Bavaria: Modern technology on Lake Chiemsee → Fireboat starts service in Chieming

CHIEMING (TRAUNSTEIN DISTRICT, BAVARIA): During a ceremony on September 22, 2024, the new fire boat named “Flori” was blessed, christened and then handed over to the active members of the Chieming fire department. The Traunstein district has purchased the 850,000 euro rescue device to protect Lake Chiemsee as a replacement for its 28-year-old predecessor. The active members of the Chieming fire department will put the new boat into use in the future. As part of a “big blue light mile”, the rescue device was presented to the “local blue light family” and to the public.

By Hubert Hobmaier, KFV Traunstein

“We are allowed to live in a region full of natural beauty,” emphasized Traunstein’s district administrator Siegfried Walch during the ceremonial blessing of the new fireboat for Lake Chiemsee and added, “But these natural beauties also bring dangers and can certainly become so.” At the same time, he expressed his thanks to all members of the local blue light family present at the ceremony. “Cohesion is what characterizes the region and the entire blue light family and in order to be able to help in an emergency, you need appropriate equipment,” stated Siegfried Walch.

Chieming’s mayor Stefan Reichelt looked back on the past few years in his speech. “The old boat was only very suitable for use in storms to a limited extent,” he said. The first boots for the fire department were created in 1974. In 1996 a new boat was put into service. “Until 2005, this was driven to the lake on a trailer for operations and then launched into the water,” said the head of the Chieming community. In 2004/2005, a boathouse was built on municipal property, “which led to significantly faster deployment times,” says Stefan Reichelt.

Planning for the new fireboat began in 2017, “as the previous boat had become more and more Russian and was out of service for longer periods of time and even suddenly stopped working during a trip with the Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann.” The volunteers from the Chieming fire department, together with district fire officer Christof Grundner, put a lot of time and energy into the planning and construction phase. “Thanks to this effort by the firefighters, modern, needs-based emergency equipment is now available for many different purposes,” said Stefan Reichelt, acknowledging the firefighters’ commitment.

At the same time, the harbor area also had to be renovated and expanded and the existing boathouse had to be enlarged. “The active members put around 3,000 voluntary hours of work into the expansion, supported by the know-how of numerous local companies. This was the only way the community was able to realize this project and I would like to thank every single helper from the bottom of my heart,” says Stefan Reichelt.

“Lake Chiemsee can be roaring and wild,” said the district president of Upper Bavaria, Dr. Wolfgang Schober stated and added, “And if natural hazards lurk, then we have to be prepared.” Therefore, the funding of 200,000 euros from the Free State of Bavaria is money well invested.” At the end of his speech, he wished the Florians’ disciples in Chieming that they would always return from their missions healthy and safe, “because only with the women and men who will operate the fireboat in the future will this resource have real added value,” said Wolfgang Schober.

Following the speeches, Father Marius and Pastor Thomas Seitz gave the church blessing for the technology and the people who will operate it in the future. Commander Martin Hölzle was then able to take over the symbolic ignition key from the district administrator. The boat was baptized by the godmother Sister Scholastica from the Frauenwörth Monastery in Chiemsee. She christened the new fireboat with the name “Flori” with a bottle of champagne and recalled the work of Saint Florian in her short speech. As a small souvenir gift, she presented the Chieming fire department with an image of the patron saint before she and a few guests of honor were allowed to “set out to sea” in the fireboat and do a lap of honor in bright sunshine and an impressive mountain backdrop. The trip was accompanied by several boats from the DLRG, water rescue service and the water police.

One of the first to congratulate was District Fire Officer Christof Grundner, who, together with a small delegation, brought congratulations from the fire departments in the Traunstein district. He didn’t come empty-handed either and gave the fire department a “Florianstaler” as a lucky charm for the fireboat. Karl Weilharter from the DLRG, among others, joined in the congratulations. He presented the Chieming firefighters with a lifeline for the new fireboat. A delegation from the Chieming water rescue service led by board member Bernhard Pletschacher had a towing line in their luggage, which they presented as part of the celebrations.

Following the official part, the port area in Chieming was transformed into a large blue light mile, in which the entire blue light mile was represented. The fire departments presented, among other things, a high-performance pump and emergency vehicles. In the bank area you could marvel at the new fire support vehicle or enjoy a fantastic view over the lake from the Traunstein fire department’s turntable ladder. The local operations management support group also presented their vehicle and provided a look inside the rolling command center.

At the Malteser relief service stand you could marvel at the equipment of the “catering group” and the THW exhibited very special emergency equipment such as a crawler vehicle with a gripper arm. Long queues sometimes form when climbing boxes at the DLRG stand and many visitors get information at the information stands of the Bavarian Police and the Federal Police. Resuscitation training was possible with the helpers of the Bavarian Red Cross, who also provided a tour of the district’s own large-capacity bus “of the rescue organizations” and enriched the offer with a “port of luck”.

The highlight for the guests that day, however, was the opportunity to take a trip on the new fireboat. It was therefore not surprising that there were sometimes long queues on the jetty. The members of the Chieming Horticultural Association took care of the floral decorations for the boat launch. The children in particular had fun in the bouncy castle and had a great time there.

The team at the “Chiemseer Wirtshaus” takes care of your physical well-being and the members of the women’s association are responsible for coffee and cake. There is a lot of activity and a large number of visitors until late in the afternoon. “All in all, we were able to enjoy a completely successful day and are very pleased that the population and the entire blue light family celebrated this special event with us,” was the joint conclusion of District Administrator Siegfried Walch and Mayor Stefan Reichelt.

Technical data for the new fireboat

The new fireboat “Flori” has the radio call name “Florian Chieming 99/1”. The 13 meter long, 3.50 meter wide and 10 tonne aluminum boat was built by Neckar-Bootsbau Ebert GmbH in Neckarsteinach. It is a one-off product and was specifically tailored to the needs of Lake Chiemsee. Two 325 hp diesel engines power the two jet drives and accelerate the boat to up to 60 kilometers per hour with a maximum draft of half a meter. Six emergency services can sit in the heated relay cabin.

In addition to extensive firefighting equipment for fighting fires and breathing apparatus, the operational equipment has various pieces of equipment for technical assistance and first aid measures. The fireboat has two centrifugal fire pumps and a Rosenbauer water cannon with an output of 3,000 liters per minute. It is also equipped with a rapid attack device including a 30 meter long hose. Water can be taken from two “deck hydrants”. The two-part tailgate can be lowered or raised hydraulically. A “Hiab” recovery crane and an electric winch were also installed in the stern of the boat.

A “Chiemsee mini” dirty water pump, a rescue board, a rescue backpack and four hand-held floodlights complete the equipment. A permanently installed searchlight as well as ambient lighting and a light pole that can be extended up to eight meters provide sufficient light. The fireboat is equipped with a blue light system and a siren system. In addition, there is a permanently installed Tetra mobile phone system and four handheld radios on the fireboat. A permanently installed marine thermal imaging camera as well as a depth gauge, a heated windshield and a heated engine room are also among the features.

Traunstein District Fire Brigade Association