Federal association: Boom in children's groups in youth fire departments

Interest in the youth fire department in Germany is growing and membership numbers have been rising for several years. "The children's fire department is booming, there are new groups being set up," said Federal Youth Director Christian Patzelt from the German Youth Fire Brigade Association. The youngest are approaching the topic in a playful way, and the starting age for the youth fire department is ten. "The offer is varied and attractive, also because, unlike soccer, there is no separation by age group."

According to association statistics, the number of children's members has tripled since 2020, from 28,325 to 90,092 last year. In the youth sector, the increase during this period was a good nine percent - from around 242,000 to over 266,800. Nationwide, the age range is predominantly six to ten years for children's groups and ten to 16 or 18 years for youth fire departments - and can vary depending on the federal state.

In some places, according to Patzelt, there is a lack of competition in the leisure sector. As a result, volunteer fire departments, which are essential for local authorities to avert danger, are also getting involved in youth work. When sports clubs merge due to a lack of members, distances are longer and leisure activities are fewer, the fire department is an alternative. "They exist in every larger town."

No guarantee of membership

However, this is no guarantee of recruiting new members. "The interests of young people and adolescents are changing," said Patzelt. "The challenge is to retain, motivate and integrate them into the team before they start training or studying in order to keep the volunteer fire department system, which is unique in the world, alive." They should be able to leave, "but stay with us in the fire department".

According to the association, almost 356,900 young people were active in the 18,311 youth fire departments and the 5,944 children's groups of the fire department nationwide in 2023, 7.4 percent more than in the previous year. 114,000 of these were girls. "There has been a good mix," said Patzelt. Their share is between 20 and 35 percent, depending on the federal state. Refugee children are also actively involved. "We want to build a bridge and show that although the fire department has the task of averting danger, it is also simply an association."

In Saxony, children can now join from the age of five

In Saxony, the number of youth fire department members has risen by around 40 percent since 2008, from 9,994 to 16,699 last year, according to the Ministry of the Interior. "The increased public relations work and financial support are clearly having an effect." Since 2024, children who are "at least five years old" have been able to take part following a change in the law. Previously, the starting age in Bavaria was eight.

In 2023, more than 1,000 young people across the state joined the active fire department. "They are an important source of new recruits for the volunteer fire departments," said a ministry spokesperson. The youth departments lost almost 2,000 members due to a change of residence, school commitments or a loss of interest. On the other hand, over 3,500 new members were recruited.

In the children's fire departments, the youngest members are supervised in a playful and sporty manner in line with their development and ability, and fire safety education is promoted. They also receive technical firefighting training in the youth fire department. All of the work in the children's and youth fire departments is voluntary - the Free State of Bavaria provides three quarters of a million euros a year to support the work of young people in municipal fire departments.