Berlin Fire Brigade

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Berliner Feuerwehr
Operational area
Country Germany
City Berlin
Agency overview
Established1 February 1851 (1851-02-01)
Annual calls478,281 (2019)
Employees4,479 (2019)
Fire chiefDr. Karsten Homrighausen
MottoWir retten Berlin. Seit 1851.
(lit. We save Berlin. Since 1851.)
Website
www.berliner-feuerwehr.de
The Fire Station Prenzlauer Berg is the oldest operating professional fire station in Germany.
Under monumental protection. The Fire Station Schillerpark in Berlin-Wedding was built in 1909/1910.
One of the busiest fire stations in Berlin, the Fire Station Friedrichshain.

The Berlin Fire Brigade (German: Berliner Feuerwehr - Berlin Fire Defence) is the fire and emergency medical service for Berlin, Germany. As well as firefighting, the Berlin Fire Brigade provides fire prevention, technical rescue services, emergency medical services, and assistance in case of chemical, biological, radioactive and nuclear hazards. (CBRN defense)

The brigade was officially formed on February 1, 1851, by Ludwig Scabell, under the command of King Frederick William IV. Since August 2018, the Berlin Fire Brigade is under the command of its Fire Chief, State Fire Director Dr. Karsten Homrighausen.[1] Landesbranddirektor, short LBD, translates in German to State Fire Director.

The Berlin Fire Brigade is the oldest and largest municipal fire brigade in Germany. It has a total of 4,479 staff,[2] including 4,082 operational firefighters and officers based at 35 main fire stations.[3] It is supported by an additional 1,537 volunteer firefighters based at 58 volunteer fire stations.[3] Freiwillige Feuerwehr - "Free Willing Fire Defence" is the term used for Volunteer Fire Stations. The Berlin Fire Brigade has an annual budget of around €250,000,000, which includes personnel costs and investments.[2]

In 2019, Berlin Fire Defence received 478,281 emergency calls. It is the busiest of all fire services in Germany. Approximately 83% of the alarms per year are for the emergency services, 5% for technical assistance and only 2% for firefighting.[2]

History[edit]

Berlin Fire Brigade around 1851

Industrialization and Wilhelminian period (1851-1899)[edit]

Back in the mid-19th century, Berlin suffered a series of devastating fires. The city grew rapidly and buildings became more and more crowded. Resources could no longer keep up with the size of the buildings. Therefore, The King of Prussia decided in 1851 to command Ludwig Scabell to set up a professional fire brigade and ensure its training and equipment .[4] Scabell created the Berlin Fire Defence with the support of the former Berlin Police Chief Carl von Hickeldey. Within a very short period, almost 1,000 men were hired and trained while the professional fire stations were built. In the same year, the world's first electrical fire alarm network was installed in Berlin. The implementation was carried out by the German company Siemens & Halske. The innovation connected the headquarters at the Molkenmarkt with 24 fire stations and all police stations within the city. In 1854 the very first newly built fire station was opened, two years later a new water supply network with 1,520 hydrants went into operation in Berlin. Scabell retired in 1875 and was succeeded by Gustav Witte. In 1879 together, with the engineer and manufacturer Greiner, they received the German patent for the world's first turntable ladder.[5] The Berlin Fire Brigade put their first turntable ladder, built by the German company BAMAG, into service at the main fire station in 1882.[6]

Turn of the century, First World War and Weimar Republic (1900-1932)[edit]

In 1901 the International Fire Protection Exhibition took place in Berlin to mark the 50th anniversary of the professional fire brigade.[7] In 1906 at the fire station in Berlin-Grunewald, the first gasoline fire truck in Germany equipped with a fire pump was put into service.[8] In 1908 Berlin purchased its first electric fire engine. [9][10] During the First World War from 1914 to 1918, seven hundred officers had to transfer from the Berlin Fire Brigade to the Wehrmacht, where part of the firefighters were deployed in the newly created flamethrower regiments.[11]

Berlin Fire Brigade in August 1945

National Socialism (1933-1945)[edit]

On December 15, 1933, the term Feuerlöschpolizei (lit. 'Firefighting Police') was introduced for all Prussian fire brigades. The fire brigades throughout the German Reich were placed under the Ordnungspolizei, abbreviated Orpo (lit. 'Order Police'), in 1938. These Brigades were called the Feuerschutzpolizei (lit. 'Fire Protection Police'). The previously red fire vehicles, blue uniforms and fire service ranks were replaced by green fire vehicles, green uniforms and police ranks. They were issued firearms and batons. With few exceptions, the Nazi-led fire protection police did not intervene in the November pogroms in 1938 when the synagogues in Berlin were set on fire.

