German Fire Services
The Feuerwehr is the general term for German fire departments. Fire departements are operated and equipping by communities and cities in Germany. By law, they are required to operate fire-fighting forces. In cities, this is usually performed by the Fire Prevention Bureau, one of the higher-ranking authorities.
There are three kinds of recruiting firefighters in Germany: the predominant number of Germany's 1,383,730 firefighters are members of voluntary fire brigades ', a lesser number working in professional fire brigades and at least the drafted members of a Compulsory Fire Service ', established just in a few places nationwide.
Professional fire brigades are usually operated as
- Berufsfeuerwehr of a municipal body counting over 100,000 citizens, such as the city of Berlin as a full-time city department
- Werkfeuerwehr of a larger company, for the needs of the company operating them by law e.g. refineries or chemical industry production facilities
- Betriebsfeuerwehr of a larger company, that does not need to run a Werkfeuerwehr by law, but if it is required for the insurance coverage
- Flughafenfeuerwehr as airports have to meet the ICAO requirements, this includes airplane factories like that of Airbus in Hamburg
- Bundeswehr-Feuerwehr with specialized divisions such as Fliegerhorstfeuerwehr Cologne-Wahn located at German air force bases, military bases, naval bases as well as on any ship of the German Navy
Organisation
Tactical units
Overview
Voluntary and professional fire brigades usually share the same basic layout when deploying. Firefighters are organized in tactical units as follows:| Unit | Translation | Number of personnel | Leader | Comments |
| Trupp | Troop | 2 or 3 | squad leader | part of the crew of an engine |
| Selbstständiger Trupp | independent troop | 3 | "squad leader" | usually the crew of a ladder or other special vehicles |
| Staffel | squadron | 2 squads + engine operator + squadron leader | squadron leader | most common unit of professional fire fighting forces; minimum standard for firefighting |
| Gruppe | group | 3 squads + engine operator + message runner + group leader | group leader | most common unit of voluntary fire fighting forces; usually the crew of an engine; the term message runner was created before radio electronics came into use, today the message runner can also act as second engine operator, supports a squad or is in charge for security surveillance |
| Zug | platoon; Strike Team | 2 groups + platoon squad | platoon leader | usually consisting of several vehicles, e.g. 1 command car, an engine, a tanker and a ladder depending on the platoon type |
In contrast to the United States system, there is no division into engine and ladder companies.
Organization of a Gruppe (group) or Staffel (squadron)
Most standard procedures in German firefighting are based on the Gruppe, since it is the smallest tactical unit to work independently. The also common Staffel is basically a group stripped down to the absolutely necessary minimum, which can easily be extended to a Gruppe by joining with a three-firefighter Trupp from another vehicle. Due to the financial situation of most German cities, the squadron is the most common unit for professional fire-fighting forces, because it provides sufficient manpower but saves three firefighters in comparison to a group.The standard procedures for fire and technical aid and rescue assign certain tasks to certain crew members. This helps keeping the orders the unit commander has to give short and simple, since those tasks don't need to be specifically assigned to anyone.
However, most of these guidelines date back to a time when Self-contained breathing apparatus was not widespread. Thus, if SCBA is applied, the procedure has to be adapted.
| Role | Translation | Tasks according to standard fire procedure | Tasks according to standard technical aid/rescue procedure | Comments |
| Einheitsführer | unit leader/ captain | commands the unit, is responsible for the crew's safety, determines placement of vehicle and, if necessary, of portable fire pump | commands the unit, is responsible for the crew's safety, determines placement of vehicle and, if necessary, of powered appliances like generators etc. | The more specific terms "Gruppenführer" and "Staffelführer" depending on the unit's size were abandoned |
| Maschinist | engine operator/ engineer Appliance Operator | drives the engine, operates the pump and other machinery, assists other crew members unloading equipment from the engine and building up water supply | drives the engine, operates powered appliances, assists other crew members unloading equipment from the engine | while driving, the engine operator is responsible for safety of crew and vehicle |
| Melder | message runner / Incident Commander's Aide | carries out assigned tasks | carries out assigned tasks | In a staffel this position is not occupied |
| Angriffstrupp | Engine Company | rescues ; deploys the Wye ; usually deploys the first nozzle | rescues, provides first aid until ambulance arrives and EMTs take over, provides technical aid | |
| Wassertrupp | water squad | rescues; builds up water supply for the engine; deploys portable ladders on command; becomes rescue squad, if SCBAs are in use | secures the incident site against additional hazards using the necessary equipment, is free for other tasks after that | |
| Schlauchtrupp | hose squad | rescues; lays out attack lines for the other squads ; if SCBA is applied immediately after arrival, the hose squad instead of the water squad has to build up the water supply; deploys portable ladders on command; takes additional tasks like operating the Wye or deploying additional appliances | prepares the equipment for the attack squad, if necessary assists the attack squad and operates needed powered appliances; if the attack squad is busy providing first aid, the hose squad takes over deploying the ordered appliances | in a Staffel this squad is missing, so the remaining two squads have to take over its tasks. |
Personnel
The hierararchy of the professional fire departments and volunteer fire departments is corresponding to other German institutions e.g. the police.Volunteer fire fighters
The volunteer firefighters ranks are as follows :;Firefighters
- Feuerwehrmannanwärter /trainee fresh to the fire brigade, at least 18 years old.
- Feuerwehrmann /Firefighter after the first part of the basic training.
- Oberfeuerwehrmann after the second part of the basic training and after at least two years as Feuerwehrmann
- Hauptfeuerwehrmann after being Oberfeuerwehrmann for five years.
- Löschmeister after being Hauptfeuerwehrmann for ten years or/and qualification "group leader".
- Oberlöschmeister after being Löschmeister for ten years or/and qualification "platoon leader".
- Unterbrandmeister with completed training to leading a squad or platoon squad and at least one year being Oberfeuerwehrmann.
- Brandmeister after at least two years as Unterbrandmeister and two weeks training at the county's fire school. Allowed to command a squadron or group.
- Oberbrandmeister at least two years as Brandmeister
- Hauptbrandmeister at least five years as Oberbrandmeister
- Brandinspektor after a training at the county's fire school. Allowed to command a platoon. Must have been Oberbrandmeister before.
- Brandoberinspektor . Allowed to command several platoons. Must have been Brandinspektor before.
- Ranks differ between states because each state is responsible for providing and admitting its own fire services as Thuringia i.e. provides education and administration of all fire brigades in Thuringia and Saxony provides it for all brigades in Saxony and so on.
Employed fire fighters
Overview
;Medium grades- Brandmeister i.a. in the most states this is the professional starting rank. This grade requires vocational training in a useful job
- Brandmeister the same conditions as Brandmeister i.a.
- Oberbrandmeister used as water squad and attack squad, engine operator
- Hauptbrandmeister ladder operator
- Brandinspektor i.A
- Brandinspektor used mostly as unit leader
- Brandoberinspektor Brandamtmann, Brandamtsrat and Brandoberamtsrat, used mostly as platoon leaders.
- Brandreferendar z.a/-assessor, a master's degree is required to start directly in this grade.
- Brandrat, Oberbrandrat, Branddirektor and Leitender Branddirektor. These grades are use in the functions of division chief/deputy/deputy assistant oder chief/commissioner assistant chief/commissioner, chief/commissioner dependent of the size of the city they are working for.