New height rescuers for Jena

Mountain bikers who have crashed on slopes, technicians in distress on wind turbines, paragliders who get stuck in trees - the Jena fire department's height rescuers are needed to help these people. Six colleagues from the professional fire department have just successfully completed this special training. Mayor Dr. Thomas Nitzsche presented them with their certificates today at a height of around 140 meters - on the viewing platform of the Jentower. At the end of the two-week course, the new height rescuers and their instructors abseiled down from the highest office building in Thuringia after receiving their certificates.

The Jena fire department has 27 active height rescuers. Depending on demand, the fire department's own instructors offer this special course approximately every two years. The aim is to have so many height rescuers in the team that three of them can always be on duty at the same time.

"We can be very proud that we can offer this training here in Jena and that we can once again welcome six young colleagues to the team of height rescuers,"

said Martin Sommer, who coordinates the height rescue service in the fire department. All of the participants have completed their training as intermediate firefighters and already have several years of professional experience in the fire department.

In addition to theoretical instruction, the prospective height rescuers have completed various test missions over the past few days - including on a 20-metre-high tower block, an 88-metre-high wind turbine, a 60-metre-high car bridge and, finally, on the Jentower. In order to stay in practice, they all have to complete around 70 hours of training in height rescue every year.