100 years of volunteer fire department Peterdorf

ST. PETER AM KAMMERSBERG. There is much reason to celebrate this year for the firefighting members of Peterdorf – Althofen and the surrounding population: The FF Peterdorf in the municipal district of St. Peter am Kammersberg is celebrating its 100th anniversary. The festivities began already on New Year's Eve. The command team, led by HBI Manuel Galler, along with a whole festival committee, has planned many events for the anniversary year and has developed several highlights.

Highlights of the anniversary year include the raising of the Maypole, the festival program on June 13 and 14 at the equipment house in Althofen with live radio broadcast on June 14, and the blessing of the vehicles with the cutting of the Maypole on September 26. For the participants in all events, the grand prize is a trip to Parajuru in Brazil at the Hotel Vila Jardim.

On the occasion of the anniversary, a chronicle covering 100 years of firefighting history has been created, consisting of 116 pages. An editorial team, led by HBI Manuel Galler, has summarized numerous events from the past decades, enriched with interviews of senior firefighters recounting their active years. The chronicle also includes reports on the early years of this fire department, detailed accounts of special operations with photos from the last decades. There is much to read about the contributions of the Florianis to village life, including the preservation of traditions and more.

Fire Department Balance
Currently, the fire department has 80 members, of which 63 are active, five are in the youth group, and twelve are in the senior department. The proportion of women is relatively high: 20 women are in the active department, and one woman is in the senior department.

Each year, there are various types of deployments, especially technical missions are increasing, while fire responses remain limited. The equipment house of the FF Peterdorf in the village of Althofen also houses the disaster response depot for the district of Murau – equipped with several vehicles, thousands of sandbags, nine roll containers, and much more. The deployment team has been called upon multiple times in recent years for emergency operations at home and abroad.

In the FF Peterdorf, the training and further education of both women and men hold a high priority. During training, scenarios of operations are practiced, including involvement from the neighboring fire departments of St. Peter and Feistritz. The senior department is also relatively active, participating in district events, organizing their own excursions within the district, and offering support at festive events.