Austria's Firefighting Heroes: What's In A Name?

Firefighters in Austria are called 'firefighters' in English, or 'Feuerwehr' in German. The Austrian Fire Brigade Association (ÖBFV) is the umbrella organisation for all state fire brigade associations and communities with professional fire brigades. In Austria, there are six career fire services in Vienna, Graz, Innsbruck, Klagenfurt, Salzburg, and Linz. As of 2007, there were around 4,527 volunteer fire departments, which are the backbone of the Austrian fire service, with about 320,000 men and women serving as volunteer firefighters.

Firefighting in Austria is similar to Germany, with a mix of career and volunteer firefighters

Volunteer firefighters in Austria are on call 24/7 and often work in other professions. They are alerted to the fire station when their services are needed and are also expected to attend non-emergency duties such as training, fundraising, and equipment maintenance. In medium-sized cities and communities, fire departments are often partially staffed by career firefighters to ensure the rapid availability of fire apparatus.

Larger cities, typically those with 100,000 inhabitants or more, operate fire departments staffed entirely by career firefighters. However, they also have several volunteer fire departments that are called upon in case of larger emergencies. The Austrian Fire Brigade Association (ÖBFV) serves as the umbrella organization for all state fire brigade associations and communities with professional fire brigades.

In exceptional cases, Austria, like Germany, has a compulsory fire service where private individuals can be compelled to participate if there is a lack of personnel or other unavailability, and fire protection cannot be guaranteed 24/7.

Austria has six career fire services in its major cities

In larger towns and cities with a few thousand to 100,000 inhabitants, fire departments still rely heavily on volunteers. However, some of these larger departments have been forced to employ one or more de facto career firefighters, who are hired by the municipality. This is to ensure sufficient personnel during working hours, as these departments often have to deal with several hundred interventions per year.

In addition to the volunteer and career departments, approximately 328 companies are legally required to operate their own fire services. This includes major airports, oil refineries, petro-chemical factories, hospitals, and clinics. These departments are usually integrated into the contingency plans of the area and often reinforce the volunteer departments outside their premises.

The Austrian Fire Brigade Association (ÖBFV) serves as the umbrella organization for all state fire brigade associations and communities with professional fire brigades.

Volunteer firefighters make up 97% of Austria's civil protection services

Austria has a strong culture of volunteering, with more than 350,000 men and women serving as volunteer firefighters. This makes up 97% of the country's civil protection services, with the remaining 3% being career firefighters. The country has a long history of locals coming together to help each other in times of crisis, and this sense of community is often passed down through families.

Volunteer firefighters in Austria typically have regular 9-to-5 jobs and other commitments outside of their service. They are on call to respond to emergencies and are also expected to attend to non-emergency duties such as training, fundraising, and equipment maintenance. The Austrian government promotes and incentivizes voluntary work, providing automatic insurance for injuries sustained while volunteering and allowing volunteers to take time off their regular jobs in case of emergencies.

Volunteer firefighters are the backbone of the Austrian fire service, with even the smallest villages having their own fire departments. These departments contribute to community life by organizing fairs and other fundraising activities. Larger towns and cities with populations ranging from a few thousand to 100,000 also rely heavily on volunteers, although some are now required to have one or more career firefighters employed by the municipality. Additionally, certain companies are mandated by law to operate their own fire services, which may be staffed by career firefighters, part-timers, or a combination of both.

In exceptional cases, Austria does have a compulsory fire service where private individuals can be compelled to participate if there is a lack of personnel for volunteer departments. However, this has not been implemented in centuries. The legislation for this varies from state to state within Austria.

Fire departments exist even in Austria's smallest villages

In larger towns and cities, fire departments still rely on volunteers, but they may also employ one or more career firefighters. These firefighters are typically hired by the municipality and are supported by conscripts who choose fire service over compulsory military service. This is necessary to increase the availability of personnel during working hours and to handle the several hundred interventions that larger departments must manage each year.

In addition to volunteer and career departments, some 328 companies are required by law to run their own fire service. This includes major airports, oil refineries, petro-chemical factories, and even hospitals and clinics. These departments are integrated into the contingency plans of the area and often reinforce volunteer departments outside company grounds.

Austria's fire service structure is similar to that of Germany, with just six career fire services located in the largest cities: Vienna, Graz, Innsbruck, Klagenfurt, Salzburg, and Linz.

Firefighters in Austria are alerted to emergencies by sirens or pager

Volunteer firefighters are alerted to emergencies by pagers or alerters. They are typically on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, apart from pre-arranged leave. In addition to responding to fires, Austrian firefighters also handle other emergencies such as flooding incidents and extricating trapped victims from road accidents.

Austria's fire service is similar to that of Germany, with a mix of career and volunteer firefighters. In some cases, individuals can be compelled to participate in a compulsory fire service if there are not enough volunteers available.

Frequently asked questions