A fire poses a serious risk to the health and lives of employees and can also threaten the existence of a company. This makes it all the more important to take preventative measures to ensure comprehensive fire protection and to prepare employees to act correctly in an emergency. Training to become a fire safety assistant offers precisely this preparation.

Fire safety assistants play a crucial role in an emergency: they know how to operate fire extinguishing systems and can support their colleagues in the event of a fire alarm. Although their training is not time-consuming, it provides essential knowledge and practical skills to effectively fight incipient fires - without jeopardizing their own safety. They also help to ensure that all employees can leave the building safely.

The legal basis for the qualification of fire safety assistants is provided by the Occupational Health and Safety Act (Section 10 (2)) and the Technical Rules for Workplaces (ASR A2.2 "Measures against fires"). The German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV) has published a helpful overview of the content and requirements of training in Information 205-023 "Fire safety assistants".

The fire safety assistant training has clear objectives:

• Safe handling of fire extinguishing equipment: Participants learn how to fight incipient fires quickly and efficiently.
• Support during evacuations: In an emergency, they help to ensure that everyone can leave the building independently.
• Practical exercises: In addition to theoretical knowledge, the focus is also on training with fire extinguishers.

The required number of trained fire safety assistants is determined by a risk assessment of the respective area. According to law a proportion of five percent of employees is considered sufficient for normal fire hazards (e.g. office use). However, depending on the specific circumstances, higher quotas may be appropriate - for example, in the event of an increased fire risk, a high concentration of values or a large number of people present, such as visitors or people with limited mobility.

Factors such as shift work and absence due to vacation, illness or training must also be taken into account. Even if automatic extinguishing systems are in place, basic training is still necessary - because such systems have no influence on the risk of a fire itself.

Employees who have completed basic training with a voluntary fire department can work directly as fire safety assistants - provided that their training has included practical instruction on fire extinguishers and they are familiar with the company circumstances.

Otherwise there are no restrictions.

At TU Dortmund University, training is provided exclusively within the university in accordance with the requirements of DGUV Information 205-023 "Fire safety assistants". We kindly refer external interested parties to commercial training providers.

For further information on fire safety and to register for internal training courses, please contact

• Uwe Tepe
  Phone: 3307
  E-mail: uwe.tepetu-dortmundde

• Claus Poppe
  Phone: 4213
  E-mail: claus.poppetu-dortmundde

We look forward to welcoming you to one of our training courses!

Information on fire protection at TU Dortmund University (service portal)

Internal training courses (service portal)

DGUV Information 205-023 "Fire safety assistants"