The big picture in view

In this role, he coordinates operations that go beyond the regular rescue service. In Nickelsdorf, for example, he was the head of operations during the refugee movements in autumn 2015 and coordinated cooperation with the police, army and fire brigade.

The coronavirus crisis also brought him back to Nickelsdorf in March 2020. Numerous travellers were stranded there. Sebauer and his team provided them with food and water. The fact that missions like these cannot be planned often presents him with particular challenges. Not least because, in addition to his full-time job as a water technician at Strabag, Daniel Sebauer is also studying for a Bachelor's degree in Energy and Environmental Management at the Burgenland University of Applied Sciences. "I first tried to study water management at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna. But that wasn't possible alongside my job," he explains. Studying at the Burgenland University of Applied Sciences is very easy to combine with a job and voluntary work.

The main thing he can take away from his studies is the knowledge he has acquired about project management.

He came to the Red Cross through his training as a paramedic as part of his military service. After completing his time in the army, he quickly built up a circle of friends at the Red Cross that he would not want to miss. He has now been a member for 12 years.

"I like the dialogue with people and the fact that you get to see all facets. From university professors to homeless people. From the 12-year-old with a broken arm to the 70-year-old after her third stroke. Dealing with relatives or colleagues from other emergency organisations is also varied, challenging and exciting," he describes. "At the Red Cross, I've learnt to always keep the big picture in mind - even if that often means putting yourself on the back burner."