There were many occasions for District Administrator Frank John to invite the recipient of the Federal Cross of Merit on Ribbon, Albert Zitt, to the district administration. The most important occasion was to say thank you for his decades of exemplary voluntary work in Zitt's home town of Hassel, the town of St. Ingbert, the Saarpfalz district and beyond. Last year, he celebrated his 80th birthday. His commitment seems almost endless, starting with the clubs, the local and town councils and his passion for the fire brigade. The date was also the occasion to appoint him, together with fire inspector Stefan Schrögler, as the representative for the old-age and honour fire brigades in the district's fire brigades. He has the task of advising and supporting the fire inspector and the fire chiefs of the local fire brigades.
"This appointment is an honour for me. I will fulfil my office to the best of my ability for as long as my health allows," affirms the commissioner, adding: "My more than 200 appointments per year in Saarland and beyond would not be possible without the great support of my wife - as is generally the case with the wives of firefighters."
"Albert Zitt is universally recognised and appreciated. He is highly committed to his connection to the fire services and is therefore the ideal candidate for the position of commissioner,
emphasises fire inspector Schrögler.
He joined the Hassel fire brigade in 1963. He took on responsibility in the fire brigade for decades, which is why he was awarded honours such as the silver and gold Fire Brigade Badge of Honour and the German Fire Brigade Cross of Honour in silver and gold. In 2005, he reached the age limit for active fire service. As a retired senior fire chief, he heads the specialist committee for the retirement department of the Saarland State Fire Brigade Association and has been on the board of the Saarpfalz District Fire Brigade Association for more than 15 years. In view of demographic change and the growing number of former active firefighters, his current work is becoming increasingly important. On the one hand, he creates encounters within the Saarland fire service family, and on the other, he promotes the exchange of experiences between the generations. The award of the Federal Cross of Merit on Ribbon was also based on his social commitment during the coronavirus pandemic and his local political work on the local council and in the St. Ingbert city council, where he has been a member of the SPD parliamentary group again since 2022 and is a member of the building and works committee.
"I have known Albert Zitt for years. As a reliable contact in various areas of society, he combines social responsibility and fire service culture in an exemplary manner. His extraordinary work deserves great recognition"
emphasises District Administrator Frank John, who is himself closely associated with the fire brigade and equipped with an alarm detector.