VIP Interview with Oliver Giesen, Head of the Bayer AG Plant Fire Department

Your career goal at age 20 was:

At 20, I was in the middle of my training as a chemical laboratory technician, and it was clear to me at that point that I wanted to pursue a degree in the natural sciences. I decided to study chemical engineering - which has been excellent preparation for my current responsibilities.

What led you to take on a role in safety?

I have to admit that I didn’t dream of a career as a “Grisu” (Editor's Note: Known throughout Europe, Grisu the Dragon is the iconic cartoon dragon whose lifelong ambition is not to set fires, but to fight them) when I was a kid. When I was offered the position of head of the plant fire department, I was working as a project engineer at Bayer and was a member of the part-time plant fire department. At first, I was skeptical about whether this career path made sense for me, but I decided to go for it anyway. I quickly realized that working in the interdisciplinary emergency response teams and tackling the challenges of preventive fire safety were close to my heart. Today, I’m glad I chose this path.

In your opinion, what safety or security policy decision or project should have been implemented long ago?

I’m a strong advocate of the idea that fire safety can and must be both efficient and economically sound. To achieve this, measures such as simplifying building codes, consistently minimizing the overabundance of regulations, and improving the technical training of those involved in fire safety must be implemented.

What do you consider to be the best invention in the field of safety or security?

As an advocate of the “in-house fire department” model, it is, of course, the introduction of in-house emergency response organizations in Germany, which were established as part of industrialization. For companies, these offer significant added value and protect employees, jobs, and the company’s assets. When properly organized, an in-house fire department can not only ensure hazard prevention but also generate economic value for the company.

One success you’ve achieved recently was:

Over the past two years, we’ve seen a large number of employees from the baby boomer generation retire to their well-deserved retirement. This typically leaves a significant gap in our organization, since a plant fire department relies heavily on optimal local knowledge and experience. Through a successful recruitment drive, we were able to fill all the positions with dedicated and highly trained firefighters, each of whom brought different new strengths to the table and integrated seamlessly into our team. That makes me happy - and a little proud, too.

Who do you think deserves an award?

My family! Because they’ve always supported me over the years, and I could only achieve so much success with their help.

How do you relax?

My personal “mindfulness” moment is every Wednesday from 7 to 9 p.m. That’s when my choir rehearses. I’ve been singing with them for three years. The moment when the five vocal sections come together to create harmonies is pure relaxation for me.

What vacation spot would you recommend?

I’m not sure if I want to share that - otherwise, it’ll get even more crowded there. My absolute favorite place is in Andalusia, where I vacation with my family at least once a year.

What magazines do you read regularly?

The Works Fire Department Association (Werkfeuerwehrverband Deutschland e.V., WFVD) regularly publishes the WFVD-Info, and I actually always read that magazine cover to cover.

GIT SICHERHEIT is important to me because…

…the magazine helps build networks, and I’m a big fan of the 3K principle (Albrecht Broemme, former president ot the German THW): Know the right people in a crisis!

What was the last book you read?

I actually read books mainly on vacation, and I like to read crime novels. On my last vacation, however, I made an exception and decided to read Albrecht Broemme’s book "Deutschland in der Krise" (Germany in crisis).

What kind of music do you like to listen to?

My musical tastes were shaped in the early ’90s, so I’m still a huge fan of grunge music and everything that followed that genre. Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, and Stone Temple Pilots are the idols of my youth - they’re the ones who inspired me to start playing guitar back then. Unlike back then, though, I’m much more open-minded musically these days and also listen to a lot of modern music - as long as it features guitars.

What motivates you?

To generate positive value for our employer alongside my team, to help colleagues through hazard mitigation efforts, to protect assets, and to minimize business disruptions.

What concerns you - and what gives you confidence?

The current political situation in the world and in Germany is a major concern for me as a family man and someone responsible for hazard prevention. What keeps me thinking positively as a firefighter, though, is that in both corporate emergency response teams and public fire departments, there are many people who - whether professionally or as volunteers - are intrinsically motivated to help and will be there to ensure our safety in an emergency.