Vehicle Presentation Thanks to Audi Staff Donations: Audi Q2 for First Responders in Schrobenhausen

source: Audi AG

From helper to patient: since its emergency vehicle broke down, BRK Schrobenhausen is depending on help
General Works Council chairman Peter Mosch says “our help is doubled: it goes to the first responders in the form of a vehicle and to the people in Schrobenhausen in the form of first aid.”
Member of the Board of Management for Human Resources Sabine Maassen: “Voluntary engagement is key for social cohesion and a long tradition at Audi.”

Every year at Christmastime, the Audi Works Council calls on the staff to participate in the traditional Christmas donation. This year, 99.7 percent of Audi’s Ingolstadt employees participated, as did the company itself. In all, €720,000 are now going to 108 charitable and social institutions, organizations, and associations in the region – either in the form of cash or as vehicle donations. The 16 vehicle donations from the staff donation include the Audi Q2 for the first responders at Bavarian Red Cross in Schrobenhausen.

The first responders of the Bavarian Red Cross in Schrobenhausen have been in action and committed with about 40 active members in the Schrobenhausen area since 2012. The team is alerted as soon as the lone Schrobenhausen emergency vehicle is deployed and first aid is needed – for traffic accidents or natural disasters. That way, first responders can bridge important time until additional support arrives. With over 300 deployments each year, these volunteers make runs almost every day. Along with first aid, that also includes ambulance services and preventive educational work.

From helper to patient

The first responders have recently become patients themselves and are relying on help: their 9 year-old emergency vehicle, an Audi A4 with over 250,000 kilometers (155,342 miles) on the tachometer, had to be taken off the road for safety reasons. The cost of repairing emergency vehicle Schrobenhausen 79/1 is far too high and the volunteers had to take on the expense themselves. Nothing happens here without outside help: with a call for donations, the team wants to collect €20,000 for a replacement vehicle and the corresponding modifications. In the meantime, the first responders’ status level remains at 6: unit not operational.

“Once again, effective immediately: status 2: mobile and operational”

“In an emergency, it’s a matter of getting help quickly because every second counts. In Schrobenhausen, that is not the case precisely because the volunteers at the Bavarian Red Cross can no longer respond due to their broken vehicle. The first responders are relying on help so that they can help people in emergency situations again,” says Audi General Works Council chairman Peter Mosch. Social engagement is always a high priority at Audi. The staff participated in projects like Audi Volunteer Days as well as fundraising campaigns. A total of €720,000 were raised at the Ingolstadt site for this year’s Christmas donation and now they will benefit social organizations in the form of cash and in-kind donations. “With the Audi Q2 from the Christmas donation, we are responding to the current circumstances and making the BRK Schrobenhausen mobile again. With the Audi Q2, our help is doubled: it goes to the first responders in the form of a vehicle and to the people in Schrobenhausen in the form of first aid“, emphasizes Mosch. So once again, effective immediately: status 2, emergency vehicle Schrobenhausen 79/ 1 mobile and operational.

AUDI AG Member of the Board of Management for Human Resources Sabine Maassen says that “voluntary engagement is key for social cohesion and a long tradition at Audi.” As a good neighbor, we don’t just encourage our employees to support others. We also want to support the people in our region whose engagement contributes to the common good. The volunteers at the Bavarian Red Cross make a very important contribution in that respect. We’re glad that they are now mobile again in Schrobenhausen.”