One city - two fire brigades (1946-1990)[edit]

After the Second World War, six of the 38 professional fire stations were lost. Of the 51 volunteer fire stations, three were totally destroyed while twelve were only partially.[12] On November 21, 1948, the Berlin Fire Defence was divided into two separate authorities in East and West Berlin.[13] The first post-war fire stations were built on both sides during the 1950s. Technology and training in East and West developed separately. In 1952 the East Berlin Fire Brigade was incorporated into the Volkspolizei, abbreviated VoPo, (lit. 'German People's Police') as "Organ F" and issued firearms and batons.[14] East Berlin also received a "west turntable ladder" to protect the massive buildings on Stalinallee, today known as Karl-Marx-Allee. The turntable ladder type DL 52 manufactured by Metz, with a rescue height of over 50 meters, had a car that could be used as an elevator.[15] In the days after the Berlin Wall was built in 1961, the West Berlin Fire Brigade had to keep using its jumping blankets because people jumped from buildings on the demarcation line towards freedom in West Berlin. In 1969, the West Berlin Rescue Service was incorporated into the fire brigade. The Berliner Rettungsdienst was the ambulance service of Berlin. Since then, the West Berlin Fire Brigade has also been responsible for emergency medical services. In East Berlin, rescue and emergency medical services were carried out by the rescue office independently of the fire brigade until reunification. Since the early 1980s, the West Berlin fire brigade has repeatedly been involved in May riots in Berlin-Kreuzberg. A fire truck from the Berlin-Kreuzberg fire station was completely destroyed on the night of May 1, 1987.[16]

Germans stand on top of the Wall in front of Brandenburg Gate in the days before the Wall was torn down

Development since reunification[edit]

On October 3, 1990, the day of German reunification, "Organ F" the East Berlin Fire Brigade, was handed over to the West Berlin Fire Director Wolfgang Scholz. At that time, the fire brigades had a total staff of 3,788 in West Berlin and 1,112 in East Berlin. In 1992 W. Scholz retired and Albrecht Broemme was appointed as the new Fire Director of Berlin.[17] In 1993/94, due to the high volume of urban traffic and the numerous new measures to calm the increase, new vehicle concepts were tested in the city districts. The firefighting vehicle LHF 16/12 City, short "City", was 2.2 m shorter, 20 cm narrower; and therefore, more agile than the conventional LHF 16 of the Berlin Fire Brigade. After the successful testing phase, 41 vehicles of this type were ordered from 1994 to 1997.[18] On New Year's Eve 2000 there was a total failure of the IT control center, including the fallback level. For several hours it was not possible to place emergency calls. The vehicles were sent on patrols. There was only a marginal connection with the so-called Year 2000 problem.[19] The affected operational control system FIS was replaced in 2000 by the more modern IGNIS and in 2017 by its successor IGNIS-Plus.[20] In May 2006, Fire Director Albrecht Broemme became president of the Technisches Hilfswerk. The civil protection and disaster relief service of Germany. Initially, his deputy Wilfried Graefling became the temporary director and eventually the new Fire Director of Berlin in November 2006. Graefling left the Berlin Fire Brigade at the end of July 2018 and retired. His successor since August 1, 2018 is Karsten Homrighausen.[21] In 2018, colleagues from the Berliner Fire Brigade protested in front of the Rotes Rathaus, the home to the governing mayor and the government (the Senate of Berlin) of the Federal state of Berlin. Firefighters protested under the catchphrase "BerlinBrennt" (lit. 'Berlin is Burning'). The causes included the increasing number of operations, inadequate equipment including vehicles and materials, as well as the lack of personnel.[22] Before the reunification of Berlin in 1990, only West Berlin had more staff than the reunited city from West and East in 2018.

