The Reinoldus rescue service in the city of Unna (North Rhine-Westphalia) has come under scrutiny due to a shocking practice among its employees. It was revealed that they kept a “black list” to track the number of deaths during 24-hour shifts. The employee with the most deaths recorded would win a transitional trophy.
The situation came to light through an anonymous report from one of the staff members. During an internal investigation, the company’s management discovered a trophy engraved with the year 2023. The company co-owner, Peter Schröter, called the practice “disgusting.”
According to Schröter, the lists only included the names of employees and the number of marks, with no mention of patients or specific circumstances.
The organizer of these “competitions” was fired, several other employees were transferred to different sites, and their managers were removed from their positions and given formal reprimands. Participants in the practice explained that the trophy was not meant to celebrate deaths but to symbolize the difficult shifts they endured.
The company’s management assured that all necessary measures are being taken to prevent such incidents from happening again. Meanwhile, the professionalism of the rescuers during operations has not been called into question.
