After being struck by lightning

Graz’s Liesl now has a “bodyguard”

The bell tower on the Schloßberg is home to the famous Liesl bell.(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

Because a lightning strike on the bell tower paralyzed the fire alarm system, the time-honored masonry has to be guarded around the clock. How the professional fire department protects the state capital's historical heritage.

After the lightning strike ten days ago, many people in Graz were very worried: had the force of nature damaged the bell tower, which houses the famous Liesl bell under its roof? After a visit by several teams of experts, this fear can now be ruled out. "No damage has been found," says the office of the responsible city councillor Manfred Eber (KPÖ).

Replacement part is a long time coming
Only the fire alarm system may have been put out of action by a short circuit. They are now waiting for replacement parts, which are due to arrive next week. Until then, the building will be guarded around the clock to sound the alarm if the worst comes to the worst.

Gerald Wonner is a fire officer with the Graz professional fire department.(Bild: Berufsfeuerwehr Graz)

At the central fire station on Lendplatz, they are glad that this is not a permanent situation. "A total of 1084 properties in Graz are directly connected to our emergency call center - which is of course worth its weight in gold in an emergency," says Fire Chief Gerald Wonner. "We are on the road with our vehicles within two minutes of receiving the alarm."

The Graz Clock Tower is of course also equipped with a fire alarm system.(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

Fire alarm connected directly to the fire department
Graz sights such as the clock tower, Eggenberg Palace and the town hall have long been equipped with this type of technology - but the same applies to schools, universities, hotels and, of course, hospitals. "We can also use our command and control system to detect whether a smoke detector has sounded the alarm or someone has pressed the button - we can then decide how many firefighters to deploy."