Fire department meeting

Floriani celebration at Herzogenburg Abbey

Together: The guests of honor at the Florianiempfang in Herzogenburg.(Bild: LFKDO/M. Fischer, A. Nittner)

This year, the patron saint of fire departments was commemorated in Lower Austria. State fire brigade commander Dietmar Fahrafellner reminded everyone of the importance of volunteering.

Impressive! 103,668 firemen and firewomen are at the side of the people in our home province around the clock. Recently, the Provincial Fire Brigade Association hosted an atmospheric celebration at the Augustinian Canons' Monastery in Herzogenburg to mark St. Florian's Day. The traditional Floriani Mass in honor of the patron saint of all fire departments was concelebrated by Provincial Fire Brigade Curate Father Stephan Holpfer, Provost Petrus Stockinger, Prelate Maximilian Fürnsinn, Superior Michael Staberl from Mariazell and Father Clemens Maier. More than 400 guests took part.

The new vehicles for fighting forest fires also "wore mourning": a comrade who died during an operation was remembered.(Bild: LFKDO/M. Fischer, A. Nittner)

In his sermon, Provincial Fire Service Curate Holpfer emphasized: "Our love for our neighbour is always measured by the extent to which we have learned to look after ourselves, including through our weekly training with the equipment. In a special way, we would like to remember the firefighter comrade from the Neustift-Innermanzing fire department who died in a firefighting operation."
 Memories, reminders, honors

In the "secular part" of the event - the evening was hosted by Werner Fetz - State Fire Brigade Commander Dietmar Fahrafellner referred to the range of operations and importance of the fire brigades for a safe life. Together with Vice President Stephan Pernkopf, he then presented awards to Klaus Tschabuschnig and Rudolf Robin (Carinthian Fire Brigade Association) as well as Lower Austrian Building Director Walter Steinacker and "Kurier" Editor-in-Chief Martin Gebhart.

The ceremony was overshadowed by the funeral of the comrade who died in Neustift-Innermanzing, which had taken place just a few hours before the festive evening.