Landshut Volunteer Fire Department: Brilliant Christmas party inspires!

Landshut Volunteer Fire Department: Brilliant Christmas party inspires!

Last Saturday, the Landshut Volunteer Fire Department celebrated a merry Christmas in the festive ambience of the town hall and in the hall of the main fire station. The event attracted numerous guests of honor from politics, business and aid organizations who jointly supported the services of the fire department and its members. Landshut fire department reports The Irish folk band “Landshut Tullamore Few” provided musical entertainment during the celebration, underlining the festive mood.

The celebration was opened by first chairman Andreas Kei, who warmly welcomed the guests. Afterwards, Daniel Koppauer told a humorous Christmas story that caused laughter and a contemplative atmosphere. In his Christmas speech, Kei emphasized the importance of volunteer firefighters, who make up 95% of all firefighters in Germany. This shows how valuable the volunteers' commitment to safety in their communities is.

Volunteering in focus

A central theme of Andreas Kei's speech was the valuable role of children's and youth fire departments. These offer an initial, important experience and enjoyment of the fire service, which is crucial for future cross-generational commitment. Kei criticized the widespread self-image that the fire brigade will always provide help and warned of increasing disrespect towards the emergency services. His words were heard and left a lasting impression on the audience.

City fire officer Sebastian Öllerer praised service in the volunteer fire department as attractive and emphasized that the fire service not only promotes professional but also personal development. The cooperation with aid organizations was particularly appreciated, and Öllerer thanked the active comrades for their tireless work.

Promotions and honors

Another highlight of the Christmas party was the official promotion of the modular squad course from 2025 as well as numerous honors given by various officials. Particularly outstanding was the awarding of the Lower Bavarian Fire Department Cross of Honor in Silver to Dominik Neß and Milton da Silva Monteiro, who made an impression with their services. Many active firefighters also received sleeve stripes for 10, 20, 25, 30 and even 40 years of service.

Dr. Thomas Haslinger delivered the greetings from the city of Landshut and thanked all firefighters for their commitment and tireless service. A special moment was the farewell to Simon Kolbeck, who was retired, which represents an important change for the fire department.

The celebration ended in a cozy atmosphere in the hall of the main fire station, where the volunteers and guests passed the time with discussions and festivities. Even though the run-up to Christmas is often accompanied by stressful operations for the relief services, this celebration showed the strong sense of community and gratitude towards the volunteers. N-ag reports also about the challenges that supposedly quieter holidays bring for the emergency services, such as emergencies that can increase during the festive days.

This event was a reminder of the irreplaceable role that volunteer fire departments play in Germany. Given the increasing number of missions and the associated demands, volunteer fire service remains a valuable, indispensable obligation for many that should continue to be supported in the future. The Landshut Volunteer Fire Department is a shining example of the team spirit and solidarity that are very popular in Bavarian cities. Wikipedia highlights that the volunteer fire department still represents one of the pillars of fire protection in Germany.