54 minutes ago
General
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Region – New Year’s Eve 2024-2025 has again been a very busy night for the emergency services in our region, with all the extensive preparations. The ambulance service and fire brigade control rooms had to process a total of 1,160 reports. The New Year 2024-2025 has once again called on the resilience and professionalism of our care providers.
Looking back on this New Year’s Eve, the Rotterdam Safety Region sees a significant increase in the number of reports to the fire brigade, with a large increase in the number of car fires.
Fatal victim
It is tragic that there has been a fatal fireworks victim this year. A 14-year-old boy was killed when setting off fireworks. Unfortunately, this incident once again underlines the urgent need to really ban (consumer) fireworks.
Mayor of Rotterdam and chairman of the Rotterdam Rijnmond Safety Region Carola Schouten responded to the sad incident with intense sympathy. “This event casts a shadow over New Year’s Eve and I call for a complete ban on consumer fireworks. We shouldn’t think this is normal, should we? It is clear that only a total ban can guarantee safety and prevent further victims,” said Chairman Schouten.
Busy service for emergency workers
The ambulance service carried out around 250 emergency rides in the first hours of the new year. This is also more than in previous years. This included resuscitation, treatment of fireworks victims, victims of stabbings and victims as a result of excessive alcohol and drug use. Unfortunately, the deployment of the 27 ambulances turned out to be a dire necessity, and ambulances from neighboring regions also had to be called in.
The fire brigade had to deal with 928 reports. It was striking that 51 car fires had to be extinguished. In our region, the fire brigade responded to 14 building fires (mainly storage rooms and sheds). Major incidents were prevented, partly due to the deployment of extra equipment and personnel.
Arjen Littooij, general manager of VRR: “Although many people rang in the new year in a festive manner, we unfortunately have to conclude that our care providers experienced a very busy night. It’s actually crazy to start a new year this way. Although emergency workers sometimes had to do their work on the streets under difficult conditions, fortunately no injuries occurred among the ambulance and fire brigade personnel. However, the efforts of 550 people could not prevent the year from starting with a lot of material and human damage. For some, there is even lifelong injury as a result of fireworks. Even after this night, we will continue to call for a ban on consumer fireworks,” said Arjen Littooij.
