Cooperation in fire department training

Erfurt's Lord Mayor Andreas Bausewein, Jena's Lord Mayor Thomas Nitzsche and Gera's Lord Mayor Julian Vonarb signed the agreement. The special-purpose agreement was initiated in order to tackle problems and their previously inefficient solutions in a targeted manner.

This includes the central recording of state-wide requirements via a portal of the Jena professional fire department. This is intended to prevent any supposed overbooking. In addition, there is to be cooperation in the preparation and implementation of the six-month basic training courses in future in order to ensure the same teaching content and methods and to create the same, non-competitive course costs.

The agreement also envisages standardizing the selection tests and establishing mutual support in carrying out the tests with the aim of not losing interested applicants due to possible overlapping dates. Finally, the state of Thuringia is also to be supported in establishing a career course for the higher fire department.

Training of specialists

The main focus of the special purpose agreement is the organization and implementation of the basic training course (GAL) and corresponding selection tests. However, it is also intended to create scope for cooperation in other areas of basic, advanced and further training. These include control center training, basic, advanced and further training in special and very complex emergency response topics such as river rescue, rescue from heights, NBC emergency response or vegetation firefighting, as well as basic and advanced training in rescue services.

"Just like us, Jena and Gera also have difficulties in recruiting young people for the professional fire department. It is therefore important that we no longer compete with each other for applicants, but work together to ensure that people who are enthusiastic about the fire department receive the same and fair training and further training conditions in all three cities," says Erfurt's Lord Mayor Andreas Bausewein.

Jena's Lord Mayor Thomas Nitzsche also emphasized that the cities must increasingly train specialists themselves in order to be able to fill the positions that will become vacant in the coming years. He expressed his hope that other professional fire departments in Thuringia would also join this initiative of the three large cities in the future.

Julian Vonarb, Lord Mayor of the city of Gera, added: "The shortage of new recruits is a supra-regional challenge that we in Thuringia can only face together. Just as we form a strong team with our volunteer fire department, there will also be a strong team for joint fire department training in the future. With this special-purpose agreement, we will counteract the downward trend with determination in the future. This cooperation is a decisive step towards strengthening the professional fire departments in Erfurt, Jena and Gera and offering the best possible training portfolio."