The event began in the morning with an official ceremony attended by numerous guests from the political sphere, the district’s fire departments, and several local residents. Among others, State Secretary Dr. Erwin Manz delivered a compelling speech in which he once again highlighted the significance of the building’s modular timber construction. Furthermore, the project’s pioneering role was emphasized, which was made possible in part by funding from the Rhineland-Palatinate state’s “Klimabündnis Bauen” program. In the coming years, the new fire stations in Börrstadt and Breunigweiler will also be constructed using this method. (More detailed information on this concept can be found here.) Mayor Rudolf Jacob went on to explain that serial modular timber construction is an extremely innovative and sustainable option, particularly for municipal buildings, and that in Steinbach, it has successfully combined the key elements of functionality and cost-effectiveness.
Sascha Kasper, in his capacity as chief of the Steinbach am Donnersberg Volunteer Fire Department, also gave a welcome speech and took the opportunity to thank Julian Herrbruck, chairman of the Friends of the Fire Department, for the financial support, which made it possible to build an additional parking space and purchase supplementary equipment for the fire station. In his address, Fire Chief Christian Füllert also emphasized the tactical value of the now state-of-the-art facility and highlighted the impressive size of the fire department’s crew, which finally has enough space for proper changing rooms, training facilities, and equipment storage.
Following the official portion of the event, the Steinbach Fire Department hosted an open house where visitors of all ages were treated to a wide variety of activities. The new fire station was open to the public for tours, and various vehicles from the municipalities of Winnweiler and Göllheim were also on display outdoors. The district’s drone unit also presented its equipment and operations, and visitors were even able to marvel at the Donnersberg District’s Command Vehicle 2, which had only recently been put into service. Furthermore, the firefighters and the rural women’s association provided a wide range of food and cold drinks throughout the day. And the young visitors were also catered to with a bounce house and a repurposed roll-off container serving as a play area.
We congratulate the Steinbach Fire Department on a thoroughly successful celebration and wish the crew a safe return from all their calls!
