# Compulsory fire service > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Compulsory_fire_service > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Compulsory_fire_service.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compulsory_fire_service > Source revision: 1340663717 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Mandatory fire department service This article needs more citations. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Compulsory fire service" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (January 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this message) This article is part of a series on Conscription 1780 caricature of a press gang Related concepts Alternative civilian service Civil conscription Conscientious objector Conscription crisis Counter-recruitment Draft-card burning Draft evasion Economic For autistic people Impressment Levée en masse Male expendability Military service National service Of people with disabilities Penal military unit Sexism War resister By historical country Ottoman Empire Rhodesia Russian Empire Soviet Union By modern country Argentina Australia Azerbaijan Bermuda Brazil Canada China DR Congo (child soldiers) Cuba Cyprus (reduction) Denmark Egypt Eritrea Finland France Georgia Germany Greece Israel Iran Ireland North Korea South Korea Latvia Lithuania Myanmar the Netherlands New Zealand Norway Mexico Monaco Mozambique the Philippines Russia Serbia Singapore South Africa Sri Lanka Sudan Sweden Switzerland Taiwan Turkey United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Ukraine Vietnam v t e A **compulsory fire service** is a [mandatory service](/source/Civil_conscription) for the local [fire departments](/source/Fire_department) in [Switzerland](/source/Switzerland) in general and in [Austria](/source/Austria) and [Germany](/source/Germany) in exceptional cases as well. Private individuals can be compelled to participate in such a fire service in specific circumstances. In [Singapore](/source/Singapore) conscripts are deployed as fire fighters when serving in the [Singapore Civil Defence Force](/source/Singapore_Civil_Defence_Force) (SCDF). In Switzerland this mandatory fire service is common and required in most regions. In Austria and Germany compulsory fire services only exist when a [volunteer fire department](/source/Volunteer_fire_department) cannot be pursued due to a lack of personnel or other unavailability, meaning that fire protection cannot be guaranteed 24/7. All appropriate persons can be drafted to the compulsory fire service if they are needed. ## Legal situation Member States (green) of the Convention. ILO members that did not ratify are shown in red. The draft for a compulsory fire service is an exception of the [Forced Labour Convention](/source/Forced_Labour_Convention) of 1930 of the [International Labour Organization (ILO)](/source/International_Labour_Organization) and therefore [unfree labour](/source/Unfree_labour) shall not include:[1] - any work or service exacted in virtue of [compulsory military service](/source/Conscription) laws for work of a purely military character; - any work or service which forms part of the normal [civic obligations](/source/Civic_obligations) of the citizens of a fully [self-governing](/source/Self-governing) country; - any work or service exacted from any person as a consequence of a conviction in a [court of law](/source/Court_of_law), provided that the said work or service is carried out under the supervision and control of a [public authority](/source/Public_authority) and that the said person is not hired to or [placed at the disposal of private individuals, companies or associations](/source/Private_prison) (requiring that [prison farms](/source/Prison_farm) no longer do [convict leasing](/source/Convict_lease)); - any work or service exacted in cases of emergency, that is to say, in the event of [war](/source/War), of a [calamity](/source/Disaster) or threatened calamity, such as [fire](/source/Fire), [flood](/source/Flood), [famine](/source/Famine), [earthquake](/source/Earthquake), [violent epidemic](/source/Violent_epidemic) or [epizootic diseases](/source/Epizootic_diseases), invasion by: [animal](/source/Animal), [insect](/source/Insect) or [vegetable pests](/source/Noxious_weed), and in general any circumstance that would endanger the existence or the well-being of the whole or part of the population; - minor communal services of a kind which, being performed by the members of the community in the direct interest of the said community, can therefore be considered as normal civic obligations incumbent upon the members of