Fire Chiefs[edit]

Tenure Name Official Title
1851–1875 Ludwig Scabell Branddirektor
1875–1887 Gustav Witte Branddirektor
1887–1893 Alexander Stude Branddirektor
1893–1905 Erich Giersberg Branddirektor
1905–1922 Maximilian Reichel Oberbranddirektor
1922–1933 Walter Gempp Oberbranddirektor
1933–1943 Gustav Wagner Generalmajor
1943–1945 Walter Goldbach Generalmajor
1945–1948 Karl Feierabend Oberbranddirektor (East Berlin until 1952)
1949–1957 Ludwig Wissell Oberbranddirektor (West Berlin)
1952–1963 Ernst Ettrich Oberst der Feuerwehr (East Berlin)
1957–1968 Friedrich Kaufhold Oberbranddirektor (West Berlin)
1963–1970 Rudi Mösch Oberst der Feuerwehr (East Berlin)
1968–1970 Heinz Hoene Landesbranddirektor (West Berlin)
1970–1990 Horst Meier Branddirektor (East Berlin)
1970–1988 Kurt-Werner Seidel Landesbranddirektor (West Berlin)
1989–1992 Wolfgang Scholz Landesbranddirektor
1990 Manfred Schäfer Oberbrandrat (East Berlin)
1992–2006 Albrecht Broemme Landesbranddirektor
2006–2018 Wilfried Gräfling Landesbranddirektor
seit 2018 Karsten Homrighausen Landesbranddirektor

Special Operations[edit]

Reichstags fire on Monday 27 February 1933. Firefighters struggle to extinguish the fire
  • September 26, 1908 - Two elevated railway trains collide at metro station Gleisdreieck - 18 dead[23]
  • February 27, 1933 – Reichstag fire (German parliament)
  • May 21, 1980 - Partial collapse of the congress hall
  • 1983 - Attack on the Maison de France
  • April 5, 1986 - Attack on the La Belle discotheque - three dead (2 US soldiers, 1 Turkish civilian)
  • 16–21 December 1989 - Fire in a building with three hotel pensions on Kurfürstendamm / corner of Wielandstrasse extends to the largest hotel fire in German post-war history - eight dead[24]
  • 1989/90 - Video wall collapsed at the New Year's Eve party at the Brandenburg Gate
  • October 26, 1994 - Fire at the German Cathedral after welding work on the roof
  • August 4, 1998 - Heavy gas explosion in Lepsiusstrasse
  • July 8, 2000 - Fire in the underground station Deutsche Oper. 350 people had to be evacuated through a tunnel.
  • July 10, 2002 - Hurricane "Anita" - worst storm in 30 years - 7 dead and 39 injured[25]
  • 18 / 19 January 2007 - Hurricane "Kyrill" - a total of 1.001 alarms
  • December 19, 2016 – Terrorist attack on Breitscheidplatz - truck drives into the Christmas market - 12 dead and 53 injured[26]
  • 19/20 February 2019 - 36 hour power failure in the southeast of Berlin, evacuation of two hospitals, people from care facilities and from elevators. Maintenance of emergency care by mobile fire stations in cooperation with the police, the Red Cross and civil protection.[27]
  • 10/11 May 2020 - Several warehouses in Berlin-Tegel burned, the Berlin Fire Brigade was on site with over 300 emergency personnel. The fire was under control after about 19 hours, after 21 hours the last forces were able to move away.[28][29]

Legal basis and organization[edit]

According to § 3 of the Feuerwehrgesetz Berlin, also FwG Berlin, (lit. 'Fire Brigade Act Berlin'), the Berlin Fire Brigade has been commissioned to: fight fire, prevent danger, preventive fire protection, disaster protection and emergency services. The Freiwllige Feuerwehr (Engl: volunteer fire department) of the Berlin Fire Brigade are members of the Berlin Fire Brigade Association (LFV). The LFV Berlin is a member of the German Fire Brigade Association (DFV) based in Berlin. The Berlin Fire Brigade is also responsible for the Werkfeuerwehren and Betriebsfeuerwehren in Berlin. These private fire brigades belong to companies and protect special infrastructures. One example of a Werkfeuerwehr in Berlin is the Bayer AG Werkfeuerwehr in Berlin-Wedding. They are in close professional contact with the Berlin Fire Brigade and, with the exception of the Berufsfeuerwehren, can be alerted for special operations.

Museum[edit]

The fire brigade maintains its own museum located in Berlin-Tegel. The museum shows the history of the Berlin Fire Brigade in an exhibition.

