In Mainz, no one was exempt from fire safety precautions. The first Mainz "Riot and Fire Ordinance" from 1494 regulated emergency response in the event of a fire, as well as the city's defense readiness in the event of an attack or riot. Even the clergy were repeatedly assigned night watch duties by the archbishop. The master craftsmen and their apprentices were responsible for fighting fires, while the chimney sweeps and slate roofers were responsible for setting up ladders. The religious orders were obliged to bring water to extinguish the fires, and they were assisted by the Jewish population and the prostitutes. The barbers, with their maids and servants, had to care for the victims. Each guild had to own at least eight leather fire buckets. The guild master was responsible for ensuring that they were brought to the scene of the fire.

In the first half of the 16th century, while Margrave Albrecht of Brandenburg (1490–1545) held Mainz under his control, the regulations governing riots and fires were revised. More than 100 years later, in 1660, the New City Council Ordinance issued under Elector Johann Philipp von Schönborn (1605–1673) stipulated that the equipment necessary for firefighting must be carefully stored in designated locations and made available in an emergency, and that every citizen must know what to do.

The first fire code, which was not only announced in Mainz through public readings but also printed in several thousand copies and distributed to the population, was issued by Elector Johann Friedrich Carl von Ostein (1689–1763) in the mid-18th century. These fire regulations also explicitly listed the equipment required for firefighting: 28 large fire hooks, 6 small fire hooks, 38 ladders, and 5 fire hoses. However, the number of leather buckets and barrels needed for extinguishing fires was not specified.

Raising the alarm when a fire broke out was also extremely difficult. Watchmen (also known as tower guards or tower trumpeters) were stationed around the clock on St. Stephen’s and St. Quentin’s towers to keep watch for fires. Upon spotting a fire, they had to ring the bells and, during the day, hold up a red flag, and at night, a lantern in the direction of the fire. Specially appointed fire runners had to run to the watchtowers to inquire about the exact location of the fire. Afterward, the fire was announced to everyone by shouting through the streets and alleys. In addition, the military was required to alert the population to the outbreak of a fire by beating drums and firing warning shots from a cannon at the citadel, so that the firefighting crews could assemble at the designated locations.

As a garrison town that had repeatedly been the scene of military conflicts over the centuries and within whose walls troops of various nationalities were constantly changing, Mainz was particularly vulnerable to fire.

On April 7, 1803, Prefect Jeanbon St. André (1749–1813) issued a highly detailed fire code for the city of Mainz, under which every citizen was required to assist in the event of a fire. The fire engines were distributed across six different locations. Professional companies were formed from among the ranks of craftsmen, primarily stonemasons, bricklayers, carpenters, and roofers. These were in turn divided into brigades.

During firefighting operations, one-third of the fire crews was always kept in reserve. Each company was assigned a specific section, and each section had its own assembly point in the event of a fire. By that time, the equipment in Mainz had grown to include 1,152 fire buckets, 19 fire pumps, 49 ladders, and 42 fire hooks. The total length of the hose material was 1,380 "Schuh" (approx. 400 meters).

To encourage the fire crews to act with the utmost haste when a fire broke out, a bonus of 10 francs was paid for the first fire engine to arrive at the scene. Since many citizens sought to evade their obligations and others did not demonstrate the energy and zeal that would have been desirable during operations, plans were already being considered in Mainz in the first half of the 19th century to enlist 48 craftsmen as full-time firefighters. However, this idea failed due to the costs.

Thus, the shortcomings and complaints mounted, and at every meeting of the municipal council, the problem of the lack of organization in fire protection was discussed anew, without initially yielding tangible results. The minutes of one such meeting from 1841 state that there was a lack of regular command during operations, that everyone wanted to give orders and no one wanted to obey, and that people had to be driven by force. Even at a meeting of the Carnival Association during the 1845 carnival season, it was remarked that "...the best firefighting facilities in Mainz are the wine cellars."

Thus, in July 1845, the city councilors were delighted by the proposal from the presidents of two Mainz gymnastics clubs, who suggested recruiting firefighting teams from the active members of the clubs. The gymnastics instructors Franz Mämpel and Eduard Müller received fire hoses from the city and were tasked with training the members of the gymnastics clubs they led in their use. However, the old compulsory teams remained in place in accordance with the fire regulations of 1815, which were still in effect. The number of volunteers amounted to approximately 350 men, distributed roughly equally between the two gymnastics clubs. Mämpel’s corps held a general fire drill as early as December 19, 1845, at the former secondary school on Steingasse, in the presence of nearly all civil and military authorities and a large crowd of onlookers. It left a positive impression on the spectators.