the community, provided that the members of the community or their direct representatives shall have the right to be consulted in regard to the need for such services. ## Austria In history, a very high number of the [Austrian-Hungarian](/source/Austria-Hungary) fire services were compulsory fire brigades and the basis for the present-day volunteer fire departments (*Freiwillige Feuerwehr*) in [Austria](/source/Austria). In theory, drafts for the local fire services are feasible, but have not executed in centuries. The legislation differs from [state](/source/States_of_Austria) to state:[2] - [Burgenland](/source/Burgenland): legal basis for drafts abolished in 2019 - [Carinthia](/source/Carinthia): drafts for a so called "fire protection service" (*Brandschutzdienst* / *Brandschutzdienstpflicht*) is possible - [Lower Austria](/source/Lower_Austria): legal basis for drafts abolished in 2000 - [Salzburg](/source/Salzburg): drafts for fire services are legal, if no professional or volunteer fire service exists or has insufficient manpower - [Styria](/source/Styria): legal basis for drafts in state legislation - [Tyrol](/source/Tyrol_(state)): municipal councils can order conscription for the fire service for male citizens between the age of 18 and 50, there are exceptions for state and federal officials, members of transport and public utility companies and clerics of all confessions as well.[3] - [Upper Austria](/source/Upper_Austria): legal basis for drafts abolished in 2015 - [Vienna](/source/Vienna): professional fire department, no drafts for fire service required - [Vorarlberg](/source/Vorarlberg): drafts for fire services is possible, if volunteers are short-handed. The mayor can draft only male citizens of the age between 18 and 60 of the municipality. Only the house owners can be drafted and younger citizens should be preferred to be drafted. There are several exceptions for state officials, soldiers, police officers and clerics as well. ## Germany Similar to the historical development in Austria, compulsory fire services (*Pflichtfeuerwehr*) are the precursors of the volunteer fire brigades (*Freiwillige Feuerwehr*) in [Germany](/source/Germany). Depending on the [state](/source/States_of_Germany)'s legislation, drafts are executed in a few municipalities. These [municipal](/source/Municipalities_of_Germany) fire brigades drafted conscript fire fighters: - Fire brigade of [Altwarp](/source/Altwarp) in [Mecklenburg-Vorpommern](/source/Mecklenburg-Vorpommern) - Fire brigade of [Burg (Dithmarschen)](/source/Burg_(Dithmarschen)) in [Schleswig-Holstein](/source/Schleswig-Holstein) - Fire department [Friedrichstadt](/source/Friedrichstadt) in [Schleswig-Holstein](/source/Schleswig-Holstein)[4] - Fire brigade of List on the island of [Sylt](/source/Sylt)[5] - Fire brigade of [Pietzpuhl](/source/Pietzpuhl) in [Saxony-Anhalt](/source/Saxony-Anhalt) ## Singapore In Singapore the [National Service](/source/National_service_in_Singapore) is a statutory requirement[6] for all male Singaporean citizens and second-generation permanent residents to undergo a period of compulsory service in the uniformed services. Depending on physical and medical fitness, they serve a two-year period as National Servicemen Full-time (NSFs), either in the [Singapore Armed Forces](/source/Singapore_Armed_Forces) (SAF), the [Singapore Police Force](/source/Singapore_Police_Force) (SPF) or the [Singapore Civil Defence Force](/source/Singapore_Civil_Defence_Force) (SCDF), which provides [fire-fighting](/source/Fire-fighting) and [EMS](/source/Emergency_medical_services) services in Singapore.[7] ## Switzerland ### Form of organization of the Militia Fire Brigades In Switzerland, it is common for compulsory fire service duty to be required of both men and women, whether or not they are Swiss. Most fire services in Switzerland are so called [Militia](/source/Militia) Fire Brigades (*Miliz-Feuerwehr*). Militia firefighters normally pursue other professions, and have active duty only during exercises and missions. In special situations (major events, demonstrations, etc.) the fire brigade provides a standby service. Currently 95,000 people serve as firefighters in 1,500 fire brigades (*Feuerwehrkorps*); 92% are men. Only 1,200 of the 95,000 are professional firefighters, organised as plant fire brigades or a unit of a larger city.