Training and Education[edit]

The training and further education is concentrated at the Berlin Fire and Rescue Service Academy, short BFRA. The main campus is located at Schulzendorfer Straße in the north-west of Berlin in the district of Berlin-Reinickendorf. Another training location is situated in an office complex in Berlin-Tegel. In particular, medical training and the training of station officers and incident commanders are carried out there.

There are advanced plans to relocate the Berlin Fire and Rescue Service Academy to the area of the former Berlin TXL-Airport.

Structure[edit]

Berlin has a total of 35 professional fire stations, 58 volunteer fire stations and 47 youth fire stations.[30] The urban parts of Berlin with a high population density are covered by professional fire stations, which are staffed 24/7. The firefighters work in a 12-hour shift system structured in four subdivisions. A few professional fire stations accommodate Type B volunteer fire brigades in the same building, who can provide support if necessary. In sparsely populated areas, Type A volunteer fire stations maintain their own buildings and deployment areas in which they have primary responsibility for operations[31] Vehicles, technical equipment and protective clothing of the volunteer fire stations correspond to those of the professional fire brigade.

Fire Stations[edit]

Fire Station Station Number Administration Manning Level (Day/Night) Address
Feuerwache Buckow 5200 Süd (Engl. South) 11 / 9 Johannisthaler Chaussee 222

