Eighteen members of the Idar-Oberstein volunteer fire department have now been awarded the "Saarland Flood Relief 2024" medal of honor for their efforts. Lord Mayor Frank Frühauf and Mayor Friedrich Marx praised the commitment of the emergency services and congratulated them on this award.
On the Whitsun weekend in 2024, flash floods inundated large parts of the Saarland. Thousands of emergency services, including units from Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate, were in non-stop action. "The comrades from Idar-Oberstein were active in Namborn, Blieskastel and Marpingen, among other places," reported Jörg Riemer, head of the fire brigade. The emergency services have now been presented with the award and certificate donated by the Saarland state government for their cross-border assistance. The award was presented at the St. Wendel district disaster control center by District Administrator Udo Recktenwald. Birkenfeld District Administrator Miroslaw Kowalski also attended the award ceremony.