Ranks of the fire brigade in Hessen

This article deals with the ranks, rank badges and functional designations in use in the volunteer fire brigades, professional fire brigades, at the state fire brigade school and the fire protection authorities in Hesse .

Volunteer firefighter

The legal basis is the Law and Ordinance Gazette of November 22, 2017, published by the Hessian Ministry of the Interior and for Sport .

In addition to the length of service, the appointment to the respective rank is primarily linked to the specialist and managerial qualifications of the fire service members and, above all, in the case of higher ranks, also to the function and size of the volunteer fire service . It is not intended to be transported only if you have been part of the fire service for a longer period of time. There is no legal entitlement to a rank.

Description of rank badges and job badges

Rank badges and function badges made of dark blue fabric, 90 mm wide, 38, 51 or 64 mm high (with a border in oak leaves 77 mm), circumferential edge as strand 2 mm, always 6 mm from the edge.
Bar 60 mm wide and 8 mm high. Distance between the bars is 5 mm. Distance between bars 7 mm.
Four-pointed star with a diameter of 15 mm.
Youth fire department flame in the middle.
Six-pointed silver-colored star made up of two equilateral triangles with an edge length of 17 mm.
Six-pointed gold-colored star made up of two equilateral triangles with an edge length of 17 mm.
Guide colors: crimson / light crimson RAL3014, silver / silver gray RAL 7001, gold / golden yellow RAL 1004

The representations shown are not to scale.

Ranks

Rank	abbreviation	description	requirement
Teams
Firefighter candidate	FFrA / FMA	Cord in crimson red	Membership in the operations department of a volunteer fire brigade
Firefighter / firefighter	FFr / FM	A crimson bar and braid	Troop training part 1 (basic course)
Senior firefighter	OFFr / OFM	Two bars and braid in crimson red	three years of service ¹ ⁴ , troop training part 1 and 2 and a special course ²
Chief firefighter	HFFr / HFM	Three bars and braid in crimson red	four years of service, troop leader course and two special courses
Executives
Extinguishing supervisor	LM'in / LM	A bar in crimson red and silver braid	four years of service, group leader course and three special courses
Head fire-fighting master	OLM'in / OLM	Two bars in crimson red and silver braid	five years of service, group leader ³ course and four special courses
Main extinguishing supervisor	HLM'in / HLM	Three bars in crimson red and silver braid	five years of service, train driver ³ course and four special courses
Fire chief	BM'in / BM	A bar and braid in silver color	six years of service, train driver ³ course and five special courses
Chief fire chief	OBM'in / OBM	Two bars and braid in silver color	seven years of service, association leader course ³ and five special courses
Main fire chief	HBM'in / HBM	Three bars and braid in silver color	eight years of service, association leader course ³ and five special courses

¹ in an operations department

²The special courses include a .: radio communication course, breathing apparatus wearer course, machinist course, paramedic of the volunteer fire brigade, technical assistance in traffic accidents, course GABC use, boat driver course, equipment maintenance course, course fire protection education, basic training for motor chainsaws, course preventive structural fire protection.

³ In addition to the requirements mentioned, further training seminars must be attended regularly.

^4thIn possession of the power clasp of Jugendfeuerwehr the requisite service period can be shortened by one year.

Additional job badges

The additional function badges are worn above the rank badge.

Youth area

Deputy youth fire brigade warden (red flame, center, without frame)
Deputy city / community youth fire brigade warden (silver flame, in the middle, without frame)
Deputy City Youth Fire Brigade Supervisor in independent cities or Deputy District Youth Fire Brigade Supervisor (golden flame, in the middle, without frame)
Youth fire department warden (red flame, center, red border)
City / community youth fire brigade warden (silver flame, center, silver border)
City youth fire brigade in independent cities or district youth fire brigade (golden flame, center, golden border)

Deputy youth fire department warden
Deputy community or
city youth
fire department
Deputy city youth
fire brigade wart (district-free city) or
deputy district youth
fire brigade wart
Youth fire brigade
Community or city youth
fire department
City youth fire department warden (independent city) or
district youth
fire department warden

Cities / municipalities

Deputy Wehrführer (a silver star, center)

Deputy city / community fire inspector (in cities with up to 50,000 inhabitants) (two silver stars in the middle in a row)

Wehrführer (a silver star in the middle with a silver border)

City / community fire inspector (in cities with up to 50,000 inhabitants) (two silver stars in the middle in a row with a silver border)

Spokesman for the fire brigade (in cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants without a professional fire brigade) (a star in the middle with a short bar, left and right with a border)

Deputy Military Leader

Deputy municipal fire inspector or deputy urban fire inspector in cities with up to 50,000 inhabitants

Wehrführer

Community fire inspector or urban fire inspector in cities with up to 50,000 inhabitants

Spokesman in the fire brigade> 50,000 residents without professional fire brigade

Counties / independent cities / special status cities

District fire inspectors or deputy district fire supervisors according to § 13 Paragraph 1 HBKG only wear functional badges:

District Fire Master , Deputy Head of the fire brigade (cities with over 50,000 inhabitants without professional fire brigade) , Deputy. City fire inspector in cities with professional fire brigade (a golden bar, golden border with gold braid)

