Beamter/Beamtin im feuerwehrtechnischen Dienst (höherer Dienst)

Learning locations include: State Fire Schools, Institutes of Fire Departments, Fire and Administrative Academies: classrooms; Professional and Volunteer Fire Departments, Administrative Authorities: offices, control centers, operations centers, field service (exercises and operations, fire extinguishing and other emergency vehicles).

Occupation type: Civil servant training; differing career designations in individual federal states (Bundesland). Type of training: Preparatory service, regulated by ordinances of the federal states (Bundesland). Duration of preparatory service: 2 years. Minimum prerequisite for admission to preparatory service: Varies depending on the federal state (Bundesland) (e.g., completed master's degree (Masterstudium)). Learning locations: State Fire Schools, Institutes of Fire Departments, Fire and Administrative Academies, Professional Fire Departments, Volunteer Fire Departments, Administrative Authorities. Tasks and activities: Civil servants in the higher fire technical service, as heads of a professional fire department, primarily deal with organizational tasks and personnel management. They coordinate the individual departments, create deployment plans, and represent the fire department or service unit to superior management bodies, political committees, and the public. As department heads, they plan and monitor, for example, preventive fire protection.

2 years.

The aptitude test includes, for example, examinations, assessment centers, or an interview and may contain practical and sports components.

Structure of a preparatory service in the higher fire technical service: Basic training module (fire technical basic training): 22 weeks. Competence verification and alignment: 1 week. Tactical Leadership I (central training module): 5 weeks. Operational service as a group leader (decentralized practical module): 8 weeks. Tactical Leadership II (central training module): 8 weeks. Operational service as a platoon and unit leader (decentralized practical module): 8 weeks. Personal and social competence, group dynamic processes, project management (central training module): 5 weeks. Personal and social competence, project management (decentralized practical module): 9 weeks. Law and Management (central training module): 7 weeks. Law and Management (decentralized practical module): 8 weeks. Strategic Management and Leadership (central training module): 9 weeks. Strategic Management and Leadership (decentralized practical module): 10 weeks. Deepening (decentralized practical module, including an internship at an external service unit).

No course fees are charged. Travel expenses or costs for learning materials may arise. Costs for accommodation at the training location may also arise.

The Ausbildung (vocational training) is organized in a modular form. It consists of a basic Ausbildung module as well as central and decentralized modules in the areas of tactical and strategic leadership. Theoretical and practical Ausbildung contents include: Basic fire service training (structure, tasks, and values of the fire service, organizational structure and processes of one's own department), strategic leadership training (personal and social competence, group dynamic processes, project management, law and management, strategic direction and leadership, observation visits -e.g., with the police, supervisory authority, fire services abroad-), tactical leadership training (operational service as a group leader, and as a platoon and unit leader).

One should be prepared for the following conditions and requirements: During the theoretical Ausbildung phases: attending lectures, independent work (e.g., preparing and reviewing lectures, researching in libraries, preparing performance proofs), organization (e.g., adhering to specified deadlines for performance proofs). During the practical Ausbildung phases: practical involvement (e.g., participating in operational exercises, creating operational plans), and expanding key qualifications such as problem-solving, organizational, and leadership competencies.

Example monthly basic candidate salary (gross): 1,726 €. Source: Bundesland (federal state) salary laws. Note: In addition to the basic candidate salary, candidate emoluments include capital-forming benefits, possibly also family allowances, and other allowances, remunerations, and surcharges.

In-depth knowledge in the following areas are good prerequisites for a successful preparatory service: Management/Organization (e.g., to efficiently organize the administration and operations of fire services), Employee leadership and guidance (e.g., for the successful management of rescue operations).

The following Ausbildung (vocational training) alternatives are available for the profession of civil servant in the higher fire service technical service: Area of Law and Administration, Civil servant in the Federal Defense Administration (higher technical service), Civil servant in the Trade Supervisory Administration (higher technical service). Commonality: Performing auditing and controlling tasks.

The Ausbildung (vocational training) in the higher fire service technical service is carried out as a preparatory service. It lasts 2 years and is regulated by Bundesland (federal state) ordinances. The Ausbildung concludes with a career examination. Typically, at least a Master's Studium (university degree) is required.

The Ausbildung (vocational training) is legally regulated in the mentioned Bundesländer (federal states) and leads to the following Abschluss-/Berufsbezeichnungen (graduation/professional titles): Berlin, North Rhine-Westphalia: Brandassessor/Brandassessorin. The Laufbahn (career path) is also established in the following Bundesländer where no specific Abschluss-/Berufsbezeichnungen exist: Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein, Thuringia. Example Laufbahnbezeichnungen (career path titles) include: Beamter/Beamtin - Fire Department (higher technical service), Beamter/Beamtin - fire technical service (Laufbahngruppe 2, second Einstiegsamt), Beamter/Beamtin - fire technical service (Laufbahngruppe 2, second Einstiegsebene), Beamter/Beamtin - fire technical service (fourth Qualifikationsebene), Beamter/Beamtin - fire technical service (fourth Einstiegsamt). These Laufbahnbezeichnungen are examples and may vary by Bundesland. Note: The responsible authorities in the individual Bundesländer...

After their Ausbildung (vocational training), Beamte (civil servants) in the higher fire technical service primarily work for professional fire departments, Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces) fire departments, or fire academies. They can keep their expertise current or update it through Anpassungsweiterbildung (adaptive continuing education), covering topics from fire protection to adult education. With suitable qualifications, Beamte in the higher fire technical service have the opportunity to participate in internal administrative courses for further qualification. It is also possible to become self-employed, for example, as an expert or specialist in preventive fire and hazard protection.

The Vorbereitungsdienst (preparatory service) for Beamtenlaufbahnen (civil service career paths) is regulated by the Bundesländer (federal states) through their own ordinances, which may differ. The Vorbereitungsdienst in the Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces) is also based on these state ordinances. The Bundesländer have transferred the execution of the Laufbahnprüfung (career examination) to the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, meaning its examination regulations also apply. This includes the Interior Ministry's ordinance on Ausbildung (vocational training) and examination for the higher fire technical service (APrOFwhD) from 15.03.2022 (BW.GBl. S. 182), the ordinance on the fire technical service specialization (FachV-Fw) from 18.11.2011 (Bay.GVBl. S. 599), most recently amended by § 2 of the ordinance from 10.06.2024 (Bay.GVBl. S. 159). There is also the ordinance on the career paths of Beamte (civil servants) in the fire technical service (FwLVO) from 12.01.2016 (Ber.GVBl. S. 6).

The usual requirement is a successfully completed Master Studium (master's degree) or an equivalent recognized university degree in a technical or natural science field. Additionally, access to the Ausbildung (vocational training) typically requires: proof of the necessary health suitability for fire technical service, including suitability for breathing apparatus and special requirements for vision, possession of a Class B driver's license, and a silver sports or swimming badge.