12351 Berlin

Feuerwache Charlottenburg-Nord 3600 West 15 / 13 Nikolaus-Groß-Weg 2

13627 Berlin

Feuerwache Friedrichshain 1200 Süd 12 / 10 Rüdersdorfer Str. 56

10243 Berlin

Feuerwache Hellersdorf 6200 Nord (Engl. North) 11 / 9 Kummerower Ring 80

12621 Berlin

Feuerwache Hermsdorf 2300 Nord 10 / 10 Heinsestr. 24

13467 Berlin

Feuerwache Karlshorst 6500 Nord 10 / 8 Dönhoffstraße 31

10318 Berlin

Feuerwache Köpenick 5400 Süd 17 / 17 Grünauer Str. 140

12557 Berlin

Feuerwache Kreuzberg 1600 Süd 10 / 10 Wiener Str. 64

10999 Berlin

Feuerwache Lichtenberg 6400 Nord 11 / 9 Josef-Orlopp-Straße 69

10365 Berlin

Feuerwache Lichterfelde 4600 West 10 / 10 Goethestr. 7

12207 Berlin

Feuerwache Marienfelde 4700 Süd 12 / 10 Wilhelm-von-Siemens-Str. 15

12277 Berlin

Feuerwache Marzahn 6100 Nord 21 / 19 Märkische Allee 181

12681 Berlin

Feuerwache Moabit 1400 West 10 / 10 Jagowstr. 31–34

10555 Berlin

Feuerwache Neukölln 5100 Süd 17 / 17 Kirchhofstr. 20

12051 Berlin

Feuerwache Pankow 2600 Nord 18 / 16 Pasewalker Str. 120

13127 Berlin

Feuerwache Prenzlauer Berg 1300 Nord 18 / 16 Oderberger Str. 24

10435 Berlin

Feuerwache Ranke 3500 West 12 / 12 Rankestr. 10

10789 Berlin

Feuerwache Schillerpark 2100 West 17 / 15 Edinburgerstr. 7

13349 Berlin

Feuerwache Schöneberg 4400 Süd 11 / 9 Feurigstr. 58

10827 Berlin

Feuerwache Spandau-Nord 3100 West 18 / 18 Triftstr. 8–9

13585 Berlin

Feuerwache Spandau-Süd 3200 West 21 / 19 Betckestr. 13

13595 Berlin

Feuerwache Steglitz 4200 West 10 / 10 Südendstr. 18 A

12169 Berlin

Feuerwache Suarez 3300 West 12 / 10 Suarezstr. 9

14057 Berlin

Feuerwache Tegel 2400 Nord 11 / 9 Berliner Str. 16

13507 Berlin

Feuerwache Tempelhof 4300 Süd 18 / 16 Borussiastr. 16–17

12103 Berlin

Feuerwache Tiergarten 1700 West 10 / 10 Elisabeth-Abegg-Str. 2

10557 Berlin

Feuerwache Treptow 5300 Süd 22 / 22 Groß-Berliner Damm 18

12487 Berlin

Feuerwache Urban 1500 Süd 14 / 14 Wilmsstr. 19

10961 Berlin

Feuerwache Wannsee 4500 West 10 / 8 Kronprinzessinnenweg 20

14109 Berlin

Feuerwache Wedding 2500 West 10 / 10 Reinickendorfer Str. 15 a

13347 Berlin

Feuerwache Weißensee 6300 Nord 20 / 20 Parkstraße 38–39

13086 Berlin

Feuerwache Wilmersdorf 3400 West 10 / 8 Gasteiner Str. 19–20

10717 Berlin

Feuerwache Wittenau 2200 Nord 13 / 13 Roedernallee 55

13437 Berlin

Feuerwache Zehlendorf 4100 West 19 / 19 Charlottenburger Str. 10–12

14169 Berlin

Lehrrettungswache Mitte 1100 West 20 / 18 Voltairestraße 2

10179 Berlin

Technischer Dienst II 6139 11 / 11 Märkische Allee 181

12681 Berlin

Technischer Dienst I 3639 21 / 21 Nikolaus-Groß-Weg 2

13627 Berlin

Fernmeldeeinsatzdienst 3649 6 / 6 Nikolaus-Groß-Weg 2

13627 Berlin

Volunteer Fire Stations[edit]

Fire Station Station Type Station Number Administration Address
Freiwillige Feuerwehr Mitte B 1110 West Linienstraße 128 – 129

10115 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Friedrichshain B 1201 Süd Rüdersdorfer Straße 57

10243 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Adlershof A 5310 Süd Selchowstr. 3–4

12489 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Altglienicke A+B 5330 Süd Semmelweisstraße 87

12524 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Biesdorf B 6120 Nord Alt-Biesdorf 58

12683 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Blankenburg A 6360 Nord Alt-Blankenburg 9

13129 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Blankenfelde A 2630 Nord Hauptstr. 14

13159 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Bohnsdorf A 5320 Süd Waltersdorfer Str. 107

12526 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Buch A 2710 Nord Pölnitzweg 3

13125 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Buchholz A 2620 Nord Gravensteinstr. 10

13127 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Charlottenburg-Nord B 3601 West Paulsternstr. 34

13629 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Falkenberg B 6320 Nord Hausvaterweg 16

13057 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Friedrichshagen A 5410 Süd Müggelseedamm 178

12587 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Frohnau A 2320 Nord Remstaler Str. 9

13465 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Gatow A 3210 West Gatower Str. 333

14089 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Grünau A 5470 Süd Schlierseestr. 10

12527 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Heiligensee A 2410 Nord Alt-Heiligensee 68

13503 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Heinersdorf A 6370 Nord Romain-Rolland-Str. 105–107

13089 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Hellersdorf A 6230 Nord Hellersdorfer Straße 147

12619 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Hermsdorf B 2301 Nord Heinsestr. 24

13467 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Hohenschönhausen A 6310 Nord Ferdinand-Schultze-Str. 128

13055 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Karlshorst A[32] 6501 Nord Dönhoffstraße 31

10318 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Karow A 2720 Nord Alt-Karow 10/11

13125 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Kaulsdorf A 6210 Nord Mädewalder Weg 21

12621 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Kladow A 3220 West Kladower Damm 367

14089 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Köpenick B 5401 Süd Grünauer Str. 140

12557 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Kreuzberg B 1601 Süd Wiener Straße 64

10999 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Lichtenberg B 6401 Nord Josef-Orlopp-Straße 69

10365 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Lichtenrade A 4710 Süd Im Domstift 22

12309 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Lichterfelde B 4601 West Goethestraße 7

12207 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Mahlsdorf A 6220 Nord Donizettistr. 4

12623 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Marienfelde B 4701 Süd Wilhelm-von-Siemens-Str. 15

12277 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Marzahn B 6110 Nord Blenheimstr. 67

12685 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Moabit B 1401 West Jagowstr. 31–34

10555 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Müggelheim A 5440 Süd Krampenburger Weg 1

12559 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Neukölln B 5101 Süd Kirchhofstr. 20

12051 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Niederschönhausen A 2610 Nord Blankenburger Str. 19

