Niederaula will receive 125,450 euros for new fire engines and a new building!

Niederaula will receive 125,450 euros for new fire engines and a new building!

The Niederaula fire department recently experienced significant progress when District President Mark Weinmeister delivered funding totaling 125,450 euros. These financial resources are intended for the replacement of two new vehicles: a StLF 20 relay fire engine and a GW-L2 equipment truck. The new vehicles are needed because the previous TLF 16/25 tank fire engine, which has been in use since 2001, and an equipment truck, which has been used since 1991, are getting old. The funding notices were handed over 14 months after the application was submitted, which brought great relief to the fire department representatives, as the procurement had long since proven necessary to ensure the fire department's operational readiness. You can find out more about the details of the presentation in the report from East Hesse News read up.

In addition to the new vehicles, the new fire station is also being built. Planning permission has already been granted and earthworks have begun. The planned new building behind the new kindergarten on the old Leimenkaute is estimated to cost around 9 million euros. Of this, the community receives funding of 476,700 euros from the state of Hesse. The state approval notice was handed over by State Secretary Stefan Sauer on August 22, 2022. This information comes from HNA.

Political discussions and challenges

However, the construction of the new fire station was not without challenges. In recent years there have been extensive political discussions about the location, size and equipment of the new building. The TÜV has rated the old fire station as inadequate several times since 2009, which underlines the urgency of the new building. In a vote in the local council on July 31, 2021, only 19 of 28 representatives voted for the new building, which led to a broad debate about the necessity and the level of investment.

Mayor Thomas Rohrbach emphasizes the need to review the sales tax burden for the municipality and also faces the challenge of realistically representing the actual costs of around 1.6 million euros for the fire station. He is optimistic that the Niederaula fire department will be able to move into the new building by 2025 so that the emergency services can work in adequate conditions.

Emergency forces and their importance

The Niederaula fire department currently has 56 active members in the operations department, 20 in the youth fire department and 37 fire owls. Mayor Rohrbach and Bundestag member Wilhelm Gebhard are working hard for the federal government to recognize and support fire departments in order to ensure safety in the market town and the surrounding motorway sections. The new vehicles are expected to be ready for use in the next 2-3 years and are a further step towards strengthening the performance of the Niederaula fire department.