The successful work of the gymnasts in firefighting was an important step on the way to establishing the Mainz Volunteer Fire Department. However, due to political unrest and democratic movements in Germany, in which gymnastics clubs also played a significant role, it was not until four years later, in October 1849, that the Mainz Volunteer Fire Department was founded by master chimney sweep Carl Weiser (1811–1865). Weiser received his training with the Paris Fire Department. He was appointed technical director on October 26, 1849, and under his leadership, the Mainz Fire Department grew rapidly, eventually consisting of over 140 men and 16 fire engines. New climbing equipment replaced the old, unwieldy fire ladders and fire hooks. Weiser even managed to equip the brigade with uniform uniforms and set up regular training operations. Anyone who wanted to become a firefighter volunteered, but was committed to at least five years of service.

The volunteer fire department faced its first major test on November 18, 1857, when, at 2:45 p.m., the Mainz powder tower was blown up by the explosion of over 200 hundredweight of explosives and many grenades, destroying an entire district (Kästrich). The explosion killed 153 people, seriously injured hundreds, and left thousands with minor injuries. The firefighters worked day and night to rescue survivors and recover bodies from the ruins of collapsed buildings, as well as to extinguish numerous fires that kept flaring up.

On January 1, 1864, a night fire station was established in Mainz for the first time. This ensured that the fire department was on call around the clock. In addition, lessons had been learned from the fact that there had always been insufficient water available for firefighting during previous firefighting operations. Underground pipes with hydrants from which water could be drawn were laid, initially only in a limited area.

The Mainz Fire Department earned great distinction through its rescue and recovery efforts following the explosion at the Powder Tower. The importance of fire safety was further underscored by the fact that, from that time on, the newly founded Mainz Volunteer Fire Department was placed under the “direct authority of the mayor.” From then on, the development of the fire department and, with it, the firefighting services of the city of Mainz proceeded calmly and steadily under the proven leadership of Carl Weiser. He trained capable fire chiefs and a well-trained crew, ensured the improvement of equipment, and procured portable fire pumps. Carl Weiser also tried his hand at writing and illustrated his text with his own drawings. His written work, *Die deutsche Feuerwehr* (The German Fire Department), a handbook for the entire firefighting system, was published in Mainz in 1855 and was one of the first and most comprehensive works in this field.

Fire departments had now been established in other German cities as well. Thus, the 4th German Fire Department Conference took place in Mainz from September 1 to 3, 1860, with the participation of 45 fire departments.

Carl Weiser was fatally injured on June 16, 1865, during a fire at a carpentry shop at Gaugasse 75. The firefighting efforts proved successful quickly, not least because of the new water lines. Commander Weiser went home to change out of his wet clothes and have breakfast. He then returned to the scene because a chimney still needed to be demolished. Weiser directed the dangerous work himself from a ledge and was killed by the collapsing chimney. The surgeon could only confirm his death.
At his grave stood not only his firefighting comrades and friends. The people of Mainz also took great interest in the death of Carl Weiser. His brother, Matthias Weiser, was appointed as his successor, and he strove to preserve and secure what had been achieved.

It was not until the last quarter of the 19th century that a lively upward trend became apparent in many areas, a trend that also swept up the Mainz Fire Department. The brisk construction activity in Mainz, the rapid urban expansion, the increase in population, and the resulting steady rise in the number of calls forced those in charge to expand and modernize the fire department’s equipment. This ultimately led to a significant increase in the number of hydrants. While there were still only 52 fire hydrants in 1882, their number rose to 869 by 1899. Furthermore, between 1882 and 1899, the number of fire alarm stations grew from seven to 23, and the hose stock increased from 892 meters to 5,097 meters.

The 25th anniversary of the Mainz Fire Department was celebrated in a fitting manner in 1874. Four years later, a new set of regulations for the Mainz Fire Department was adopted, drafted by Christian Vey, who had been appointed fire chief in 1875. He was succeeded in 1882 by the architect Fritz Pricken.

The general upward trend and development of the fire department continued at the beginning of the 20th century. Politicians in Mainz felt compelled to follow the example of other cities and establish a professional fire department.

