Deployment abroad

Floriani provides fire protection in faraway Lebanon

Oliver Seit from Gloggnitz is responsible for fire safety in Lebanon.(Bild: FF Gloggnitz)

Oliver Seit from Gloggnitz is part of the fire department that is providing fire protection at a United Nations camp in Lebanon. He is responsible for the safety of around 3,000 people there.

Mines lurk all around, rockets can be seen in the sky time and again. There is no question that the environment in which Oliver Seit has been working since December is extremely volatile. The member of the Gloggnitz fire department in the district of Neunkirchen is part of the force in Lebanon that is providing fire protection in a 100-hectare camp as part of a United Nations observer mission. Up to 3,000 people from a wide variety of backgrounds are stationed there.

"The southernmost fire department in the country"
The camp fire department is provided by the Austrian Armed Forces, which means that all members come from one of the nine federal states. "In this respect, we are the southernmost fire department in Austria and one big family," smiles Seit.

Seit came across this challenge by chance through an advertisement and successfully applied. "We have 24-hour shifts, most of which are quiet," says Seit, who is also allowed to leave the camp. "It was a queasy feeling at first," he admits. However, he spends most of his time inside, where there are a few bars and restaurants as well as the opportunity to do sports.

His mandate in Lebanon runs until June and can then be extended.