Feuerschutzpolizei

*Feuerschutzpolizei*
	Polizeiadler
Operational area
Country	Nazi Germany
City fire departments	86
Mobile regiments (1939-1943)	5
Mobile battalions (1943-1945)	9
Agency overview
Established	24 October 1939
Dissolved	17 July 1945
Employees	12,217 (1941) within the Germany of 1937
Commissioner	SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Polizei Hans Rumpf [de]

Feuerschutzpolizei (lit. 'Fire Protection Police') was a fire police unit in Nazi Germany and a branch of Nazi Germany's Ordnungspolizei, formed in 1938 when the German municipal professional fire brigades were transferred to the national police. The previously red fire vehicles, blue uniforms and fire service ranks were replaced by green fire vehicles, green uniforms and police ranks.^[1]

Organization

In 1941 there were Fire Protection Police units in 86 cities in Germany, in Ostmark (occupied Austria) and in General Government (occupied Poland).^[2] Outside these cities, the German fire services consisted of volunteer fire brigades, in cooperation with compulsory fire brigades (Pflichtfeuerwehr) and industrial fire brigades (Werkfeuerwehr).^[3] In spite of being a branch of the Ordnungspolizei, the Fire Protection Police was a municipal institution; respective cities having the budgetary responsibility for staff and equipment. Administratively and operationally the Fire Protection Police were, however, subordinated to the Ordnungspolizei.^[1]

Field Units

During the war, the Feuerschutzpolizei organized six motorized firefighting regiments. Their mission was to follow the German army's advance and have the main responsibility for the occupied territories fire protection and civil defense. Each regiment consisted of some 1000 firefighters.^[4]

In 1943 the regimental organization was abolished, the battalions becoming independent units. The fourth regiment was stood down, while nine battalions were formed from the rest. Each battalion consisted of about 400 fire fighters in three companies.^[4] A fourth company of non-citizens (Volksdeutsche, Ukrainians and Poles), were later added.^[2]

Feuerschutzpolizei-Regiment 1 Sachsen, 1939–1943
Feuerschutzpolizei-Regiment 2 Hannover, 1941–1943
Feuerschutzpolizei-Regiment 3 Ostpreussen, 1941–1943
Feuerschutzpolizei-Regiment 4 Ukraine, 1941–1943
Feuerschutzpolizei-Regiment 5 Böhmen-Mähren, 1942–1943
Feuerschutzpolizei-Regiment 6 Niederlande, 1942–1943

Ranks

Professional Fire Departments (1935–1938)^[5]	Feuerschutzpolizei (1938–1941)^[6]	Feuerschutzpolizei (1941–1945)^[6]^[7]	Insignia	Corresponding rank in the SS (Wehrmacht)^[8]
–	–	Generalleutnant		SS-Gruppenführer (Generalleutnant)
Oberbranddirektor^[a]	Generalmajor	Generalmajor		SS-Brigadeführer (Generalmajor)
Oberbranddirektor Branddirektor	Oberst	Oberst		SS-Standartenführer (Oberst)
Oberbaurat	Oberstleutnant	Oberstleutnant		SS-Obersturmbannführer (Oberstleutnant)
Baurat	Major	Major		SS-Sturmbannführer (Major)
Brandingenieur Brandoberingenieur Baurat^[b]	Hauptmann	Hauptmann		SS-Hauptsturmführer (Hauptmann)
–	–	Bezirkshauptmann		SS-Hauptsturmführer (Hauptmann)
–	Inspektor	Bezirksoberleutnant		SS-Obersturmführer (Oberleutnant)
Oberbrandmeister	Obermeister	Leutnant		SS-Untersturmführer (Leutnant)
–	–	Bezirksleutnant		SS-Untersturmführer (Leutnant)
Brandmeister	Meister	Meister		SS-Sturmscharführer (Stabsfeldwebel)
Löschmeister	Hauptwachtmeister	Hauptwachtmeister		SS-Hauptscharführer (Oberfeldwebel)
Oberfeuerwehrmann	Bezirksoberwachtmeister	Bezirksoberwachtmeister		SS-Oberscharführer (Feldwebel)
–	Oberwachtmeister	Oberwachtmeister		SS-Scharführer (Unterfeldwebel)
Feuerwehrmann	Wachtmeister	Wachtmeister		SS-Unterscharführer (Unteroffizier)
–	–	Rottwachtmeister		SS-Rottenführer (Obergefreiter)
–	–	Unterwachtmeister^[c]		SS-Sturmmann (Gefreiter)
–	–	Anwärter^[c]^[d]	No insignia	SS-Mann (Oberschütze)
–	–	Anwärter^[c]	No insignia	SS-Anwärter (Schütze)

Notes

^ The fire chief of Berlin.
^ With less than three years in the rank.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c Only in the field units
^ With more than six months in the rank.

References

Citations

^ Jump up to: ^a ^b Gesetz über das Feuerlöschwesen vom 23. November 1938 2016-08-09.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b FEUERSCHUTZPOLIZEI (FSchP) Archived 6 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine 2016-08-09.
^ Andreas Linhardt, Feuerwehr im Luftschutz 1926–1945 (2002), pp. 200–201.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b Die Feuerschutzpolizei-Regimenter 2016-08-09.
^ Neustrukturierung 1935 2016-08-09.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b Rodehau 2009.
^ CIA 1999, p. 19.
^ Mollo 1992, p. 51.

Bibliography

CIA (24 August 1999). "Records Integration Title Book" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 January 2017. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
Rodehau, Erwin (2009). "Dienstkleidung der Berliner Berufsfeuerwehr (1899 bis 1944)" (PDF). Feuerwehrchronik (in German). 5 (6). Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 June 2015. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
Mollo, Andrew (1992). Uniforms of the SS, Vol. 5: "Sicherheitsdienst und Sicherheitspolizei 1931–1945". London: Windrow & Green.

External links

[9] The fire chief of Berlin.

[10] With less than three years in the rank.

[fn1-11] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c Only in the field units

[12] With more than six months in the rank.

[Gesetz-1] Jump up to: ^a ^b Gesetz über das Feuerlöschwesen vom 23. November 1938 2016-08-09.

[facultystaff.richmond.edu-2] Jump up to: ^a ^b FEUERSCHUTZPOLIZEI (FSchP) Archived 6 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine 2016-08-09.

[3] Andreas Linhardt, Feuerwehr im Luftschutz 1926–1945 (2002), pp. 200–201.

[ReferenceA-4] Jump up to: ^a ^b Die Feuerschutzpolizei-Regimenter 2016-08-09.

[Saarlouis-5] Neustrukturierung 1935 2016-08-09.

[FOOTNOTERodehau2009-6] Jump up to: ^a ^b Rodehau 2009.

[FOOTNOTECIA199919-7] CIA 1999, p. 19.

[FOOTNOTEMollo199251-8] Mollo 1992, p. 51.

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