April 1, 1906, is considered the founding date of the Mainz professional fire department. As early as August 1903, the city council appointed Anton Darapsky (1869–1918), an engineer who had been working in the mechanical engineering department since 1896, as the successor to the late fire chief Fritz Pricken. In the fall of 1903, Darapsky completed an internship with the Cologne Fire Department and took up his post as Mainz Fire Chief in 1904, but remained assigned to the Office of Mechanical Engineering until his death in 1918.

Initially, six full-time firefighters, recruited from the ranks of the volunteer fire department, were under the command of municipal fire sergeant Jakob Leischner (1869–1929). The newly founded professional fire department had an electric crew truck and, from 1910, an electric 15-meter extension ladder at its disposal.

Jakob Leischner had been a volunteer firefighter since the age of 19 and had been running a wallpaper shop in Mainz since 1892. In 1906, Leischner moved into the office and official residence assigned to him on the second floor of the building at Neubrunnenstraße 13. From that point on, this municipal building served as Fire Station 1; but also as the excise office and a police station. The professional fire department maintained its quarters on Neubrunnenstraße in the Old Town until 1962, when it was able to move into the new building on Barbarossaring (New Town). Afterward, the Mainz-Stadt Volunteer Fire Department used the fire station on Neubrunnenstraße. Jakob Leischner continued to lead the Volunteer Fire Department and the Permanent Station on an interim basis for two years following Darapsky’s death in 1918, until City Architect Albert Noehl was appointed full-time Fire Chief.

On January 13, 1929, Jakob Leischner was fatally injured while on duty during a fire at a French car dealership on Wallstraße. Believing that people were still inside the building, Leischner and his assistant, Senior Firefighter Adolf Gentil, entered the building through a gate. At that very moment, a gable wall collapsed and buried both of them. Fire Inspector Leischner was killed instantly; Senior Firefighter Gentil died a few days later at the city hospital from his severe injuries. In the fire, which raged into the next day, 100 cars were also destroyed. The street on which Fire Station 1 (Bretzenheim) is located commemorates the city of Mainz’s first full-time fire sergeant.

Over the years, the city of Mainz expanded through the incorporation of the suburbs of Mombach, Kastel, Amöneburg, and Kostheim. As a result, the fire department’s responsibilities also grew. By the end of World War I, the department’s staff had already reached 24 members. These members were no longer employed as laborers but as civil servants.

After Leischner had served as acting head of the professional fire department for two years, City Architect Albert Noehl succeeded him in 1920 and was appointed full-time fire chief two years later. Noehl led the Mainz professional fire department for over twenty years, until April 1943. During this time, he strove to bring the equipment up to the latest technical standards. This included a modern fire alarm system.

On November 23, 1938, the Fire Service Act mandated the integration of the Mainz Professional Fire Department into the police organization. From then on, they were known as the Fire Protection Police—and firefighters became police officers. For example, Fire Chief Noehl, as commander of the Fire Protection Police, held the rank of major.

At the start of World War II, to increase operational readiness, the Mainz Professional Fire Department was organized into two-person crews with hose trucks, consisting of a driver and a quartermaster, and these crews were deployed throughout the entire city. The goal was to be able to quickly extinguish fires in fire-prone buildings following air raids. The primary areas of operation were the district headquarters on Schillerstraße, the theater, the Neustadt, and the MAN factories in Gustavsburg. After just one year, these two-man teams were disbanded due to inefficiency, and all firefighters were ordered back to the main fire station on Neubrunnenstraße.

For firefighting operations in the Mainz city area, only a small fire company for the Old Town and a larger fire company for the Neustadt were initially available in early 1940. From 1944 until the devastating events of February 27, 1945, the professional fire department (Fire Protection Police) had proven itself in many large-scale operations, including in the Mainz area, and had a total operational strength of 65 firefighters, including seven officers. Major Ernst Kirchner had been the head of the Fire Protection Police since 1943. The average age was 49. Due to the uninterrupted firefighting operations without any time off or vacation, absences due to illness and injuries skyrocketed to 20% of the crew strength. In 1944, the Mainz Fire Police had eleven heavy fire engines (LF25), three medium fire engines (LF15), and six light fire engines (LF8), as well as sufficient hose equipment. Although 1,200 meters of quick-connect hoses, known as Laninger hoses, were available, they could not be transported due to the lack of trailers.

