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Gadebusch / Kiel (dpa / mv) - The technical relief organization (THW) is handicapped by the corona pandemic.
"Our regular service is restricted again and again," said a spokesman for the regional association of Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Schleswig-Holstein in Kiel.
The operational capability is given, however.
The THW has developed extensive hygiene and safety concepts for its locations so that exercises and training courses are also possible in partial lockdown.
According to the regional association, the 18 THW local associations in MV have a good 1200 members.
So far this year there have been fewer new entrants than in the two previous years.
At a good 130 there were as many as in 2017. However, in 2018 and 2019 there was extensive advertising throughout Germany.
The local association Gadebusch (Northwest Mecklenburg), which with 40 members is one of the smallest, has reduced the training and exercise operations, as platoon leader Tino Koeppe said.
The annual multi-day exercise was canceled because of the pandemic.
In order to be able to practice, the group size has been halved to six.
"Fortunately we have a large area," he said.
The rooms have been redesigned for the theoretical training.
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During the Corona crisis, at least six young people were trained and are now taking their exams, said Koeppe.
They were taught basic manual skills such as lighting locations or handling pumps and ladders.
The Gadebusch local association specializes in securing buildings in danger of collapsing, for example after explosions.
The missions in recent years included the floods on the Elbe and Oder and the forest fire near Lübenheen in 2019.
Finding offspring is, according to Koeppe, less of a problem with schoolchildren and apprentices.
But there is a lack of adult members.
Many are commuters and have no time to volunteer.