Overview
- Minister-President Hendrik Wüst presented the North Rhine-Westphalia Rescue Medal to nine police, fire and medical responders at Schloss Horst in Gelsenkirchen on November 7.
- The honorees include police officers, five firefighters, an emergency physician and a paramedic; two awardees were absent, and other civilian lifesavers were recognized at the same ceremony.
- The award cites how responders evacuated and treated each other after the May 11, 2023 assault, when the resident ignited a large amount of flammable liquid, triggering a fireball that set their clothing alight.
- Survivors continue to face severe physical and psychological effects; four directly affected firefighters are currently not fit for duty, and two police officers are in workplace reintegration.
- The perpetrator was convicted in December 2023 of five counts of attempted murder and is serving a life sentence with special severity of guilt, with the court identifying hatred of the state as the motive.