-   (Luis) I want to become a firefighter and I will help many people.

-   (Finja) I also want to become a firefighter so I can use water to stop the fire.

-   (Jona) I want to be a fireman so I can drive a fire truck with siren sound like ‘tà tu tà ta’.

-   (Lennard) I want to be a fireman so I can join with friends in the fireman group. We can have fun together and learn many new things. 

Becoming a firefighter is possibly the first thing German kids think of when asked what they would like to be in the future. At carnival festivals, it’s easy to find kids who look proud in their fireman costumes. Bambini is a volunteer firefighter group of kids from 6 to 10 years of age in Burgschwalbach village, Rhein Lahn-Pfalz state, Germany.

A major activity of Bambini group members is to practice ways to prevent and cope with fire threats, in addition to playing games, making crafts, drawing pictures, or going on picnics. Volker Ermel, Bambini’s instructor, said kids’ early participation in local volunteer fire brigades gives them opportunities to practice many life skills: "Burgschwalbach’s volunteer fire brigade wants to help kids precisely assess risks and overcome fear. Kids will also learn how to make an emergency phone call. Games arranged for every meeting of the group are integrated with lessons and knowledge of fire extinguishing. Most importantly, we want to educate the kids about community responsibilities, friendship, and group activities."
Bambini members always have fun whenever they meet and practice together. 

Germany is famous for their high standards of security and this explains the establishment of local volunteer fire brigades like Bambini where kids are equipped with necessary knowledge and skills of fire fighting and practice ways to deal with emergencies.  
For older kids, Burgschwalbach has another volunteer firefighter group. 12-year-old Louis Spiestersbach is the third generation of his family to take part in the village’s volunteer fire fighting activities. His granddad and dad are also active members of the local fire brigade. Louis hopes to become a professional firefighter someday. Louis told VOV: "In addition to meetings where we are taught and practice skills related to fire and explosion prevention, we also take part in other volunteer activities. For example, we often help prepare town events. After Christmas, we collect used Christmas trees and pile them at a place for destruction."

In Germany’s 2000 cities, there are 100 with professional fire brigades. In the remaining cities, towns, and villages, fire fighting, rescue, and relief activities are usually carried out by local volunteer fire brigades. Only a few members of these brigades work full-time for their brigades. The rest have other jobs but share a common desire to support their communities in emergencies. Whether a full-time or part-time fireman, these volunteers must be trained to carry out their duties.

Marco Witt, head of Burgschwalbach’s volunteer fire brigade, talks about the brigade’s important role in responding to emergencies: "Nearly 70% of the German population are protected by local volunteer fire brigades. 31% of the population in big cities are protected by both professional and volunteer fire brigades. In suburban areas and small villages, volunteer fire brigades are the first responders to any emergency."

The model of the local volunteer fire brigade has existed for centuries in Europe. Before that, fire fighting was carried out. When a house caught fire, people from neighboring houses rushed to help extinguish the fire to keep it from spreading to their houses. In 1811, Napoleon ordered a volunteer fire brigade established in Paris after a fire broke out at his wedding in 1810. Unfortunately, this Paris brigade was ineffective due to great disorganization. The French town of Saarlouis is where the second volunteer fire brigade was established. After Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo in 1815, Saarlouis was under the administration of the Kingdom of Prussia and Saarlouis became the first German volunteer fire brigade.

The model continues to spread across Germany. Members of fire brigades must be men between 16 and 60 years of age with qualified health certificates who are required to attend regular training courses on fire fighting. Pascal Spristersbach, head of Burgschwalbach’s volunteer fire team talks about tasks of firemen: "Our main tasks are to rescue people, put out fires, and provide victims with first aid. In other emergencies like explosions, accidents, and floods, we’re ready to perform similar tasks."  

When they receive an alarm, their fire siren can be heard and the firefighters will be present at the scene in minutes. They are often required to provide first aid to the victims before any ambulance arrives.

Volunteer firefighters took part in rescue activities at a car accident in Burgschwalbach

Volunteer firefighters also help clean up the oil marks on streets after accidents, rescue trapped animals, even rescue a cat stranded on a roof.

They help safeguard local festivals and often take part in setting up and assisting festival activities.

In Germany’s Taunus region, volunteer firefighters have another special mission: taking part in tree-planting ceremonies. This is a very special tradition of the Taunus region. Whenever a baby is born, firefighters are invited to attend a ceremony to welcome the baby. They are entrusted with planting a pine tree in front of the baby’s house and decorating the tree with teddy bears, clothes, and toys, to announce the arrival of the baby to the public.

Firefighting is not a suitable profession for someone who just wants to play with fire or drive a truck with flashing lights. It’s a proud but challenging job for someone with a high degree of community responsibility.