Safety for employees, properties, buildings, and facilities at the Mainz site: that is what the SCHOTT plant fire department has stood for for more than 70 years. Preventing fires from starting in the first place or extinguishing them as early as possible is the plant fire department’s primary mission.

Fire safety on an industrial plant site is a top priority, as fires pose significant risks to people, property, and operations. With state-of-the-art technology, an extensive fleet of vehicles, and a highly capable team, the SCHOTT plant fire department responds to around 300 calls per year—ranging from technical assistance and environmental protection operations to support during medical emergencies and firefighting.

Cooperation with the Mainz Fire Department is also of great importance to the SCHOTT plant fire department, whether through joint exercises or mutual support during emergency situations.

Since its founding in the mid-19th century, Prefere Paraform GmbH has grown into an internationally operating company with 24/7 production operations.

The in-house fire department at Prefere Paraform GmbH in Mombach has a decades-long tradition at the plant and is an integral part of the company’s emergency response system. It recruits its members on a volunteer basis from among its own workforce, who are thoroughly familiar with the materials and equipment at the plant and have received firefighting training. The company fire department works closely with the Mainz professional fire department.
 
The technical equipment of the Prefere company fire department is tailored to the specific needs of a chemical production plant:

• mobile equipment distributed throughout the plant for fire and leak response
• stationary fire extinguishing and tank sprinkler systems
• its own vehicle hall with a changing area and training room
• UNIMOG firefighting vehicle with dry extinguishing agent and fire department trailer
• TS 8/8 portable fire pump
• Extensive personal protective equipment

The plant fire department provides services in preventive fire protection and in training the workforce on the use of fire extinguishing agents; it also provides technical support services during normal operations, such as manning fire watch posts, conducting tank inspections, and providing technical and organizational contingency measures during maintenance or repairs of fire protection equipment. In the event of a fire or leak, it supports the Mainz Professional Fire Department with its detailed local knowledge and company-specific expertise regarding the substances and systems used.

The Werner & Mertz plant fire department consists of four full-time employees on day shift. When necessary, they are supported by 14 emergency personnel who normally work in administration, production, or maintenance. All employees have been trained in accordance with current fire department regulations and regularly participate in continuing education through their local fire departments, city-level training programs, or at the LFKA in Koblenz.

During regular working hours, operations involving fire, technical rescue, hazardous materials, and first response are handled independently. Outside these hours, the professional fire department or emergency medical services are called in via the continuously staffed plant security. Additionally, the full-time fire department employees are on call 365 days a year.

Day-to-day operations include maintenance and inspections of firefighting equipment, work permits, activation of fire alarm systems, clearance measurements, and training. Employees also provide support in preventive structural fire protection.

The plant fire department at the Mainz facility has three vehicles and various trailers at its disposal, including an LF 16/12 fire engine, an environmental protection equipment truck, and a passenger car for first responder operations and as a command vehicle.