The first and largest standby unit of the fire police, with 120 men, was stationed at Jägerstraße 33 and in the Zollhafen. At the start of the war, all those considered politically unreliable were assigned here. The second unit was stationed at the Citadel and on Neubrunnenstraße; the third unit was located in Kastel at the gymnasium and the fire academy. Only fire units 1 and 3 were deployed for operations outside the city. The Mainz Fire Police received direct support during their operations from the plant fire departments of the Mombach Wagon Factory, the Werner & Mertz company (Erdal Works), the Blendax Works, and the well-equipped plant fire department of the MAN Works in Gustavsburg, which had numerous fire trucks. In addition, there were the nine volunteer fire departments in the city area and the 25 volunteer fire departments in the Mainz district. Following air raids, Air District Command XII alerted all 40 major fire departments within a 100-kilometer radius: from Bingen to Frankfurt, from Bad Kreuznach to Mannheim, the fire departments rushed to their assigned locations.

With the onset of the air raids on Mainz, the supply of water for firefighting became the fire department’s main problem, despite the immediate proximity to the Rhine and Main rivers. By the end of 1944, the city area had 11 fire hydrants, 19 cisterns, 13 fire ponds, and 5 ruined cellars with a capacity of 500 to 1,500 m³ available as water intake points for firefighting. The fire department had to assign 60 men daily to construct these facilities. The goal was to create many small water collection points in order to quickly have enough water to extinguish incipient fires, preventing them from developing into major blazes. Under all circumstances, the aim was to avoid pumping water over long distances from the Rhine, as this measure tied up too much material and personnel.

During the devastating air raids on February 27, 1945, all three fire departments in Mainz were deployed. While the fire crews from the surrounding district extinguished smaller fires along the access roads, entire blocks in the city center were engulfed in flames. Despite their determination and improvisational skills, the rescue teams were unable to prevent the area hardest hit—around Flachsmarkt, Schusterstraße, Höfchen, Ludwigstraße, Schillerplatz, Mittlere Bleiche, and Rheinstraße—from burning to the ground. The pilot service was rendered incapable of action due to the scale of the disaster. Volunteer fire departments from Nierstein and Oppenheim, who happened to be passing by the cathedral, extinguished the burning roof truss and thus saved Mainz’s landmark. The selfless efforts of these fire departments cost the Mainz Fire Department two lives. Three firefighters from the Mainz-Hechtsheim Volunteer Fire Department were also killed when a house wall collapsed on Schusterstraße. Toward the end of the war, as late as March 1945, some professional firefighters who were not yet 50 years old were armed and deployed to protect industrial facilities. But just a few days later, when the Americans entered Mainz, their foray into the military sphere came to an end. After that, as everywhere in Germany, the city faced a new beginning and a reconstruction from scratch. At the time, the Mainz Professional Fire Department had a strength of 45 men. Since the fire station and its associated workshops and vehicle garages had been largely destroyed by bombs and burned out, the first task was to create urgently needed facilities through their own efforts. Added to this were the difficulties of procuring materials, including for the emergency vehicles, which were in dire need of repair. The aging workforce of the professional fire department further compounded the problem, as the young men—unless they had been killed at the front—were held as prisoners of war.

It was not until the “Law on Fire Protection for Rhineland-Palatinate” of March 11, 1949, came into effect that a legal basis for the proper implementation of fire protection was once again established. As the economy, industry, and commerce rose from the rubble, this upswing had a positive impact on all areas of life. At that time, the Mainz Professional Fire Department was led by Fire Engineer Leopold Glanner.

Shortly after the 50th anniversary of the professional fire department, plans were drawn up for the construction of a new fire station. The site chosen was the former drill ground of the Alice Barracks at the corner of Barbarossaring and Holsteinstraße. Construction began in November 1959. The grand opening of the new fire station took place on June 30, 1962.

While the day-to-day operations of the professional fire department had been temporarily placed in the hands of the head of the building inspectorate, Mr. Rudolf Acker, a senior building official, Ernst Ulrich, a senior fire department official, took over as chief of the professional fire department in 1959. It is largely thanks to him that the Mainz Fire Department’s fleet of vehicles was largely renewed in the early 1960s.

