorary members. The association management consists of the association chairman, his deputy, the regional fire brigade inspectors of the state, one representative each of the local fire brigades of the districts Bludenz, Bregenz, Dornbirn and Feldkirch, one representative of the state's company fire brigades, the representative of the Vorarlberger Landesfeuerversicherungsanstalt and one representative from the rest of the state operate fire insurance companies. If necessary, special experts can also be called in for the consultations.

The association day is to be convened at least once a year to take note of the budget and the activities of the association in the past year and to discuss fire-fighting issues. It consists of the members of the association management and the representatives of the local fire brigades and the state fire brigades.

The State Fire Brigade Association now looks after 120 local and 24 company fire departments. Günther Watzenegger is the managing director of the State Fire Brigade Association. The office of headmaster is occupied by Wolfgang Burtscher.

structure

In 1969, the state of Vorarlberg was divided from originally three into four political districts , so that another district fire brigade inspector, namely Oskar Bösch from Lustenau , who was previously the district fire brigade inspector for the Feldkirch district, was appointed for the new Dornbirn district .

Districts and Sections

activity

After the restoration of Vorarlberg as an independent federal state, the provisional management of the newly established state fire brigade association of Vorarlberg began training under the most difficult of conditions. The Bludenz district fire brigade inspector Karl Ratt was commissioned with this task. In May 1946, the first machinist courses with 63 participants were held in the Bludenz fire station . The equipment required for training, such as portable pumps , fittings, hose material and trailers, came mainly from armed forces and from the Bludenz fire brigade. The small glass hall in the Fohrenburg brewery restaurant served as a teaching and dining room . Mitzi Ratt, the wife of BFI Karl Ratt, took care of the physical well-being of the course participants. The District Food Office in Bludenz provided 10 kg of meat, 7.5 kg of food, 10 cans of sardines, 2 kg of coffee substitute, 2.5 kg of sugar and 100 kg of potatoes for the kitchen and each course participant had to have his or her food card for 1 kg of bread Bring 100 g of meat, 100 g of food and 60 g of fat. Self-caterers who were not able to purchase food ration cards had to bring potatoes and, if available, flour and eggs. Air-raid beds with straw sacks, which were set up in the attic of the fire brigade building, served as sleeping facilities. Each course participant had to bring a sheet, pillow, blanket and towel with them. After the French soldiers withdrew at the end of 1953, the space they used in the Bludenz tool shed above the vehicle garage was converted into a training and dining room and a small kitchen was also set up. The course participants stayed overnight in private houses in the area. In order to improve the training activity, a further renovation took place after the end of the courses in May 1962. The existing classroom was set up accordingly for better school operations. A dining room for 80 people, a high-performance kitchen, a teaching material room, a clothing room, a washroom with toilet facilities and an office were built from scratch. On March 16, 1964, LFI Josef Mittempergher was able to hand over the new state fire brigade school to its destination. In the autumn of 1979 the training activities in the Alpine town of Bludenz ended after the tool shed for the Bludenz local fire brigade was rebuilt and added. In the more than 32 years - from 1946 to 1979 - 434 courses were held in Bludenz with a total of 14,307 course participants, including 12,964 fire fighters and 1,343 people who did not belong to a fire service.

The course activity was continued at the location of the State Fire Brigade Association in Feldkirch, Fidelisstraße 2 . Theoretical lessons took place in a hall rented by the city of Feldkirch. The practical training took place on the Oberau sports field in Gisingen , train and operations leader exercises on objects in Tosters and around the St. Corneli pilgrimage church . The course participants were fed in the “Bären” hotel in Feldkirch and the youth hostel in Gisingen was available for overnight stays. An emergency solution that required a lot of improvisation skills. From 1980 to 1984, 126 courses were held here with a total of 4,009 course participants.

The increasing demand from the fire brigades for further training, due to the technical development and the diversity of the demands on the emergency services, led the association management to the conclusion that the construction of a new state fire brigade school was inevitable. After two years of construction and ten years of hard efforts by the then state fire brigade inspector Erwin Wiederin, the new state fire brigade school in Feldkirch- Altenstadt was inaugurated on June 22, 1985 and handed over to the Vorarlberg state fire brigade association by Governor Herbert Keßler . According to the principle "training is success in action", the state fire brigade association was and still is trying to provide the fire fighters with a wide range of training courses in accordance with the various tasks. Optimally furnished classrooms with the appropriate audiovisual equipment allow the necessary knowledge to be conveyed better in a shorter time. The practice hall, the fire house and, since September 3, 2009, a new fire training facility , where operations can be realistically simulated, are indispensable . The division of the courses in spring and autumn meant that significantly more participants could be accepted. In addition, a breathing protection training course is available to all fire brigades outside of the course . The acceptance of the new state fire brigade school and the newly developed training and education program by the Vorarlberg soldiers is enormous. From 1985 to 1991, 48 different types of courses were offered in 630 courses and a total of 14,659 course participants (12,388 firefighters and 2,271 others) were taught.

