Austrian Federal Fire Brigade Association

The Österreichischer Bundesfeuerwehrverband (ÖBFV), or Austrian Federal Fire Brigade Association, is the umbrella organisation that unites the individual state fire brigade associations (Landesfeuerwehrverbände) of Austria. It is a legally capable association (rechtsfähiger Verein) seated in Vienna. Its core work is coordination: the state associations jointly develop construction guidelines for fire engines and other equipment, as well as general training guidelines for the various specialist fields. A landmark achievement was the creation of a uniform basic training programme around the year 2000, giving fire brigade members across Austria the same foundational education and providing a basis for recognition of the occupation of firefighter. The ÖBFV also acts as the common voice of the fire services vis-à-vis the federal government. It represents the interests of the fire brigades as a whole and of individual members before state institutions and other interest groups. Concrete results attributed to its advocacy include the fire brigade driving licence, the three-day rule for tax exemption of fire brigade festivals, accident insurance coverage for individual members through AUVA, and vaccination protection for firefighters against hepatitis A and B. While fire services are normally a matter for the federal states, civil protection falls under federal competence; the ÖBFV is therefore responsible for coordinating the states' disaster relief services and for the supra-regional supervision of the FuB service. It also distributes subsidies under the Disaster Fund Act (Katastrophenfondsgesetz) to the state associations. Internally, the ÖBFV mirrors the specialist areas of the state associations through technical committees, and it participates in drafting the TRVB technical guidelines for preventive fire protection. Internationally, it represents Austrian fire services in the CTIF (the international fire and rescue services association) and in FEU, the European fire services organisation. The organisation's structure combines an executive organ — the president and three deputies — with decision-making bodies: the presidium, the Bundesfeuerwehrausschuss (federal fire brigade committee) and the Bundesfeuerwehrtag (federal fire brigade day). The president may come from either the volunteer or the professional fire services, but at least one deputy must be drawn from a professional fire brigade. Advisory bodies include departments for individual specialist fields and technical committees for the different types of fire brigades. Delegates to the Bundesfeuerwehrtag are sent by the state fire brigade associations and by municipalities with professional fire brigades. The ÖBFV's roots reach back to 1889, when the Ständiger Österreichischer Feuerwehr-Ausschuss was founded in Teplitz (Teplice, now in the Czech Republic). After several name changes and a dissolution in 1938 following the Anschluss, the present association was constituted on 19 November 1948 at a founding Bundesfeuerwehrtag in Vienna, with Josef Holaubek as its first president. Today the ÖBFV continues to serve as the coordinating and representative body for Austria's fire services, publishing technical guidelines, statistics and internal service information through its website.