13156 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Oberschöneweide A 5340 Süd Siemensstr. 22

12459 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Pankow A 2650 Nord Stiftsweg 1 a

13187 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Prenzlauer Berg B 1310 Nord Schieritzstraße 24

10409 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Rauchfangswerder A 5460 Süd Schmöckwitzer Damm 60

12527 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Rudow A 5210 Süd Alt-Rudow 67

12355 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Schmöckwitz A 5450 Süd Adlergestell 786

12527 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Schöneberg B 4401 Süd Feurigstr. 58

10827 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Spandau-Nord B 3101 West Triftstr. 8–9

13585 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Staaken A 3110 West Hackbuschstr. 65

13591 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Suarez B 3301 West Suarezstr. 9

14057 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Tegel B 2401 Nord Berliner Str. 16

13507 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Tegelort A 2420 Nord Friederikestr. 19

13505 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Treptow B 5301 Süd Groß-Berliner Damm 18

12487 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Urban B 1501 Süd Wilmsstr. 19

10961 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Wartenberg-Malchow A+B 6330 Nord Dorfstraße 4

13059 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Wedding B 2501 West Reinickendorfer Str. 15 a

13347 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Weißensee B 6301 Nord Parkstraße 38–39

13086 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Wilhelmshagen A 5430 Süd Frankenbergstraße 23

12589 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Wilhelmsruh A 2640 Nord Edelweißstr. 35

13158 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Wittenau B 2201 Nord Roedernallee 55

13437 Berlin

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Zehlendorf B 4101 West Charlottenburger Str. 10–12

14169 Berlin

Equipment and Vehicles[edit]

The Berlin Fire Brigade has a total of 920 vehicles.[33] These include 194 fire engines (LHF Fire Extinguishing and Assistance Vehicle / LF Firefighting Apparatus), 42 turntable ladders (DLK Extendable Ladder Carrier), 232 ambulances (RTW Rescue Transport Wagon) and other medical service vehicles, 42 roll-off containers (AB), 82 trailers, a fire boat and five multi-purpose boats with water cannons. In addition to the different types of turntable ladders, the Berlin Fire Brigade also has a telescopic mast vehicle (TM 50). The TM 50 fire brigade telescopic mast from Metz Aerials / WUMAG on a MAN TGA chassis is used for rescuing people and fighting fires at heights. The working height is 50 meters (150 feet) .[34] Special tank fire engines (TLF 24/40 Tanker Fire Apparatus) were purchased to secure the 2.4 km long Tiergarten Spreebogen tunnel (TTS) and the city highway. All seats inside the cabin are equipped with self-contained breathing apparatus. The TLF 24/40 has a supply of 4,000 liters of water and 400 liters of foam concentrate. The vehicle is also used in forest fires. Since July 30, 2020, the Berlin Fire Brigade has been testing four emergency drones equipped with thermal imaging cameras to detect sources of fire and embers.

Berlin Concept "LHF": Fire Engine with comprehensive technical equipment[edit]

The LHF (fire and rescue vehicle, German: Lösch- und Hilfeleistungsfahrzeug, Fire Extinguishing and Assistance Vehicle) is a special vehicle concept of the Berlin Fire Brigade. The vehicles can be used for firefighting as well as for various technical assistance (e.g. car accident, train accident, door opening, cutting, sealing). Their loading is very similar to that of "HLF - Fire Emergency Team Vehicle", which are used very frequently in Germany. However, LHF in Berlin are shorter and therefore more agile in narrow streets.

LHF 16/16[edit]

The first LHF was put into service with the fire brigade in early 1983. Compared to the extinguishing group vehicles and tank fire engines that were common at the time, the LHF is more extensively equipped with devices for technical assistance. The LHF rescue pumper is an all-round vehicle for firefighting and technical rescue.[35] The LHF 16/16 has a fire pump with a capacity of 1,600 L / min at 8 bar, a water tank with 1,600 L and a permanently installed foam agent tank with 400 L foam concentrate. For technical assistance, the vehicle is equipped with a hydraulic rescue kit consisting of rescue scissors, spreader and a rescue ram with an additional hand pump.