From 1968 onwards, the new district of Lerchenberg and the facilities of the Second German Television Station grew larger and larger. In addition, six new districts were incorporated into the municipality. In order to be able to provide protection for these areas as well, construction of a secondary fire station on Lerchenberg (Wedekindstraße) had to begin on June 18, 1968, due to the excessive distance from the main fire station (Neubrunnenstraße) and the long travel times associated with it. The station, a former shooting range, was largely built by the firefighters themselves. The professional firefighters contributed around 20,000 hours of work in the first few years. The secondary fire station went into operation in 1971.

At the beginning of 1977, the new Emergency Medical Services Act came into effect, which excluded the professional fire department from the group of emergency medical service organizations. As a result, the three organizations active in emergency medical services—ASB, DRK, and MHD—each received an ambulance from the professional fire department’s fleet. With the elimination of ambulance calls, the total number of calls for the professional fire department also declined.

In 1973, Senior Fire Chief Ulrich was succeeded as head of the professional fire department by his deputy, Ernst Horneber. Horneber retired as fire chief in 1980. He was succeeded by Fire Chief Gotthard Passet, who had come from the professional fire department in Frankfurt am Main.

Due to the ever-increasing demands placed on the fire department to protect and ensure the safety of Mainz’s population, it became necessary to build a second large fire station to replace the one on Lerchenberg. In particular, the expansion of the city into the suburbs of Mainz and the growth of the university and commercial sectors made it increasingly difficult to meet the legally mandated response time of 8 minutes. Due to the increase in personnel associated with the growing city—from 70 firefighters at the time in the fire station built in 1962 on Barbarossaring to nearly 200 employees—a new building became indispensable. The new fire station in Bretzenheim was put into operation on May 4, 1992, following the groundbreaking ceremony (July 5, 1989) and the topping-out ceremony (July 9, 1990).

With the construction of the new building, the city area was also divided into two new response or jurisdiction zones. From that point on, Fire Station 1 was located in Bretzenheim, and Fire Station 2 in Neustadt.

Gotthard Passet retired as Chief Fire Director on July 31, 1996. He was succeeded by Chief Fire Director Otto Aug. Mr. Aug retired on March 31, 2002.

In 2007, the federal government further revised its strategy for supporting the states within the framework of expanded civil protection, partly due to the absence of a military threat and partly in response to new terrorist threats. This support was provided in the areas of “mass casualty incidents” and “CBRN hazards (chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear hazards)” through standardized equipment and, at a subsequent stage, through units designated for supraregional assistance, as well as through support components in fire protection, medical services, and social services.

Today, the federal government maintains only the THW as its own organization.
However, it also establishes the Medical Task Force (MTF) in cooperation with aid organizations. This force is intended to be able to operate nationwide in major disaster situations.

Mainz was provided by the federal government with a medical equipment vehicle and a KTW 4 to supplement the MTF. After suffering transmission damage, the KTW 4 was taken over by the city, repaired, and handed over to the German Red Cross (DRK) for further use. Since 2025, the DRK no longer needs the vehicle; it has been available to the SEG-V ever since. 

There are currently 7 state-owned vehicles available in Mainz. Since local governments are unable to make up for this shortfall on their own due to the generally difficult financial situation, the state has operated a subsidy program since 2007 under which 40% of the cost of vehicles used for medical, care, and catering services is covered by the state. 

In 2010, a used emergency ambulance was procured for the Maltese. In 2011, a second vehicle was added—an ambulance for the JUH.
In 2019, an MTF was procured for the SEG-B of the DLRG. This was 100% financed by the City of Mainz and was made available to the DLRG for use. 

On March 23, 2025, the City of Mainz handed over four new, state-of-the-art emergency ambulances (NKTW) with a total value of 840,000 euros to the aid organizations ASB, DRK, Malteser, and Johanniter. The vehicles, presented at Liebfrauenplatz, are used for disaster response and are equipped with comprehensive medical equipment. An additional 21 vehicles are in the planning stages. 

Since the accident in Ramstein, the need for qualified psychosocial support—both for those affected and for first responders—has been recognized and gradually established. In 2000, a crisis intervention team consisting of appropriately trained paramedics was founded in Mainz.

Almost at the same time, the Ecumenical Emergency Pastoral Care group was formed, consisting of about 25 Protestant and Catholic pastoral caregivers who are commissioned by their churches for this service and ensure 24-hour on-call availability. Their mission is to support and accompany people in acute personal emergencies, as well as to provide human and pastoral care and support. When necessary, they refer those affected to other appropriate professional support services and initiate the first steps toward this.

