Uwe Wagner from Kirkel-Neuhäusel held the office of district fire inspector for 18 years. He is a passionate firefighter, both as a volunteer firefighter and full-time in the fire, civil defence and disaster control department of the Saarpfalz district police authority. He was honoured and bid farewell to his retirement by numerous guests in the Limbach fire station. There were many special events and achievements during his time in office and 50 years in the fire service. He was involved in fire and disaster control projects at district and state level. These included topics such as the conceptual design of emergency breathing apparatus training and an inter-municipal breathing apparatus centre, the creation of administrative regulations for firefighter clothing in Saarland, the development and promotion of the youth fire service, the establishment of a support group consisting of various organisations for certain operations, which was honoured with the 2013 Fire Service Award. His expertise, particularly on blackout scenarios, has been in demand as a guest lecturer at the Federal Academy for Civil Protection and Civil Defence since 2019.
Many guests expressed their thanks and appreciation for his achievements - starting with Interior Minister Reinhold Jost for the state government, District Administrator Dr Theophil Gallo, his predecessor in office Clemens Lindemann, Mayor and designated District Administrator Frank John for the district and the municipality. Members of the fire service such as Heiko Holler, head of the Heidelberg professional fire service, state fire inspector Timo Meyer, the president of the state fire service association Manfred Rippel, former and current fire service chiefs and the many firefighters in attendance expressed their special appreciation by attending. The awarding of the golden badge of honour in the form of a pin cross - the highest award for firefighters in Saarland - by the Minister of the Interior Reinhold Jost and the subsequent grand taps with torchlight procession and fire brigade formation of honour were the ceremonial highlights of this extraordinary farewell evening.
"Uwe Wagner has responsibly and reliably prepared fire protection statements for our lower building supervisory authority, but has also taken on coordinating tasks in fire and disaster protection with care and calm, such as during Hurricane Sabine, Corona, the Ahr Valley flood or, most recently, the Whitsun flood. For him, his job is a vocation, which is also reflected in his open ear for the concerns of the fire services," said District Administrator Dr Gallo, thanking the team from the district administration and expressly including Ms Wagner in his thanks. This was also confirmed by Interior Minister Jost: "Uwe Wagner is someone who has shaped, accompanied and, above all, lived the fire service like almost no other for decades. It is also because of his work that the fire service, not only in the Saarpfalz district, is a highly motivated, highly qualified force, but above all one that is characterised by camaraderie." In awarding the Golden Fire Brigade Medal of Honour, the Minister of the Interior also highlighted Wagner's far-sighted approach to challenges such as climate change.
Looking back on his time in office, Wagner remembers the positive moments and good encounters. "You can never put out a fire alone. It only works in a community and when you can rely on each other," emphasised the former fire inspector. D. emphasised in his thanks to everyone who supported him, including those who could not be there, but above all his family.