In June of this year, the Lord Mayor had already honoured the 461 volunteers of the volunteer fire departments and aid organizations with the flood badges of honour of the state of Lower Saxony.

At the ceremony, which took place at the main fire station in Salzgitter-Lebenstedt, Lord Mayor Frank Klingebiel emphasized: "My sincere thanks go to you, dear colleagues, for your outstanding commitment. Together with the volunteer emergency services, you did an excellent job in a dramatic emergency situation and took all the necessary flood protection measures to protect the population competently, quickly and reliably. The people threatened and affected by the masses of water always felt that they were in good and safe hands with you. The Christmas floods of 2023 / 2024 showed us all once again how quickly heavy rainfall events can escalate into threatening situations. However, it confirmed once again that we can rely on our emergency services. That makes me proud. I am also proud that you were not only deployed in the floods in our city, but also provided active support in the surrounding municipalities. We stand together, especially when there is a need. The people of Salzgitter and Lower Saxony can rely on our firefighters and the emergency services of other aid organizations - 365 days a year, around the clock! Thank you very much for your tireless and energetic commitment!"

Fire department head Eric Neiseke adds: "All units of our volunteer fire departments, our professional fire department, our rescue service and disaster control are very well positioned to be able to provide the fastest and best possible assistance in similar situations in the future."