[8] ### Exceptions Compulsory fire service exists in 21 out of 26 Swiss [cantons](/source/Cantons_of_Switzerland). [9] Exceptions include for example, the canton of [Zurich](/source/Zurich), and in all places where professional fire brigades exist. If a fire brigade cannot find enough volunteers, it can carry out forced recruitment. These drafts are not popular, because the recruited firefighters are generally less motivated. Anyone who rejects service must pay a fire service exemption tax. ## See also - [Civil conscription](/source/Civil_conscription) - [Community service](/source/Community_service) - [Fire department](/source/Fire_department) - [German fire services](/source/German_fire_services) - [Volunteer fire department](/source/Volunteer_fire_department) ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Convention C029 - Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29)"](http://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=NORMLEXPUB:12100:0::NO::P12100_ILO_CODE:C029). *www.ilo.org*. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** States of Austria 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Pflichtfeuerwehren als letzter Ausweg bei Mitgliederschwund? - der Österreichische Gemeindebund"](http://gemeindebund.at/pflichtfeuerwehren-als-letzter-ausweg-bei-mitgliederschwund/) [Compulsory fire brigades as a last resort in the event of a dwindling membership? - the Austrian Association of Municipalities] (in German). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Personalmangel: Pflicht-Feuerwehr für Friedrichstadt | SHZ.de"](http://www.shz.de/lokales/husumer-nachrichten/pflicht-feuerwehr-fuer-friedrichstadt-id13322331.html) [Shortage of personnel: Compulsory fire brigade for Friedrichstadt | SHZ.de] (in German). 13 May 2022. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Bürger können zur Feuerwehr verpflichtet werden"](https://web.archive.org/web/20160306201335/http://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/Pflichtfeuerwehr-im-Norden-moeglich,pflichtfeuerwehr104.html) [Citizens can be obliged to join the fire brigade]. *NDR.de* (in German). 23 October 2015. Archived from [the original](http://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/Pflichtfeuerwehr-im-Norden-moeglich,pflichtfeuerwehr104.html) on 6 March 2016. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Enlistment Act (Chapter 93)"](https://web.archive.org/web/20151128031722/http://statutes.agc.gov.sg/aol/search/display/view.w3p;ident=2b227059-16f5-4e00-b072-9eabe9610530;page=0;query=DocId%3A%227c7b1aab-8403-4443-b322-0cba08be5d45%22%20Status%3Ainforce%20Depth%3A0;rec=0#pr1-he-.). *Singapore Statutes Online*. Archived from [the original](http://statutes.agc.gov.sg/aol/search/display/view.w3p;ident=2b227059-16f5-4e00-b072-9eabe9610530;page=0;query=DocId%3A%227c7b1aab-8403-4443-b322-0cba08be5d45%22%20Status%3Ainforce%20Depth%3A0;rec=0#pr1-he-.) on 2015-11-28. Retrieved 2018-08-28. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["SCDF Website - GENERAL: About Us"](https://web.archive.org/web/20161228102845/http://www.scdf.gov.sg/content/scdf_internet/en/general/about-us.html). Archived from [the original](https://www.scdf.gov.sg/content/scdf_internet/en/general/about-us.html) on 28 December 2016. Retrieved 28 August 2018. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Archived copy"](https://web.archive.org/web/20180128134257/http://www.swissfire.ch/fileadmin/swissfire/Der%20SFV/Factsheet_Feuerwehr_2015_d.pdf) (PDF). Archived from [the original](http://www.swissfire.ch/fileadmin/swissfire/Der%20SFV/Factsheet_Feuerwehr_2015_d.pdf) (PDF) on 28 January 2018. Retrieved 23 August 2016.{{[cite web](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_web)}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_archived_copy_as_title)) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** [https://www.thelocal.ch/20230512/reader-question-do-i-have-to-help-the-fire-brigade-in-switzerland-if-im-called-up#:~:text=In%2021%20out%20of%2026%20Swiss%20cantons%2C,their%20place%20of%20residence%20whenever%20duty%20calls](https://www.thelocal.ch/20230512/reader-question-do-i-have-to-help-the-fire-brigade-in-switzerland-if-im-called-up#:~:text=In%2021%20out%20of%2026%20Swiss%20cantons%2C,their%20place%20of%20residence%20whenever%20duty%20calls) ## External links - ["Duty firefighters List / Sylt"](http://www.feuerwehr-list.de/) - ["Duty firefighters Burg / Dithmarschen"](http://www.feuerwehr-burg.org/) - [Law on fire protection and assistance (NRW) of 11 December 2007](https://web.archive.org/web/20070711165459/http://www.idf.nrw.de/download/normen/fshg.pdf) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Compulsory fire service](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compulsory_fire_service) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compulsory_fire_service?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.