Elke Büdenbender visits Munich's youth fire brigade in Schwabing

Elke Büdenbender, the wife of Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Germany's "First Lady", visited the Munich Youth Fire Brigade at Fire Station 4 in Schwabing on 24 September.

Büdenbender, who campaigns for educational equality, children's rights, support for young people and the empowerment of women, came to learn about the youth fire brigade as an organisation that supports young people. She spoke with the young members, the city youth leadership, the command of the Volunteer Fire Brigade and the head of the Fire Department about their daily lives, about balancing volunteering with school, university and work, about what motivates young people to commit to volunteering, and about the challenges involved. The young members also showed her a rescue fire engine.

"The great commitment of the Volunteer Fire Brigade and the Youth Fire Brigade really impresses me," Büdenbender said. "As volunteers, these helpers save lives and are always ready to give their best. In the Youth Fire Brigade, children and young people are inspired to volunteer and are gradually introduced to the work of the fire brigade. For me, the people I met here are true role models for our society."

Claudius Blank, city fire chief of the Munich Volunteer Fire Brigade, said recruiting new members and youth work were central pillars of the organisation, and that the visit would stay with the young firefighters for a long time. Wolfgang Schäuble, head of the Fire Department, said such a visit motivated the young people and their supervisors because they could see that their work was noticed and valued as far away as the Office of the Federal President in Berlin.

The Youth Fire Brigade is the junior organisation of the Munich Volunteer Fire Brigade. Young people can join once they have turned 12 and move up to the Volunteer Fire Brigade once they have turned 16. Mirroring the adult organisation, members are assigned to five areas and a total of 21 sections. At training sessions they are introduced to the fire brigade's tasks in an age-appropriate way and trained to the standard of modular squad training, alongside sport, leisure activities and group trips.