Illegal firecrackers pose a danger Emergency services in NRW fear New Year’s Eve bottleneck
Düsseldorf/Bonn · Emergency vehicles could be in short supply on New Year's Eve as so many members of the NRW ambulance services are off sick. Along with the state police, both services are warning the public to beware of illegal firecrackers.
After two years of tight restrictions due to the Covid pandemic, police authorities and emergency services in North Rhine-Westphalia are anticipating a massive deployment of emergency vehicles on New Year's Eve. The situation will be aggravated by a lack of personnel in the police, fire department and emergency medical services. "We are quite stretched both in the hospitals and in the rescue service because of an unusually large number of people being on sick leave," Alex Lechleuthner, medical director of the rescue service of the Cologne fire department, told our editorial team. This could lead to rescue vehicles being cancelled for hours at a time until replacements could be found. "That is why on New Year's Eve we use all the emergency services that are available," the emergency doctor stressed.
Concern about injuries caused by illegal firecrackers
The emergency services are particularly concerned about illegal firecrackers. These have a much higher explosive power than the certified variety that have been on sale in shops since Thursday. North Rhine-Westphalia's Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU) warned of the dangers. "The louder and more explosive, the better the party. I don’t understand that kind of logic," Reul told our editorial staff. "And I really hope that people will keep their hands off illegal bangers. That stuff is unpredictable and potentially lethal." Appealing to the common sense of those celebrating, the minister said, "Let the champagne corks pop, but no illegal firecrackers."
"Unfortunately, emergency rooms will probably be bursting at the seams again because people don’t use fireworks correctly," said Erich Rettinghaus, state chair of the German Police Union. He added: "I cannot understand how people can buy illegal firecrackers and then set them off in public."
Emergency doctor Lechleuthner also warns against buying uncertified fireworks from abroad and homemade ones. "They are unpredictable in their effects and there can be serious injuries such as burns when they are set off," he said. "People become careless mainly because of alcohol." A classic is keeping the firework in your hand and throwing away the lighter.
The Pyrotechnic Industry Association (VPI) urged proper use. "Blast injuries do not come out of the blue. The only reason they happen is when users do not handle fireworks properly. This is often because there is a lack of care and supervision," emphasised VPI board member Michael Kandler.
New Year's Eve: Police prepare with large-scale deployment
The police are preparing for the turn of the year with a large contingent - especially on the streets in the big cities, massive forces are being pulled together to directly prevent possible riots. The state ministry of the interior said that riot police forces would be deployed to support the individual district police authorities, if necessary. "We are well prepared for all eventualities and hope that it remains peaceful," said police union chief Rettinghaus. "We will have scores of squads on duty. But we also have a lot of people off sick at the moment and have to look at how the services will be staffed," he stressed.
The Bonn police are planning an operation with a special organisational structure for New Year's Eve. "In addition to the officers at the police stations, many other officers will be on duty," said police spokesperson Michael Beyer.
(Original text: By Claudia Hauser, Nicolas Ottersbach and Christian Schwerdtfeger; Translation: Jean Lennox)