Deputy District fire inspector, head of the fire brigade (cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants without professional fire brigade) , city fire inspector in cities with professional fire brigade (two golden bars, golden border)

Circle fire inspector (three golden bars, golden border)

Deputy city fire inspector in cities with a professional fire brigade, Deputy head of a fire brigade in cities with> 50,000 inhabitants without a professional fire brigade or district fire chief

City fire inspector in cities with a professional fire brigade , head of a fire brigade in cities> 50,000 inhabitants without a professional fire brigade or deputy district fire inspector

District fire inspector

Professional fire brigades, state fire brigade school and fire protection supervision

The ranks of the professional fire brigades , the state fire brigade school and the fire protection supervisory authority are also derived from the Hessian fire brigade clothing and rank ordinance (HFDV). This also applies to the full-time officers in the emergency services of the volunteer fire brigades. The rank badges are the same size, shape and way of wearing as those of the volunteer fire brigades. For civil servants, the grade is inextricably linked to the grade, which is also listed for the purpose of comparability.

Rank	abbreviation	description	Grade
Medium fire service
Fire chief	BM'in / BM	Two bars and braid in silver color	A 7
Chief fire chief	OBM'in / OBM	Three bars and braid in silver color	A 8
Main fire chief	HBM'in / HBM	Four bars and braid in silver color	A 9 or A 9z
High-class fire service
Candidate fire inspector	BIA'in / BIA	Silver colored wire	Candidate Pay
Fire inspector	BI'in / BI	A star in the middle and a silver wire	A 9
Chief Fire Inspector	BOI'in / BOI	Two stars in the middle in a row and silver wire	A 10
Fire officer	BA'woman / BA	Three stars in the shape of a triangle and silver braid	A 11
Fire Department Councilor	BAR'in / BAR	Four stars in the shape of a rhombus and braid in silver color	A 12
Fire chief councilor	BOAR'in / BOAR	Five stars, four of them in the shape of a rectangle, one star in the middle and silver wire	A 13 or A 13z
Higher fire service
Fire trainee	BRef'in / BRef	Golden wire	Candidate Pay
Fire Councilor	BR'in / BR	A star in the middle and a golden wire	A 13
Fire chief councilor	BOR'in / BOR	Two stars in the middle in a row and golden wire	A 14
Fire director	BD'in / BD	Three stars in the shape of a triangle and a strand of gold color	A 15
Chief Fire Director Ministerialratin / Ministerialrat	Ltd. BD'in / Ltd. BD MR'in / MR	Four stars in the shape of a rhombus and a strand of gold	A 16
Director of the fire department Director of the state fire brigade school	Dir'in BrandD / Dir BrandD Dir'in LFS / Dir LFS	Five stars, four of them in the shape of a rectangle, one star in the middle and gold-colored wire	B 2 or B 3
State fire director Ministerialratin / Ministerialrat	LBD'in / LBD MR'in / MR ⁵	Five stars, four of them in the shape of a rectangle, one star in the middle in oak leaves and gold-colored wire	B 2 or B 3

⁵ each as head of fire protection in the Hessian Ministry of the Interior and for sport

Functional identification in use

When deployed, the rescue workers often work with other institutions and rescuers from the larger area, so it is not always clear who has what qualification or what function. The various markings help to keep the communication paths as short as possible and thus to make use more efficient. The function identification is not directly related to the rank.

Helmet labeling

Point with 20 mm diameter, guide color: red RAL 3019
Point with 20 mm diameter, guide color: blue RAL 5017 (similar)
Strips 70 mm long and 10 mm wide, guide color: red RAL 3019
Circumferential ring with a width of 10 mm each, guide color: red RAL 3019
If both colored dots are used on a helmet, they are to be arranged horizontally above the reflective stripes in the order blue / red.

The representations shown are not to scale.

Labelling	Volunteer firefighter	Professional fire brigade
	Paramedics of the volunteer fire department	Not applicable (the training of the middle service includes the paramedic in Hessen ). In addition, depending on the city, fire service officers can also be trained as paramedics or even emergency paramedics .
	Respirator wearer	Wearer of respiratory equipment (labeling is not mandatory)
	Squad leader	Group leader, vehicle driver
	Platoon leader	Platoon or guard division leader
	City fire, community fire inspector	Official of the high fire service, district fire chief
	Head of a fire department *	District fire inspector , civil servant of the higher fire service
	-	State fire director

* in cities> 50,000 inhabitants without professional fire brigade

Identification vests

During use, specialists and managers wear a colored vest with additional functional inscription on the back for identification. The vest is worn over the respective combat clothing. The colors are assigned to different functions.

function	Pictorial representation	West inscription
Technical operations manager		Operations Manager
Section Head / Section Head		Section Head
Train driver		Platoon leader
Vehicle driver / in group leader / in squadron leader / in		depending on the mission and defense
Specialist advisor special function (e.g. respiratory protection monitoring) Head emergency doctor Organizational head of the rescue service		depending on the exercise of the function
Press officer		Press, press officer
Forces in emergency psychosocial care (PSNV)		PSNV, emergency pastoral care