LHF 16/12 City[edit]

The LHF 16/12 City (short: City) has been used by the Berlin Fire Brigade since 1994. Compared to its predecessor, it has shrunk by 2.2 m in length and 20 cm in width, which means better maneuverability in road traffic.[18] The LHF 16/12 also has a fire pump with an output of 1,600 L / min at 8 bar. The water container now only contains 1,200 L of water, the permanently installed foam agent container still contains 100 L of foam concentrate. For technical assistance, the vehicle, like its predecessor, is equipped with a portable generator and rescue kits. The LHF 16/12 is also available with all-wheel drive.[36]

LHF 20/12 CAFS[edit]

A new generation of LHF has been in use since the beginning of 2007, which is equipped with compressed air foam systems (CAFS, German: Druckluftschaum). The LHF 20/12 has a fire pump with an output of 2,000 L / min at 10 bar, 1,200 L of water, 100 L of foam concentrate and a DLS system (CAFS 1,000 or 1,200). The vehicle is equipped with a hydraulic rescue kit for technical assistance, automatic transmission and a reversing camera. The fleet of the Berlin Fire Brigade has been renewed since 2018. In August 2019, the fire brigade received twelve new LHF 20/12 AT (lit. 'Advanced Technology'). By 2021, seventy more LHF 20/12 AT models are to be delivered.

LHF 20/8[edit]

The LHF 20/8 was only procured for the volunteer fire departments and not for the professional fire brigade. The LHF 20/8 is based on a Mercedes-Benz Atego with all-wheel drive and has an 800-liter water tank (a 1,000 liter water tank is installed). The pumps deliver 2,000 liters / min at 10 bar. The vehicle body was developed by Rosenbauer.[37]

LHF 10/5[edit]

In 2011, two LHF 10/5 could be procured to replace the old LHF-K. The vehicles are the smallest LHF in Berlin. Like the LHF 20/8, they were only procured for the volunteer fire departments because the space circumstances did not allow for a larger LHF. The light pumpers navigate bridges and fire stations that were too small. However, almost the same equipment is in the vehicles as in the larger fire engines. A Mercedes-Benz Vario 818D with a Rosenbauer body (Compactline) was selected as the chassis. The two LHF 10/5 are stationed in Rauchfangswerder and Wilhelmshagen. Their water capacity reaches 500 liters.

eLHF[edit]

In September 2020, the first fully electrical fire truck (eLHF) was put into service for testing by the Berlin fire brigade. It results from a project of the Program for Sustainable Development (BENE 1213-B4-N), which is co-financed by the European Fund for Regional Development. The trial run will last until 2022.

Ambulance[edit]

The Berlin Fire Defence is responsible for the city's Emergency Medical Service, the Rettungsdienst - Rescue Service. The vast majority of annual operations are medical rescue operations. At the Berlin Fire Brigade, mainly Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vehicles with box bodies are used as ambulances.[38] This design, in which the case can be detached from the chassis, enables a separate exchange of body or chassis after an accident or in the event of a technical defect. There is also an "Ambulance I" (intensive) for patients with highly contagious diseases,[39] the Ambulance S (S = German shortcut: schwer; translation English: heavy) for the transport of overweight emergency patients[40] and the Stroke Emergency Vehicle (STEMO) for stroke patients.[41] As soon as 90% of the ambulances in Berlin are in use at the same time, the fire brigade control center calls out a kind of "state of emergency" and dispatches firefighters from fire engines to ambulances.[42] In 2018, this happened 41 times, which resulted in delayed arrival times.

City partnership[edit]

In addition to the transatlantic sister city agreement between Los Angeles and Berlin there are also strong relations on the fire department level. The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) and the Berliner Feuerwehr maintain a close partnership with constant visits.[citation needed]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Dr. Karsten Homrighausen appointed new Landesbranddirektor, by the Mayor of Berlin, 07/31/2018
  2. ^ a b c 12/2019: (website: berliner-feuerwehr.de)
  3. ^ a b "Berliner Feuerwehr - Berliner Feuerwehr in Zahlen 2019". www.berliner-feuerwehr.de.
  4. ^ Wolfgang Hornung-Arnegg: Feuerwehrgeschichte. Kohlhammer, 4. Auflage. 1995, ISBN 3-17-013203-2, S. 61.
  5. ^ Wolfgang Hornung-Arnegg: Feuerwehrgeschichte. Kohlhammer, 4. Auflage. 1995, ISBN 3-17-013203-2, S. 73.
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