The (Crisis) Communications & Public Relations Unit plays a central role—both in everyday operations and during emergencies. It ensures that information reaches the public quickly, accurately, and clearly, while also fostering trust and acceptance. Its responsibilities include media relations, such as drafting press releases, as well as managing social media channels. 

The Occupational Safety Unit has a clear goal: to protect emergency personnel while on duty and during operations. Its key responsibilities include risk assessment, establishing and implementing safety measures, training and instruction, monitoring safety regulations, accident prevention and analysis, and health protection.

The Administration Department is responsible for budgeting and finance, controlling, insurance matters, and general administrative and organizational tasks. A key focus is reviewing the cost liability of operations and their billing.

The Administration Division includes the Office Management Secretariat, which, in addition to traditional duties, supports the Office Director.

In addition, the department oversees the Human Resources & Organization division. This division establishes guidelines for duty and vacation scheduling and is responsible for the duty and vacation schedules of the executive staff. Organizational structure, the division of duties, and job descriptions are also handled here. At the same time, the department monitors staffing, coordinates, and conducts job postings and selection processes. Another key area of activity is personnel administration for the nearly 1,000 volunteer members of the Volunteer Fire Department as well as the Children’s and Youth Fire Department.

The Operations Department, which includes the divisions of Watch Command for Stations 1 and 2, Watch Command for the Control Center/FEZ, Operations Planning, and Training, encompasses all key areas of activity necessary to ensure adequate staffing of the Mainz Professional Fire Department for both operational and administrative duties. 

Fire Station 1 Command Unit

It oversees three fire station departments, each with its own department leadership, which staff the station’s operational functions on a shift basis. The most important task is ensuring operational readiness. This includes vacation and duty scheduling, daily assignment of duties, and coordination of tasks to be performed by the fire station units during non-operational hours. Performance evaluations and employee reviews as part of personnel development are also key activities. Additionally, the unit is responsible for the ongoing maintenance of the fire station and the firehouses of the Volunteer Fire Department.

Fire Station 2 Management Division

Three watch departments report to him, each with its own watch department leadership, which staffs the station’s operational functions on a shift basis. The most important task is ensuring personnel readiness for duty. This includes vacation and duty scheduling, daily assignment of duties, and coordination of tasks to be performed by the watch departments during non-duty hours. Performance evaluations and personnel interviews as part of staff development are also key responsibilities. Additionally, he oversees the ongoing maintenance of the fire station. A unique feature of Station 2 is water rescue: the personnel manning the fire department’s boats and the divers perform their duties here.

Training Division

This department plans and organizes the training and continuing education of all full-time and volunteer members of the Mainz Fire Department. This includes coordinating central training courses at the state academy, planning and conducting in-house training courses, as well as developing guidelines and overseeing station-based training, including associated resource planning. The department also oversees the fire department’s official driving school as well as training for boat captains and divers. A key focus is career development training for new career firefighters. Last but not least, this department plans and coordinates large-scale exercises.

The Civil Protection Department consists of two divisions: Disaster Management (opens in a new tab) and Civil Defense (opens in a new tab) & Crisis Management. 

It is also responsible for event (opens in a new tab) safety. This includes, among other things:

• Establishing first-aid stations in accordance with §33 LBKG
• Planning medical services for municipal events and Rose Monday
• Reviewing safety plans
• Reviewing evacuation plans
• Inspections of event venues 

The Department of Preventive Fire Protection ensures the highest possible level of safety even before a fire occurs through structural, technical, and organizational measures. It advises architects, engineers, planners, and users; prepares statements for the permitting process; and oversees fire prevention inspections in special-purpose buildings. It also coordinates fire safety patrols, inspects facilities, and thereby establishes the foundation for effective rescue and hazard mitigation measures.

Divisions Team 1 and Team 2 handle key tasks in preventive fire protection. These include fire safety statements during the building permit process and in accordance with the Federal Immission Control Act, as well as conducting hazard prevention inspections in special buildings. They also coordinate fire safety patrols in public gathering places, inspect and approve fire safety equipment, and prepare statements on safety concepts for large-scale events. This is complemented by fire safety education and prevention.

The Construction & Project ILS Division serves as the central point of contact for the planning, construction, and maintenance of all Mainz Fire Department buildings. It oversees new construction and renovation projects from the initial concept through the bidding process to completion, ensuring that functional requirements for fire department operations are met. This includes, among other things: fire stations, volunteer fire department equipment sheds, workshops, and training facilities. The ongoing maintenance and modernization of existing properties also fall within its scope of responsibilities.

The Technical Department ensures the operational readiness and safety of vehicles, equipment, and personal protective gear for the fire and disaster response services of the state capital of Mainz. It plans, procures, and manages the equipment for the professional fire department, the volunteer fire department, and disaster response services. In its own workshops, professionally trained staff perform maintenance and safety inspections. This covers, among other things, vehicles, respiratory protection, diving equipment, radio and measurement technology, firefighting and rescue equipment, as well as personal protective clothing.

Vehicles Division

The Vehicles Division is responsible for the planning, procurement, and maintenance of all road and water vehicles, as well as mobile radio technology for fire and disaster protection. Inspections, maintenance, repairs, and safety inspections are carried out in the division’s own vehicle workshop. Qualified staff ensure that all emergency vehicles are safe, ready for deployment at all times, reliably available, and meet the high demands of everyday firefighting operations.

Equipment & PPE Division

The Equipment & PPE Division procures and manages the equipment and personal protective equipment for fire and disaster response in the city of Mainz. This includes respiratory protection, diving equipment, radiation protection, CBRN detection technology, firefighting and rescue equipment, as well as firefighting and other consumables. In addition to regular safety checks, inspections, maintenance, and repairs are carried out in the department’s own workshops. The clothing store and laundry facility are also located here. They ensure that all emergency personnel are reliably, safely, and hygienically equipped with PPE.

Information & Communication Division

This division serves as the “nervous system” of operations: it ensures that all personnel have the right information at the right time and remain connected to one another. Key tasks include the maintenance and provision of radios, telephones, and IT systems, as well as the documentation and follow-up of operations.