Austria awarded "firefighter friendly employers" who support hiring volunteer firefighters
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Voluntary Fire Departments Need Voluntary Employers!
Many fire brigades around the world rely on volunteer and part time firefighters to protect their communities.
Over the years, many employers are becoming more and more reluctant to hire staff who are also volunteering in the fire services.
In Austria, the award and title for "firefighter-friendly employer" is granted at the federal level every two years to companies that recognize and support the volunteer engagement of their employees with fire departments. On October 8, 16 companies from across Austria were honoured in Vienna.
In light of the tens of thousands of hours spent responding to severe weather events that struck Austria in late summer 2024, and given that these operations would not have been possible without the overwhelming support and cooperation of employers towards their employees who are engaged in the numerous volunteer fire departments in Austria, the Austrian Federal Fire Brigade Association is particularly keen to spotlight 16 companies and provide them with a deserving platform.
Representatives from these companies, as well as numerous honoured guests and representatives from the fire departments, gathered at PwC Austria in the Vienna DC Tower to express their gratitude.
Werner Stockreiter from PwC Austria welcomed around 100 guests on the 41st floor of Austria's tallest building and emphasized the significant importance of volunteering in Austria during his opening remarks.
Federal President Dr. Alexander Van der Bellen sent a video greeting that addressed the recent severe weather responses: “(...) They show what the people in Austria can achieve and how strong our solidarity is. Even when the whole country is underwater, it doesn’t go under. You all make sure of that. Thank you very much.” (Original greeting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FR2B5Ys_1aI)
Voluntary Fire Departments Need Voluntary Employers
President Robert Mayer stated: “The Austrian Federal Fire Brigade Association will remain committed to this path in the future and will highlight good examples to motivate many more companies to promote and thereby sustain Austria's unique fire department system. I would like to thank all those in responsible business positions who appreciate this and are willing to support us as firefighters, and thus also the civilian population.” He concluded his appeal to the honorees: “Carry this support out, share it with your business partners, and inspire many more employers to make a valuable contribution to our safety.”
Unique System: 1 in 25 Austrians is a firefighter
The Austrian firefighting system is primarily supported by volunteer, unpaid members.
Approximately one in every 25 Austrians is a member of one of the roughly 4,800 fire departments in the country (about 4,500 of these are volunteer fire departments, in addition to six professional fire departments and around 300 industrial fire departments). Thanks to the dense and widespread network of these fire departments, help can arrive at almost any emergency site in the country within minutes — often for days at a time, both across regions and internationally, all while maintaining protection for local communities in Austria.
A bonus system, introduced in 2019 by the National Council, allows for compensation under certain conditions (with agreement between employer and employees during a large-scale disaster involving more than 100 personnel and lasting longer than eight hours). The compensation amounts to €200 per employee per missed workday, as long as wages continue to be paid. However, this bonus can only be claimed if the responder is an employee.
The Austrian Federal Fire Brigade Association has been advocating since the system's inception for an extension to include, for example, self-employed individuals or farmers, as well as a more streamlined application process.
This text is fo a press release by Andreas Rieger
Photos by: M. Seyfert / FEUERWEHR.AT https://www.flickr.com/photos/oebfv/albums/72177720321030963
