Volunteer fire brigade (Freiwillige Feuerwehr) - Germany

Does anybody have experience with or joined a volunteer fire brigade in Germany?

Yes!
I am with the Pöckinger FFW, and just love it!

http://www.ff-poecking.de/

- if you click on "Aktuelles" there are some pictures of the last Leistungsprüfung - I´m the one on her knees in the second picture!
If you have any questions feel free to PM me.
R100

I believe Eurovol is a volunteer.

My husband just joined and has only had one meeting thus far. He is really excited about it, as they are about him. Apparently, they only have a roster of 16 volunteers (my husband being #17) and didn't have anyone sign-up last year. My DH is the only one to sign-up this year.

He'll have meetings every other Tuesday plus some weekend trainings. He has no experience, which they were okay with, but forewarned him he won't be done with his training until August, partially to ensure his commitment.

I think you´ll find that ongoing training is part of the whole thing, as well as call-outs as and when something happens.
Is your husband German?
If not, he might have a bit of trouble getting used to what things are called - I know I did, but generally it was all taken as part of the fun, and we all help each other as and when we can.
I hope he enjoys it - why don´t you go along too?

Yep, I am a volunteer First Responder LK Muenchen qualified (currently on inactive status though due to work commitments). It is a lot of fun, but it is a serious job too. The FFW get called to everything and some things aren't pretty.

You definitely need to be competent in German and in some places even the local dialect.

One of my German friends once described the FFW as Bavarias most expensive hobby! Not for the fireman but for the state as all these people volunteer and get to play with nice shiny red fire engines! When I first moved to Allershausen I was sent a bill for about 30DM (€15) as I wasn't in the FFW. I thought this was going to be an annual thing, but that was the only one I ever received.

http://www.ff-poecking.de/uploads/pics/bigimg_CIMG2650.jpg <- no wonder you love that if you get to burn down half a forest + buildings for a regular training

Technically, no, my husband is American and holds an American passport. I consider him more German than American as he moved here from Belgium when he was 7 and went through school here. At any rate, the German won't be a problem for him.

Yep, I know there will be activities above and beyond the Tues nights & weekend trainings. But, for our village, there were only 17 call-outs during 2007. It's something that he's ALWAYS wanted to do. In fact, he tried to volunteer in NYC (pre-9/11) and was basically laughed out of the station -- though they did let him sit in the truck first.

I used to be a part time fireman in Sweden and i have some questions.

-How many hours is the traning?

-Does your FD have any age limit for active duty?

-Do you need truck driving licence?

Hopefully me and my Frau will move to Hamburg in 1-2 years

A-S

You mean payment was mandatory? Or did they ask for a donation?

Yes, that was a training session - the building was due for demolition, and the trees, for chopping down, so it made a good object for training with!
Actually, it wasn´t planned that the trees caught fire too, but that is one of the dangers of fire - it spreads!

It was mandatory, but like getting the dustbins emptied. But it was only once and even if it hadn't of been €1,25 a month would hardly have broken the bank.

In Bavaria men between 18 and 60 had to pay a Feuerschutzabgabe if they were not members of the FFW.
The European Court of Justice ruled against this in 1994 as women had not to pay.
See e.g. this Focus arcticle from 1994.

The Grundsteuer (property tax) was increased afterwards to make good for the loss of the Feuerschutzabgabe.
Of course one, albeit minor, reason to join the FFW disappeared with the Feuerschutzabgabe.

Well I didn't know that, but it would explain why I never got another bill, I moved here in 1991 and got the bill some time after that.