The aforementioned law on fire police in the state of Vorarlberg (Fire Police Ordinance, LGBl. 16/1949) stipulates that, without prejudice to any claims for compensation, all expenses that are necessary for measures and facilities under this law are to be borne by the municipality, in particular the costs the clothing and equipment of the local fire brigade. The state fire brigade fund was set up by the state of Vorarlberg and administered by the state government to support the communities. The state government decides on these funds after hearing the state fire brigade association. The state fire brigade fund mainly covers the expenses of the fire brigade inspectors and the funds required by the state fire brigade association to carry out its tasks. Up to 20% of the annual inflows into the state fire brigade fund can be used to support the fire brigade members who have suffered damage to their life or health in the course of their service or other people who have been called upon by the authorities to provide assistance in public emergencies and who have been injured in the process and their survivors. Furthermore, aid for fire police expenses can be granted to needy municipalities if these are described by the state fire brigade association as necessary and appropriate.

Fire prevention office Vorarlberg

The Vorarlberg Fire Prevention Center, based in Bregenz, is a special facility of the Vorarlberg State Fire Brigade Association to promote fire prevention . The legal basis can be found in Section 43 (2) of the Fire Police Regulations and in Section 3 b) of the statutes of the LFV Vorarlberg (Annex IV to LGBl. 17/1949). In 1956 the LFI transferred Josef Mittempergher to the director of the state fire insurance Dr. Guth the diverse tasks of preventive fire protection. Furthermore, Josef Fessler was put into service as a technical clerk. Its area of ​​responsibility included the training and control of the fire inspection bodies , advice, the preparation of expert reports and assistance in determining the causes of the fire. In mid-1956, work began in the state fire insurance office in Bregenz. From this point on, fire inspections will be held at regular intervals by experts from the fire prevention agency and the municipalities. Courses were held at the state fire brigade school for fire inspection bodies.

Gold Cross of Merit of the Vorarlberg Fire Brigade Association

Cross of Merit

At the 42nd meeting of the association on March 25, 1977, the association management created the " Cross of Merit of the Vorarlberg State Fire Brigade Association" for special merits in the fire service . It is awarded in the three stages “bronze”, “silver” and “gold”. The Cross of Merit is a four-bar cross with a diagonal size of 40 mm, in the middle of which the Vorarlberg coat of arms , surrounded by a laurel wreath and a silver-colored fire helmet , is placed. The cross is worn on a triangular, folded ribbon with a 4 mm wide strip in bronze, silver or gold, depending on the level, on the left side of the chest.

Chairperson

  • Josef Mittempergher (1903–1966), State Fire Brigade Inspector from 1945–1966
  • Erwin Wiederin (1927–2015), State Fire Brigade Inspector from 1966–1991
  • Willi Gorbach (1939–1994), State Fire Brigade Inspector from 1991–1994
  • Ulrich Welte (* 1944), State Fire Brigade Inspector from 1994–2006
  • Hubert Vetter (* 1958), state fire brigade inspector since 2006

  • Hubert Vetter State Fire Brigade Inspector since 2006

Awards

  • 2018: Recognized for Excellence 3 * by Quality Austria and EFQM (European Foundation for Quality Management) as the only regional association

Web links

Commons : Landesfeuerwehrverband Vorarlberg  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ LGBl. 18/1971, 28/1979, 56/1994, 91/1994, 34/1999 and 58/2001
  2. ↑ LGBl. No. 17/1949.
  3. ↑ According to § 8 of the Law on Fire Police in the State of Vorarlberg, LGBl. No. 16/194, the fire inspection must be carried out by suitable persons, whereby the mayor has to appoint them and also special experts, in particular those provided by the State Fire Brigade Association should fall back. According to Section 43, Paragraph 1, the State Fire Brigade Association must also advise and support the state government in matters relating to fire protection, in particular in the use of public funds intended for fire protection purposes.
  4. ↑ Pursuant to Section 43 (1) of the Law on Fire Police in the State of Vorarlberg, the State Fire Brigade Association also has to ensure the uniform design and equipment of the fire brigade, to increase their efficiency through training and practice and to manage and manage any facilities created for this purpose To protect the general professional interests of the fire brigade members, to promote camaraderie among them, to honor merited members of the fire brigade and to support those in need.
  5. ↑ LGBl. No. 16/1949.
  6. ↑ § 5 of the regulation of the state government for the implementation of the fire police regulations, LGBl. No. 17/1949.
  7. ↑ Section 6 (2) of the ordinance of the state government for the implementation of the fire police regulations, LGBl. No. 17/1949.
  8. ↑ Heimbauverordnung (HBV), LGBl. No. 129/2015.
  9. ↑ Section 19 (4) of the Law on Fire Police in the State of Vorarlberg, LGBl. No. 16/194.
  10. ↑ Section 47, Paragraph 2 of the Law on Fire Police in the State of Vorarlberg, LGBl. No. 16/194.
  11. ↑ Sections 51 and 57, Paragraph 2 of the Law on Fire Police in the State of Vorarlberg, LGBl. No. 16/194.
  12. ↑ LGBl. No. 17/1949.
  13. ↑ The representatives of the local fire departments of the districts and the representatives of the company fire departments of the state are elected on the occasion of an association day for a period of five years.
  14. ↑ Each fire brigade can send as many representatives as there are extinguishing units (fire brigade groups) to the Association Day. Section 8 (1) of the statutes of the State Fire Brigade Association (LGBl. 17/1949, Annex IV).
  15. ↑ Landesfeuerwehrverband Vorarlberg awarded on June 25, 2018, accessed on January 6, 2019

Coordinates: 47 ° 16 ′ 13.7 ″  N , 9 ° 36 ′ 34.5 ″  E