Cadzand fire station to remain closed following court ruling

A court in Middelburg has upheld the decision to close the fire station in Cadzand due to a critical shortage of volunteer personnel. The ruling follows an injunction filed by local volunteers who sought to delay the closure until January 1, hoping to reverse the decision through a subsequent legal proceeding.

The Veiligheidsregio Zeeland (VRZ) closed the station on August 1 after determining that operating with only four fully trained volunteers was irresponsible. Regional fire commander Ro van Doesburg testified that the station lacked essential specialized staff, noting it had only one driver and one commander available. He emphasized that training volunteers for these specialized roles requires years of experience and additional schooling.

While volunteers argued that the closure compromises local safety—particularly during the summer when thousands of tourists visit the beaches—the court ruled that the VRZ acted within its authority. The judge noted that although efforts were made to address the shortage, such as providing shortened training programs, these measures did not yield the necessary results. The court also found that the volunteers failed to sufficiently demonstrate that the closure violated legal standards regarding emergency response times.