21.05.2026 • Topstories

Fire Protection in the Fire Station: Why critical infrastructure needs better self-protection

Fire stations are central hubs of emergency response and at the same time part of the critical infrastructure. Nevertheless, numerous fire incidents in recent years have shown that these facilities themselves are often not adequately protected. Modern emergency vehicles, extensive IT and radio technology as well as charging infrastructure for batteries and electrical units significantly increase the risk of fire. Electrotechnical defects and battery fires in particular are considered recurring causes of fire. If an incident is only detected late, fires often spread very quickly due to open hall structures and high fire loads - with serious consequences for buildings, vehicles and operational readiness.

Under building law, fire stations are considered unregulated special buildings in many federal states in Germany. Binding specifications for automatic early fire detection are often lacking or are left to the discretion of local authorities. In practice, this means that either no automatic detection systems are installed at all or solutions originally designed for residential buildings are used. However, trade associations such as the BHE expressly point out that smoke alarms from the smart home environment do not meet the requirements for availability, monitoring and interference resistance in safety-critical environments. Instead, standard-compliant systems in accordance with EN 54, as used in professional fire alarm and fire warning systems, are recommended.

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