International Firefighters’ Day

We work in a difficult environment, amid suffering, pain, and grief. There are dramatic situations in which no one can provide relief, lives we can’t save. There are things I wish I had never seen, moments I wish I had never lived. And even though our suit works as some kind of shield, some things stay with us, some things hurt too much. And we cry and suffer like anyone else.

I remember the first time I went to the USA. My sister-in-law told me that they were very serious at Customs, best not to joke around. When they asked me what I did for a living, as soon as I said I was a fireman, the policeman greeted and welcomed me. We shared a bond, an unspoken recognition, some kind of familiarity because all of those colleagues who helped in 9/11, who died saving lives. My heartfelt tribute to those who served in those days.

I'm 54 and from Cologne. After studying mechanical engineering at Munich´s Technical University I spent a few years working in industry and then joined Munich Fire Service as a recruit senior officer, training for two years all over the country. I had joined the fire cadets at the age of twelve and joined the volunteer fire service after that. That’s quite normal for a CV in the German Fire Service.

My professional path is linked with my hopes for society. I like to think of my children living in a peaceful Europe. And that they can experience the multitude of cultures in Europe in friendly surroundings, with an attitude of solidarity and teamwork.

I have been the Chief Fire Officer of the City of Bonn since 2005. I’m also responsible for the ambulance service and emergency management. As a fire service we do all the normal things including fire prevention and even have a fire boat.

And risk is not distributed fairly within the European Union. For example, the countries around the Mediterranean are far more prone to wildfires and earthquakes. Under normal circumstances, countries are able to manage large emergencies by themselves. It’s our job to think beyond that, imaging what could happen and planning for how to respond to that.

As a registered expert within the UCPM, I get calls every few weeks to respond to emergencies all over the world. The UCPM training programme for experts is excellent, including for use in your everyday challenges. As a Chief Fire Officer, it is an excellent way of developing leadership within our officer ranks.

I’ve been a professional firefighter for 23 years. Over the years I’ve been involved in developing  Poland’s rescue system to face extreme emergencies that overcome the capabilities of one single region. I’ve also helped create response capabilities that can be mobilised on short notice and be deployed abroad to deliver professional and timely assistance.

My experience was built through participation in hundreds of field exercises, trainings, courses, workshops and of course real missions.

I graduated from the Fire Academy in 2002. Soon after, I was deployed to flooding in the Czech Republic with more than 60 firefighters and almost 30 fire vehicles. That was my very first mission and it opened my eyes, it showed me how much I had to learn. In the same year, I participated in two national exercises focusing on search and rescue and one international exercise near Moscow.