We need enough money for critical infrastructure.

Yesterday was the anniversary of the flood disaster in the Ahrtal Valley in 2021. We took this opportunity to visit the security center of the Main-Kinzig-Kreis.

Dr. Manuel Wilhelm, head of the medical service, gave us an interesting insight into the work of the approximately 800 helpers of the security center, the systems on the basis of which they coordinate and control operations.

We were able to find out which new concepts, e.g. for counter-terrorism, the use of first responders, auxiliary staff, telemedicine and even midwives in the rescue service have been introduced, tested and established since the beginning of 2022.

We were allowed to look at the operations control center and learned that an emergency call is received on average every 3 seconds, which are handled by 30 employees 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. We experienced the search for an intensive care bed live and saw the almost exhausted reception capacities of the clinics on the monitor.

We were able to marvel at the emergency vehicles, the vast majority of which were in use during our visit yesterday. Pandemic and heat wave make acutely more and more operations necessary.

In conclusion, we can thank you for the excellent work of our rescue services and see the Main-Kinzig district on a very good path.

But we also saw the need for materials and personnel. And the obsolete, overloaded operation center. We must note that more money is needed to replace missing or outdated emergency vehicles and that a structural solution for the headquarters must soon be found.

As in any other industry, the rescuers also lack specialist personnel, so we would like to take this opportunity here to draw people's attention to getting involved here. We are convinced that Dr Wilhelm and his team are doing everything for their forces – it is a strenuous but beautiful profession and saves lives every day.

The security centre is part of the critical infrastructure. Here we must not save in any case and should invest enough to be better prepared for disasters such as in the Ahrtal.

Our thanks go to the rescuers and Dr. Wilhelm for the informative exchange and our appeal goes to all those responsible in the circle:

Let us not let the rescuers down so that they can continue to carry out their difficult task with modern equipment at any time, as they already do every week, every day and every hour.

Thank you very much for your commitment!