A shift to the new norm, riding the wave of change How does the German fire brigade system work? Hartmut Ziebs Deutscher Feuerwehr Verband How important is the voluntary fire brigade for security in Fire Brigade System Germany? A description of the Germany situation • Hartmut Ziebs • 60 Years • Civil engineer (University Wuppertal) • Started 1977 as a Firefigther, from 1987 an 2001 Fire Brigade Chief, from 2001 until 2015 Fire Person Brigade Commander of a Government District • From 2013 until 2015 Vicepresident German Fireservices Association • Since 2016 President German Fireservices Association • Since July 2019 Vicepresident CTIF Comparison Australia with Germany Germany fits 21.5 times in Australia Australia Germany Surface 7.688.287 qkm 357.587 qkm Population 25.324.713 83.019.213 Population Density 3,1 inhabitants/qkm 232 inhabitants/qkm Road Kilometers 873.573 km 645.000 km Waterways 2.000 km 7.467 km Largest Survey 2.228 m 2.962 m Germany • Capital Berlin • Federal state system - 16 federal states • The Federal Government has transferred legislative competence for fire and disaster control to the 16 federal states • 16 laws on fire and disaster control • The 16 federal states have transferred fire protection to the municipalities by law • Every municipality in Germany must have a volunteer fire brigade • Historical peculiarity in Germany: The civil defence is responsible for the security in the defense case • Here the federal government has the legislative competence • And the Federal Government makes use of the same organisations in civil defence as in disaster control • A system of volunteer fire brigade, professional fire brigade, plant fire brigade Fire brigade in • 1,000,000 volunteer firefighters • 30,000 professional firefighters Germany • 30,000 industrial firefighters • 250,000 youth firefighters • 10,848 municipalities in Germany • 33,000 fire brigade locations in Germany • 109 Professional fire brigades • The state laws of the 16 federal states have regulated that every municipality in Germany must have a voluntary fire brigade • The municipalities can maintain a professional fire brigade Fire brigade in • From 100,000 inhabitants a professional fire brigade must be available Germany Fire brigades in Germany are responsible: • Fire protection • Technical assistance • disasters • emergencies • prevention • (Partial rescue service) • Federal state North Rhine-Westphalia • 1 of 16 Federal States • Capital Düsseldorf (seat of government and parliament) • 18,000,000 inhabitants • 34.110 sqkm area Example • Population density 525 inhabitants/sqkm • Divided into 5 Gouvernement districts • 31 counties • 22 independent cities • 30 Professional fire brigades • 396 Voluntary fire brigades • 13,000 Professional firefighters • 88,000 Volunteer firefighters • Gouvernment District Arnsberg • 1 of 5 Gouvernement districts in North Rhine- Westphalia • 3,600,000 inhabitants • 8.000 sqkm area Example • 447 inhabitants per sqkm • 7 counties • 5 independent cities • 8 professional fire brigades • 77 Voluntary fire brigades • 3,000 professional firefighters • 22,000 volunteer firefighters Example • Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis is a county • 1 county of 7 counties in the Gouvernement District of Arnsberg • 324,000 inhabitants • 410 sqkm area • 792 inhabitants per sqkm • 9 municipalities • 1 professional fire brigade • 8 volunteer fire brigades • 260 professional firefighters • 1,900 volunteer firefighters Example • Schwelm • 1 city of 9 in the Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis County • 30.000 inhabitants • 20,5 sqkm area • 1393 inhabitants per qkm • 30 professional firefighters • 120 volunteer firefighters • 3 fire brigade locations Example - Organization of fire and disaster control • State of NRW • Ministry of the Interior Fire Brigade Inspector fire inspector • Government District Arnsberg • Government district fire commander • Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis County • Department County fire chief • City of Schwelm • Fire Brigade fire chief • Voluntary fire brigade is an integral part of internal Does Germany security need a • Voluntary fire brigade is part of German culture volunteer fire • Volunteering is important to Germans • Voluntary fire brigade secures democratic system brigade? • The volunteer fire brigade ensures nationwide fire and disaster protection • A reduction in the protection of the population is not feasible • Recruitment problems • Between 2000 and 2015, we have lost about 10 % firefighters • Time off from work • You don't live where you work anymore Problems • Appreciation • Climate Change more great operations • Storms • Water • Dryness • Forest Fire • Children's fire brigade between Age 6 an 10 years • Youth fire Brigade between Age 10 and 18 • Women in the fire brigade Approaches • Migrants increasingly to the fire brigade • Firefighter at work and at home • Talks with employers • Money is not an appreciation • The mentality of Germans is very heterogeneous • Each federal state has initiated its own Successes? measures • Three federal states report rising membership figures again • The volunteer fire brigade has been a success in Germany for more than 175 years! Welcome • Firefighters make this world safer! • Visit us in Germany from 15 June 2020 to 20 June 2020 at Interschutz in Hannover and the German Fire Brigade Day 2020 • We look forward to meeting many of you in Germany 2020! • Thank you for your Attention!.