Overview
- Volunteer ranks now exceed one million nationwide, with more than 39,000 professional firefighters, according to association president Karl-Heinz Banse.
- Leaders describe a shift in public mood, reporting that more teenagers and adults want to join their local brigades.
- Officials warn that a drop in volunteers would reduce station numbers and could stretch response times from about 10 minutes to 30 minutes or longer.
- Germany’s emergency coverage depends on local volunteer units that must reach incidents within prescribed time limits.
- Proposals to bolster service include expense allowances, free rail travel in uniform, and priority access to housing or building plots near stations.