City and divisional committee for rescue services agree on measures to optimize rescue service provision
The provision of emergency medical services for citizens in Mannheim is well guaranteed compared to the rest of Germany. Nevertheless, there is still room for improvement. The city administration and RDBA are working together on this for the benefit of the citizens. The new Rescue Services Act, which was passed in July, has changed the way the response time is viewed as a result of the court rulings handed down in this regard. With a view to the future legal framework, the City of Mannheim and the Divisional Committee for Rescue Services (RDBA) have now concluded an agreement.
"We agree that we have to react. The change in approach with regard to the response time leads to considerable additional costs in terms of personnel and vehicles. Neither is immediately available on the market. As a first step, we have therefore agreed on measures that can be realistically implemented and will lead to a noticeable improvement for citizens in the short term," says Dr. Volker Proffen, Head of the Security Department.
In the next three months, an additional rescue transport vehicle will be available at the Käfertal site. A further vehicle at the Lagerstraße site will complete this expansion within seven months. Within 12 months, the emergency ambulance stationed at the main fire station in Neckarau will be available around the clock. The establishment of a rescue station in the Casterfeld district and the installation of an ambulance there was decided. In addition, work is also underway on a concept to compensate for the loss of rescue vehicles and other measures.
"It is important to reconcile reality and the legal situation. This agreement was developed by the city and the divisional committee in constructive cooperation. The safety of our citizens is very important to us. As the current reporting shows, we are above the national average in Mannheim and are working together to become even better," says Joachim Schmid, Chairman of the divisional committee for the Mannheim rescue service area and Managing Director of ASB Mannheim/Rhine-Neckar Region.
In the course of the annual update of the rescue service area plan, the effects are analyzed and readjusted if necessary. The aim is to continue to guarantee the very good supply situation.