The Bundeswehr, with its personnel and material resources, is in principle available for large-scale disaster relief operations, taking into account its other diverse tasks. In the past, the structures within the Bundeswehr, the areas of responsibility, and the points of contact were often not transparent to civilian authorities. In 2006, a District Liaison Command (KVK) was established for each district and city administration, each consisting of 10–12 experienced reservists familiar with the local area, who serve as points of contact for all matters related to civil-military cooperation. In particular, during operations and exercises, they are tasked with informing and advising the disaster response leadership and/or the administrative staff in Mainz on the Bundeswehr’s capabilities to provide assistance, as well as coordinating military support when necessary. 

Work-related stress among many volunteers, as well as a lack of equipment due to cost constraints, meant that the operational readiness of the four Rapid Medical Response Teams could no longer be guaranteed at all times. Closer cooperation between the organizations was absolutely necessary, so that now two organizations (ASB/JUH and DRK/MHD) each provide a Rapid Medical Response Team. This prompted the decision to extend the excellent cooperation with the Mainz-Bingen District Administration in maintaining the Senior Emergency Physician Group and the Group of Organizational Leaders to the Rapid Medical Response Teams as well, as the two Rapid Medical Response Teams in the district made it possible to maintain the previous safety standard in this area. The Health Emergency and Response Plan, which was jointly developed by both administrations, comprehensively regulates medical, rescue, paramedic, and care services.

With the federal government’s decision to suspend military and civilian service as of July 1, 2011, the obligation to participate in disaster response as a substitute for these services has also lapsed. For some volunteers, this has eliminated the incentive to participate in disaster response. Our three operational units, which consisted largely of volunteers released from the Bundeswehr or civilian service, were therefore forced to cease operations as early as July 1, 2011. 

All operational units have since been disbanded. In 2025, the Catering Operational Unit was redesigned and established. It has been officially operational since October 2025. The units of the aid organizations remain unchanged. However, as part of a reorganization, these are being gradually converted into new, smaller, and more flexible squad-sized units and re-equipped by the city.

The tasks of civil defense and disaster management were handled by the Public Order Office from October 1, 1995, to March 31, 2015, and later by the Legal and Public Order Office. The former Civil Defense Division was renamed the Civil Protection Division in 2007. The term “Civil Protection” reflected the increasingly close integration of civil defense and disaster control into a unified emergency response system designed to protect the population, both during peacetime incidents and in the event of a defense emergency.

Since April 1, 2015, the Mainz Fire Department has been responsible for civil defense and disaster management.

In 2018, existing E57 sirens were converted to a digital alerting system via POCSAG (Post Office Code Standardization Advisory Group = a unidirectional paging protocol for transmitting data to pagers). Starting in 2023, new electronic sirens were installed. These can also be triggered via GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications = mobile communications standard for fully digital mobile networks, used primarily for telephony but also for circuit-switched and packet-switched data transmission as well as text messaging) and Tetra radio (= Terrestrial Trunked Radio = international standard for digital trunked radio, which offers secure communication, group calls, data transmission, and high reliability through cellular network structures).

1849–1865: Master chimney sweep Carl Weiser
1865–1875: Matthias Weiser
1875–1881: Fire chief Christain Vey
1881–1882: Karl Keller (acting)
1882 - 1902: Architect Fritz Pricken
1902 - 1903: Karl Keller (acting)
1904 - 1918: Engineer Anton Darapsky
1918 - 1920: Fire Inspector Jakob Leischner (acting)
1920–1943: City Architect Albert Noehl
1943–1945: Major Ernst Kirchner
1945–1956: Senior Fire Engineer Leopold Glanner
1956–1958: Building Officer Rudolf Acker
1959 - 1973: Fire Department Councilor Ernst Ulrich
1973 - 1980: Fire Chief Ernst Horneber
1980 - 1996: Senior Fire Chief Gotthard Passet
1996 - 2002: Senior Fire Chief Otto Aug
2002 - 2013: Chief Fire Director Rolf Wachtel
2013 - 2014: Senior Fire Chief Björn Patzke (acting)
2015 - 2024: Chief Fire Director Martin Spehr
2024 - 2025: Stefan Behrendt (Head of Operations Management & Fire and Disaster Protection Inspector), Mark Jüliger (Head of Technology) and Holger Hagen (Head of Preventive Fire Protection)
since 2026: Senior Fire Chief Dipl.-Ing. Stefan Behrendt