"I can't imagine the johanniter without karl frischmann," is how andreas dennert, former long-serving head of the johanniter rescue service in upper franconia, sums up the mood on karl frischmann's farewell. After 47 years of full-time work in the rescue service, during which he played a decisive role in shaping the upper franconian association, the 65-year-old schlusselfelder is retiring.
Even on his last day at work, he didn't miss the chance to work his shift in the ambulance according to schedule – only briefly interrupted for a little farewell party: "we would like to thank you for this great commitment! Without such employees, the association would not be what it is today," says uwe kinstle, member of the regional board of the johanniter in upper franconia.
As early as 1972, frischmann joined the johanniter-unfall-hilfe burghaslach as a volunteer paramedic. At that time, around 30 members were involved in training the population in first aid and providing an emergency ambulance service that was ready for action. In 1974, the trained rescue assistant then moved to the main office. This was already obvious from a spatial point of view: the 65-year-old lived in burghaslach right next door to the fire department, which housed the johanniter emergency medical services. The first ambulance with the johanniter cross had already been put into service there in 1969.
Three births in the ambulance
In those first few years, frischmann and his colleagues were most frequently called to the nearby A 3 autobahn. "Of course, particularly serious accidents always stay in my mind, but i prefer to remember the many pleasant experiences," says frischmann, looking back on thousands of assignments. For example, he witnessed three births in the ambulance.
But karl frischmann was not only committed to his work in the field; behind the scenes at the rescue station, he also made a decisive contribution to the smooth running of the operation as a warehouse manager, medical products officer and quality assurance officer. He was also one of the first points of contact for new and young colleagues: right up to the end, he was responsible for instructing new colleagues in equipment and vehicle technology. Fortunately, his farewell is not final: the 65-year-old will continue to work as a volunteer on RTW and KTW in the future.