Statement by Hans-Peter Kröger President of the German Firefighters Association (DFV)

Crossroads Leipzig - Fire service without frontiers

Technical innovations and press publicity, political networking and sustaining members - what at first glance might seem like a cross-section of our topics for 2010 is actually an excerpt from the program of the 18^th German Firefighters Convention held in July 1913 in Leipzig. Nearly a century later, Leipzig is once again the world capital for fire brigades. From 7 to 13 June, fire brigade members are meeting to share ideas and experiences, to receive further education and generate new leads. Although it was certainly a major achievement back then to reflect all the various organizational aspects of German firefighting, the focus today is on international themes - in line with motto "Crossroads Leipzig - Fire service without frontiers."

This is not just relevant to the past, but to the future as well. Whereas in 1913 the chronicles referred to the "major drawing power of Leipzig due to the concurrent international building exhibition taking place there", this year it is the concurrent "Interschutz - der Rote Hahn" that is drawing technology fans to Leipzig. Leipzig is the first venue for a German Firefighting Convention in the east of Germany since reunification, marking an atmosphere of pan-German normalcy and the emergence of a united Europe that continues to grow towards the east. Together with "Interschutz - der Rote Hahn", we are turning Leipzig into the fire brigades' capital city for a full week!

Internationality is one of the salient features of Interschutz, which is reflected by the non-commercial participation of the German Firefighters Association as an exhibitor in Hall 1, featuring the member associations and the German Youth Fire Brigades alongside the World Firefighters Association CTIF and the Austrian Firefighting Association. This networking also consists of the activities of the German fire brigade representatives within the European Union. I invite you above all to visit us at our joint exhibition stand, where you can see the work of the fire brigades up close, and where you'll find contact partners from the associations who are ready and waiting to answer your questions. We are also using the fire brigade event for committee meetings, allowing us to benefit from key input from visiting delegates.

Wherever firefighters assemble, they will always be analyzing operations, technology and ideas. The 28^th German Firefighting Convention and the world flagship Interschutz exhibition offer the ideal combination for this: While the exhibition showcases the latest technology, the German Firefighting Convention will cover specialist topics, including the active participation of fire brigade members from all of Germany. We are building a bridge here from the past to the future, discussing all the latest developments and offering information about our work in the field. And the big vehicle convoy will serve as the symbolic connection between past and present, featuring more than 250 vehicles - from firefighting trucks from the "Roaring Twenties" to brand-new models - driving like a red lindworm through all parts of Leipzig and producing the crowning finale as the major fire brigade event in 2010 under the slogan of "Crossroads Leipzig - Fire service without frontiers"!