MAN, a commercial vehicle and mechanical engineering corporation, is supporting flood helpers who have gotten hit by the crisis themselves and is donating 30,000 Euros to the “Help for Helpers” fund of the State Fire Department Association of Bavaria, LFV Bayern e.V. Here, MAN is providing aid in an area that is closely linked to its own line of business. As market leader in fire fighting vehicles in Germany, the company has had close contact with fire departments for many years.
Naturally, most of the fund-raising campaigns are intended for the flood victims, while people tend to overlook the numerous helpers who are often in need of support themselves. This is the case with the fire fighters in the Deggendorf and Passau region, for example. “Many there have fought against the masses of water untiringly while their own house fell victim to the flood waters,” says the manager of the State Fire Department of Bavaria, Uwe Peetz, and adds: “I am happy that we are able to lend these fellow firefighters a helping hand now.“
MAN itself was also threatened directly by the floods. MAN Diesel Turbo’s Deggendorf plant, which is located right next to the Danube River, was only saved from flooding by the tireless work of its employees. Thanks to timely preparations and the exceptional commitment of the staff, the plant stayed a dry island surrounded by the deluge of water. Site Manager Dr. Josef Dachs praises his staff’s team spirit: “It was only with the exemplary and untiring work of the employees at the Deggendorf location, that we were possible to protect the location and the production facilities despite this historic high water level of the Danube River and keep them dry.“
Employees who were personally affected by flooding and thus unable to come to work or had to clean up damage to their homes and property were excused from work without any paperwork. Vacation, flexi-time or unpaid leave were also granted without red tape. “We have our extremely dedicated employees in Deggendorf to thank for the fact that the dams around the MAN Diesel Turbo plant in Deggendorf held. We consider it our corporate duty and responsibility to support the employees in Deggendorf who are affected by the floods,” explains Jochen Schumm, Chief Human Resources Officer of MAN SE and MAN Truck Bus AG. For example, MAN is providing immediate aid for hardship cases, particularly for the employees in Deggendorf who have been hit hard by the flood. They are receiving immediate aid to the amount of € 1,500 each. In addition, the staff is being encouraged by the work council to donate to a fundraising campaign for the flood victims in Germany.
It wasn’t just MAN’s employees who helped fight against the flood waters. MAN’s vehicles also made an important contribution. THW and the Bundeswehr used MAN all-wheel giants, which can also work long-term in depths of water of up to 1.20 meters, to clear a path through the flooded streets, remove tons of rubble and transport the teams of aid workers from one place to another. MAN TGA heavy duty trucks provide health care for inhabitants as Bundeswehr emergency vehicles. The THW brings its helpers to the places of deployment in the MAN TGM 4×4 series and works side by side with the firefighters to pump water out of basements and cellars. When the worst part of the clean-up work is finished, vacuuming and flushing vehicles like the MAN TGS 26.440 will be needed to clean the sewers to make the cities inhabitable again. All in all, around 3000 MAN vehicles are being used round the clock – from 30-year-old vehicles of the local fire department to modern special apparatus which can load up and transport the THW’s large rescue boats, for example.