Several attacks

Increasingly absurd aggression against firefighters

Firefighters are often insulted, abused and even threatened during operations. Female members can have a de-escalating effect, reports a Florianis press officer.

In the Upper Austrian town of Steyregg, young people massively obstructed firefighters on the approach to a container fire. And in Wiener Neustadt (Lower Austria), firefighters were verbally abused during a night-time operation. These are just two of the most recent attacks to which the volunteers have been subjected.

Insults are becoming more vicious
Why are such absurd arguments becoming more frequent? "There was certainly less aggression around 30 years ago. Today, many hide behind anonymous addresses in the new media and incite hatred against us," says Richard Berger, a press spokesman for the Federal Fire Service Association. There have always been minor disputes. But now the insults are becoming more vicious.

Across the country, there are more and more wild arguments when onlookers get involved in operations.

Richard Berger, FF-Offizier und Pressesprecher

Drivers, for example, often get upset if they have to wait or are diverted when securing an accident or emergency scene. "When you're working as a volunteer and then you're insulted in the worst possible way, it really annoys you," says the press officer.

According to Berger, one positive aspect is that women can often intervene to de-escalate a situation, for example when hotheads among onlookers or opponents in an accident clash. "Last year, 60 percent of new recruits were women!"