The finalists in contention for the Conrad Dietrich Magirus Award 2016 have been chosen. Hailing from ten different countries, their missions are as diverse as their locations. They represent different team structures from volunteer fire departments to professional fire brigades and airport fire services and they are nominated in the categories "National Firefighting Team of the Year", “International Firefighting Team of the Year" and “Special Prize for Social Commitment".
After extensive deliberation an expert jury has decided on the top ten finalists. Now it is time to turn over the final vote for the Firefighting Team of the Year 2016 to the general public. Everyone is invited to learn more about the finalists' impressive missions under www.magirusgroup.com/award and to vote for their personal favourites from till December 11. By casting their votes, people around the world are taking the time to express their appreciation for the tireless dedication of fire brigades.
Tough decision for the jury members
"It was a quite tough decision for us this year, because of the complexity and variety of the operations. However, I think we found ten international firefighting teams, each of them showing exceptional commitment," said Michel Bour, General Secretary of CTIF (International Association of Fire and Rescue Services) on behalf of the international jury. In addition to Bour, the jury consists of: Ann Marie Knegt, Editor-in-Chief of the English magazine "Fire and Rescue", Hermann Kollinger from the Austrian fire brigade magazine Brennpunkt, Pietr Pajor, Vice-president of Firemax Sp. z o.o. from Poland and Tristan Reitz at Magirus.
The experts on the German jury for the national award were also impressed, especially by the spectrum of operations submitted this year. "The submissions show once again that even small local fire departments can realise major achievements and are a component of a functioning system," says Rudolf Römer, Deputy Secretary of the German Fire Department Association and member of the jury. The panel also included Dr. Roland Demke, Head of the National Fire Department School Würzburg, Jan-Erik Hegemann, Editor-in-Chief of Feuerwehr Magazine, Wolfgang Schäuble, Head of the Fire Directorate Munich as well as Alfred Bidlingmaier from Magirus. All of these members are experts in the field.
The evaluation process focused primarily on the quality of the missions, on the teamwork demonstrated and on the strategies used. The jury's extensive experience in the firefighting sector was crucial for evaluating the applications.
What the winners can look forward to
On 27 January 2017, the award ceremony will take place in Ulm. The top three finalists and the winners will be announced live at this event. The winning team will not only receive the coveted Conrad Dietrich Magirus Statue, the "Oscar of the firefighting world", they can also look forward to an once-in-a-lifetime trip to New York. During their stay they will meet their peers from the most famous fire brigade in the world, the New York City Fire Department (FDNY), visit the "The Rock" training academy on Randall Island and enjoy many more highlights that the city has to offer.
The winners of the Special Prize for Social Commitment will be invited by Magirus to visit the "Magirus Excellence Center" in Ulm. This will give them unique insights into the company's vehicle manufacturing practice, the history of firefighting and about future developments. The winning team will also receive an individually designed training programme at the Magirus Fire Fighter Academy.
The 10 finalists for the "National Firefighting Team of the Year 2016":
- Volunteer Fire Department Bad Aibling (Bavaria)
- Volunteer Fire Department Brandenburg an der Havel (Brandenburg)
- Volunteer Fire Department Landau in der Pfalz (Rhineland-Palatinate)
- Volunteer Fire Department Lehrte (Lower Saxony)
- Volunteer Fire Department Lohne (Lower Saxony)
- Volunteer Fire Department Friedrichsgabe, City of Norderstedt (Schleswig-Holstein)
- Volunteer Fire Department Petting (Bavaria)
- Volunteer Fire Department Schwäbisch Gmünd (Baden-Württemberg)
- Volunteer Fire Department of Simbach am Inn (Bavaria)
- Volunteer Fire Department Wallerfangen (Saarland)
The 10 finalists for the “International Firefighting Team of the Year 2016”:
- Volunteer Fire Department Altenmarkt near St. Gallen (Austria)
- Fire Department Corpo de bombeiros do estado de São Paulo (Brasil)
- Fire Department Santiago de Chile - 15. Deutsche Feuerwehr Kompanie "Máximo Humbser" (Chile)
- Volunteer Fire Department Cuerpo de Bomberos Voluntarios Pasto - Group USAR PASTO (Columbia)
- Fire Department Trekantomraedets Brandvaesen (Denmark)
- Fire Department Romans-sur-Isère - Group SDIS 26 (France)
- Fire Departments Dipartimento dei Vigili del Fuoco di Roma (Italy)
- Municipal Fire Department KM PSP Szczecin - Group JRG-1 (Poland)
- Municipal Fire Department KM PSP Zielona Góra (Poland)
- Dubai Airport Fire Service (United Arab Emirates)
The 5 finalists for the "Special Prize for Social Commitment 2016":
- Volunteer Fire Department Bassen (Lower Saxony, Germany)
- Volunteer Fire Department Erkrath (North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany)
- Volunteer Fire Department Marburg-Ockershausen (Hesse, Germany)
- Volunteer Fire Department Thalfingen (Bavaria, Germany)
- Volunteer Fire Department Waldmünchen (Bavaria, Germany)
From major fires to complex rescue operations, fire brigades around the globe dedicate their lives to protecting the public 365 day a year. Magirus has presented deserving international fire brigades with the Conrad Dietrich Magirus Award since 2012. The goal of the award is to honor the work and courage of fire brigades around the world.
The 2016 Conrad Dietrich Magirus Award will be supported by key industry companies ENDRESS Elektrogerätebau, DÖNGES, and LUKAS/VETTER.
