Midland Fire Chief Reuben Vollmer visits with Peter Krings, firefighter/medic in Hilden, Germany.Midland Fire Chief Reuben Vollmer and Peter Krings prepare to go up the 100-foot ladder, a new truck for the Hilden (Germany) Fire Department.

Midland Chief visits fire house in Hilden, Germany

Editor’s Note:

 

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While on vacation in Germany in May 2014, Midland fire Chief Reuben Vollmer and wife Pat, visited the Hilden Fire Station where their 1998 foreign exchange student, Susanna Clements and boyfriend, Peter Krings, is employed as a Firefighter/Medic.

     Hilden is located next to Dusseldorf. The Hilden Fire Department is about 144 years old and provides first response to about 10 square miles. Hilden has approximately 56,000 inhabitants.

     The Hilden Fire Department has nearly 100 volunteer firefighters and 50 professional firefighters. An average shift is 10 firefighters and one doctor is on duty, consisting of a shift leader, four personnel on the engine, two on the ladder, two on the ambulance and a driver for the doctor’s car. (A doctor is dispatched on most all ambulance calls).

     The Hilden fire station is equipped with 22 vehicles consisting of three ambulances, one doctor car, one 100 ft. ladder, six engines, one Mobile Command Center, one Accident/Haz-mat Unit, two Chief’s vehicles, one truck with 1.5 miles of hose, one OFF Road Truck and five other units for transporting personnel.

     On an average, the Hilden Fire and ambulance respond to 3,500 calls a year, provide mutual aid to surrounding communities and cover some autobahn miles.

     They toured the facilities and Reuben got to operate the ladder and ride up to the top on it, what a view. All firefighting equipment exits the fire station into a courtyard and then onto the street thru a gated entrance/exit. The ambulance and doctor car exit direct onto the street.

     In October 2013 Peter and Susanna were in America and were given a tour of the Midland Fire Department and were invited to come visit and tour with them.

     Other areas they visited while in Germany were Hamburg, Berlin, Colome, and the Black Forest.

     They enjoyed the tour and encourage all other firefighters to exchange visits with other fire departments locally and aboard.

 

Blaze Publications, Inc.

Jeff Gargano - Editor
P.O. Box 122
Humboldt, IA 50548
jeff@blazepublicationsinc.com

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