05.05.2020 / Press Release
When searching for missing persons, every second counts. The non-profit Family Rauch Foun-dation is supporting this important work of the rescue dog team with the purchase of a GPS tracking device worth 1,550 euros. A further 16,000 euros was donated for the purchase of a water tank for the Oberstdorf fire department.
Haldenwang, 01st February 2024. The private non-profit foundation regularly supports people who have fallen on hard times through no fault of their own. It was established in 2011 by MAHA founder Winfried Rauch, who has since passed away. With this in mind, two more donations were made at the end of last year.
The first donation, a new GPS tracking device, facilitates and accelerates the work of the rescue dog team. The relay helps where people reach their limits. This includes, for example, searching for missing persons in forests, under rubble or in the water. A task that can be vital, especially in cold weather, bad weather or if the people they are looking for have health problems or are injured.
Although the intensively trained dogs of the BRK (Bavarian Red Cross) Oberallgäu rescue dog team are a reliable means of detection, modern technical support is essential. With the new GPS tracking device, everyone involved knows exactly where the rescue dogs are at all times and can see which areas have already been searched by the teams and, if necessary, where further help needs to be sent.
The second donation was invested in a water tank, which has since been stationed at the Oberstdorf fire department. This helps the emergency services to intervene quickly and effectively in the fight against fires. The aluminum tank holds up to 3000 liters of water and can be flown to the scene of the fire by helicopter. This is an advantage that can be decisive for the success of an operation in our mountain region with numerous protection forests and a spruce population of almost 80 percent. For the people of the Allgäu region in Bavaria, the existence of the forests is very important, as they often serve as protection against avalanches, among other things. Once a forest has been destroyed by fire, it takes many years and a lot of money to restore it, explained Oberstdorf commander Peter Vogler.
Photo: Alexander Schwägerl (BRK, rescue dog team)/ Benjamin Liss (water tank fire department Oberstdorf)
