Fire department veteran retires

Fire Director Peter Schörnig is retiring from the Jena fire department. Schörnig has been part of the fire department since 1991. From 1996 to 2017, he was team leader of the control center, and since 2012 also deputy head of the fire department.In 2017, he took over as acting head of the fire department following the departure of the former head of department.

During his career, Schörnig has mastered numerous challenges and continued to improve his qualifications. In 2019, he was appointed as a fire councillor and was given permanent responsibility for the specialist service. This was followed by his appointment as senior fire officer in 2021 and finally his appointment as fire director in 2023.

"Many thanks to Peter Schörnig for his many years of tireless work as head of the Jena fire department," said Lord Mayor Dr. Thomas Nitzsche on his farewell. "With his commitment, his expertise and his courage, Chief Fire Officer Peter Schörnig has made our city safer. His loyalty and warmth have always impressed us. His dedication and comradely leadership have made the Jena fire department team strong and efficient. I would like to thank him for his great service and wish him all the best for the future."

"Fire Director Peter Schörnig is considered a veteran of the Jena fire department. Thanks to his dedicated and professional management of the professional fire department of the city of Jena, he has always impressed with his humanity and leadership," emphasized Benjamin Koppe, Head of the Safety Department. As an experienced head of the control center, Schörnig was already committed to expanding the Jena regional control center and developing it into an East Thuringian network. "Looking back on his career, the Jena professional fire department owes a great deal to his work," said Koppe. "We thank him from the bottom of our hearts for his many years of dedication and his tireless commitment to the safety and well-being of the citizens of our city."

Schörnig's duties will now initially be taken over by his successor, Ralf Hertig. However, he will also be retiring nine months later. The professional fire department is therefore faced with the task of repositioning itself in a new and stable way and developing a future-proof structure, said department head Koppe. "We will set the course for this in the coming months. We wish Peter Schörnig the best of health, happiness and many fulfilling moments in the next phase of his life."

Two special surprises awaited Peter Schörnig at the farewell ceremony on Thursday. The Thuringian Fire Brigade Association honored him with the association's Gold Medal of Honor and Schörnig was awarded the Golden Fire Protection Medal of Honor on Ribbon on behalf of the Prime Minister of the Free State of Thuringia.