The history of the Austrian Federal Fire Brigade Association (ÖBFV) begins with its predecessor, the Ständiger Österreichischer Feuerwehr-Ausschuss (Permanent Austrian Fire Brigade Committee), founded on 25 March 1889 in Teplitz, Bohemia (now Teplice, Czech Republic). The founding assembly included representatives of the fire brigade associations of Lower Austria, Upper Austria and Tyrol, as well as the German and Czech associations of Bohemia and Moravia-Silesia; Styria and Salzburg sent apologies. Reginald Czermack was elected first chairman and also drafted the statutes. In 1892 the committee concluded an agreement with the Red Cross concerning the transport of the sick and wounded in wartime, and in the same year uniform rank insignia were introduced. In 1895 it received permission to bear the imperial double eagle. In 1900 the name was changed to Österreichischer Feuerwehr-Reichsverband, and in the same year it became a founding member of the Grand Conseil, the predecessor of CTIF. Czermack chaired the organisation until 1901. Subsequent chairmen were Rudolf M. Rohrer (1901–1903, Moravia), Karl Schneck (1903–1914, Lower Austria) and Karl Staudt (1914–1918, Bohemia). In 1903 the seat moved to St. Pölten, in 1914 four working committees were formed and the seat moved to Prague, and in 1917 the name became Österreichischer Reichsverband für Feuerwehr- und Rettungswesen. After the First World War, associations in the newly founded Czechoslovakia, like all organisations of the former crown lands, were forbidden contact with the Austrian committee. In 1920 the seat moved to Linz and Rudolf Lampl took over the chairmanship of the Österreichischer Reichsverband für Feuerwehr- und Rettungswesen, holding it until 1938. In 1924 the association's journal, the Zeitschrift des Österreichischen Reichs-Verbandes für Feuerwehr- und Rettungs-Wesen, began publication and appeared until 1938. In 1930 the name changed to Österreichischer Verband für Feuerwehr- und Rettungswesen, in 1935 to Österreichischer Feuerwehrverband, and in 1938 to Österreichischer Landesfeuerwehrverband. After the Anschluss in 1938, the fire services were subordinated to the National Socialist police organisation; the association lost its competence and dissolved in mid-1938. After the Second World War, a conference held in Salzburg from 19 to 21 November 1945 began organising Austria-wide cooperation in fire services. On 19 November 1948 the present ÖBFV was founded at a constituent Bundesfeuerwehrtag in Vienna. Its first president was Josef Holaubek, who served until 1972; from 1961 to 1980 he was also president of the International Technical Committee for Preventive Fire Protection and Fire Extinguishing (CTIF). The presidents of the ÖBFV are elected every four years by the Bundesfeuerwehrtag, traditionally from among the state fire brigade commanders. Unlike state commanders, presidents are not bound by the age limit of 65, so they may be older; Sepp Kast, for example, retired at the age of 70. The presidents hold the highest fire service rank, equivalent to a lieutenant general in the Austrian Armed Forces. The list of presidents after Holaubek includes Ferdinand Heger (1972–1976, Lower Austria), Ladislaus Widder (1976–1978, Burgenland), Sepp Kast (1978–1988, Lower Austria), Erwin Nowak (1988–1999, Lower Austria), Manfred Seidl (1999–2008, Burgenland) and Josef Buchta (2008–2012, Lower Austria). Around the year 2000, the ÖBFV achieved a milestone with the creation of a uniform basic training programme, giving fire brigade members across Austria the same foundational education and providing a basis for recognition of the occupation of firefighter. The association continues to coordinate the state associations, represent Austrian fire services in CTIF and FEU, and administer federal disaster relief subsidies.

• 2000

  Uniform basic training programme created, giving fire brigade members across Austria the same foundational education.

• 1948

  Present ÖBFV founded at constituent Bundesfeuerwehrtag in Vienna; Josef Holaubek first president.

• 1945

  Conference in Salzburg (19–21 November) begins organising Austria-wide fire service cooperation.

• 1938

  Name changed to Österreichischer Landesfeuerwehrverband; association dissolved mid-1938 after the Anschluss.

• 1935

  Name changed to Österreichischer Feuerwehrverband.

• 1930

  Name changed to Österreichischer Verband für Feuerwehr- und Rettungswesen.

• 1924

  Association journal Zeitschrift des Österreichischen Reichs-Verbandes für Feuerwehr- und Rettungs-Wesen begins publication (until 1938).

• 1920

  Seat moved to Linz; Rudolf Lampl took over chairmanship.

• 1917

  Name changed to Österreichischer Reichsverband für Feuerwehr- und Rettungswesen.

• 1914

  Four working committees formed; seat moved to Prague.

• 1903

  Seat moved to St. Pölten.

• 1900

  Name changed to Österreichischer Feuerwehr-Reichsverband; founding member of the Grand Conseil (predecessor of CTIF).

• 1895

  Permission granted to bear the imperial double eagle.

• 1892

  Agreement with the Red Cross on transport of the sick and wounded in wartime; uniform rank insignia introduced.

• 1889

  Ständiger Österreichischer Feuerwehr-Ausschuss founded in Teplitz, Bohemia; Reginald Czermack elected first chairman.

Umbrella association and national representative body for Austria's fire services, coordinating training, equipment standards and disaster relief.

• Uniform basic firefighter training programme

  Created around 2000, providing the same foundational education for fire brigade members across Austria and a basis for recognition of the occupation of firefighter.

• TRVB technical guidelines

  Technical guidelines for preventive fire protection, in whose drafting the ÖBFV participates.

• Construction guidelines for fire engines and equipment

  Jointly developed by the state associations under ÖBFV coordination.

• Disaster relief coordination

  Coordination of the states' disaster relief services and supra-regional supervision of the FuB service.

1. 1ÖBFV official websitebundesfeuerwehrverband.at
2. 2Geschichte – ÖBFVbundesfeuerwehrverband.at
3. 3Österreichischer Bundesfeuerwehrverband – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org
4. 4Österreichischer Bundesfeuerwehrverband – Wikidatawikidata.org