Fire Safety Assistants and Fire Protection Officers in Germany

Fire Safety Assistants and Fire Protection Officers: Who Is Needed and When?

The German terms Brandschutzhelfer and Brandschutzbeauftragter sound similar, but they describe different roles. A fire safety assistant is an employee trained to respond to an incipient fire within safe limits. A fire protection officer advises the organisation on planning and managing fire prevention. The employer remains responsible for the fire safety arrangements. The number of assistants depends on a risk assessment; an officer may be required by building or permit conditions or be appropriate for a higher-risk operation.

Two roles at a glance

Question	Brandschutzhelfer	Brandschutzbeauftragter
Main role	Initial response and safe use of firefighting equipment.	Advises and supports the employer on fire safety organisation.
How need is determined	ASR A2.2 risk assessment; 5% usually sufficient for normal fire risk.	Permit, special-building provisions, authority or contract; risk assessment may support appointment.
Qualification	Specific instruction plus hands-on extinguisher exercise.	Substantial specialist qualification under DGUV Information 205-003.
Typical work	Recognise an incipient fire, raise alarm and fight it only if safe.	Review procedures, advise on hazards, inspections and training organisation.

How many Brandschutzhelfer does a business need?

Section 7.3 of ASR A2.2 says the number follows the fire risk assessment. For normal fire risk, a share of 5% of employees is generally sufficient. This is a planning benchmark, not a universal staffing quota. A workplace with elevated fire risk, many visitors, people with limited mobility or a large floor area may need more. Shifts, holidays, sickness and training absence also matter: the relevant people must be available when the premises operate.
Consider a site with 80 employees across several shifts. Five percent of the total is four trained people, but four people on the payroll cannot cover every shift, floor and absence. Plan by occupied zone and time, then check the actual rota. Sites with a common building but different employers must coordinate their procedures and responsibilities.

Fire hose cabinet and extinguisher in a commercial building

What does Brandschutzhelfer training include?

Assistants need competent instruction on basic fire prevention, the site’s fire safety organisation, extinguisher types and effects, the hazards of fire and what to do when an alarm sounds. Practical extinguishing exercises are part of the training. They learn to assess the situation, trigger the alarm, protect themselves and use an extinguisher only against a small, incipient fire when there is a safe escape route. They are not a substitute for the fire brigade.
For normal fire risk, ASR A2.2 notes that repeating instruction with an exercise every two to five years has proved effective in practice. The employer sets the interval from the risk assessment and retrains sooner if conditions change. All employees also need appropriate instruction on fire hazards and emergency behaviour, regardless of whether they serve as assistants.

When is a Brandschutzbeauftragter required?

There is no nationwide rule that every company above a particular headcount must appoint a fire protection officer. The obligation can follow from state building rules for a special building, its fire safety concept, a building permit or an authority’s condition. A contract with an insurer or customer can also require one. Industrial buildings, assembly venues, large retail buildings and high-rise buildings are examples where such conditions may arise; the actual permit and local rules decide the case.
The current ASR A2.2 was amended in May 2025: the former standalone section on fire protection officers was removed and replaced with a note under organisational measures. Where the employer identifies elevated fire risk, appointing an officer may be useful. DGUV Information 205-003 offers guidance on qualification, appointment and tasks. A risk assessment and specialist advice help determine what the organisation needs even where no permit explicitly requires the role.

What does the officer do day to day?

Advise on the fire safety rules, risk assessment and building-specific arrangements.
Help plan inspections, maintain fire protection documentation and follow up defects.
Support employee instruction, drills and the coordination of fire safety assistants.
Review changes to use, layouts, hazardous work and technical fire protection systems.

The officer advises and documents; the employer decides on resources and measures. An officer’s appointment does not remove the need for trained assistants where the assessment calls for them.

Employee using a fire extinguisher during practical training

A decision checklist for each location

Read the building permit, fire safety concept, authority conditions and relevant contractual requirements.
Assess fire load, processes, occupancy, layout and people who may need assistance.
Set assistant coverage for every shift and zone, with reserve capacity for absence.
Record training, exercises, appointments, responsibilities and escalation contacts.
Reassess after a remodel, change of use, new hazardous materials or a significant staffing change.

How Wowworks supports the technical side of fire safety

Wowworks can coordinate suitable contractors for fire protection maintenance and related technical work across commercial sites in Germany. For a multi-site facilities team, central work orders and documentation help keep equipment defects, inspections and repairs visible. The employer and any appointed fire protection officer still determine organisational duties, staffing and training; a maintenance contractor does not make those decisions for them.