Exploring new strategies for firefighting and hazard prevention in Europe’s rural areas. Insights from Germany, Austria, and Scotland
Abstract as pdf
Corresponding Author:
Annett Steinführer
Thünen Institute of Rural Studies Germany
annett.steinfuehrer@thuenen.de
Author(s):
Alexandru Brad1
1Thünen Institute Of Rural Studies, Alexandru.Brad@Thuenen.De, DEU
Volunteer firefighters are a key institution in local hazard prevention in many European countries. In Germany and Austria, for example, they represent over 95% of the firefighting force. In rural areas, the almost exclusive provision of hazard prevention through volunteers is based on a long tradition which is virtually unquestioned and taken for granted to this day. However, in spite of its ubiquity, volunteer firefighting faces significant challenges. For the past years, in many places, the number of volunteers has been following a downward trend due to outmigration, longer commutes, and shifts in the culture of volunteering. Therefore, the strategic planning of firefighting and hazard prevention in rural areas is very much about managing the present. Maintaining the availability of fire and emergency services, keeping up with brisk technological developments, and adapting to novel organisational models are amongst the most relevant topics under consideration.
But what about future-proofing local firefighting beyond securing its mere functioning? Drawing on an analysis of German, Austrian, and Scottish policies, we observe a common approach binding plausible firefighting futures. In essence, maintaining the reliability of the service is inextricably adjoined by cuts in spending through a more efficient allocation of resources, which is broadly enabled through the mass adoption of new technologies. In planning for uncertain futures, two key challenges are widely accepted as an immovable given. A first challenge is demographic ageing which is expected to have both organisational consequences (i.e., through a lack of sufficient prospective younger firefighters) and practical implications (i.e., as rescuing the elderly demands more time and specialised knowledge). A second threat is posed by climate change, which is understood to fundamentally impact preparedness strategies and escalate the severity of upcoming events.
The overlapping and wicked nature of these different technological, social, and environmental transformations pose a significant challenge for a system that is almost exclusively based on volunteers. In our research, we are particularly interested in how local fire brigades handle these challenges and whether their small-scale innovations can be transferred to other places. To this end, we offer initial insights into our exploratory research based on semi-structured interviews with firefighters and policy experts in Germany, Austria, and (as a contrasting example with a distinct governance of firefighting) Scotland. The local projects and broader strategies we investigate vary from piecemeal approaches to radical transformation, yet they are bound by the aim of adapting to the afore-mentioned challenges.
Anticipatory governance – Dealing with uncertain futures