Austrian firefighter‑friendly employers honoured – safety as a factor of economic success

On June 23, 16 Austrian companies were honored by the Austrian Federal Fire Brigade Association together with Minister of Labor Korinna Schumann with the “Firefighter‑Friendly Employer” award.

These companies have supported employees who volunteer with the local fire brigades for many years. In doing so, they make a significant contribution to maintaining Austria’s fire service system and ensuring around‑the‑clock operational readiness.

Austria’s fire brigades rely on the support of employers, as it is ultimately up to each company—voluntarily and at its own discretion—to decide whether employees may leave work to respond to an emergency. This decision can only be made by the employer. Workload, staff shortages, and other absences must be considered, which is why a legally mandated release for volunteer firefighters would negatively impact businesses and, ultimately, firefighters themselves on the job market.

Fire Brigade President Robert Mayer expressed his gratitude:

“It is all the more important for us to emphasize how much we appreciate companies that recognize the value our volunteer firefighters bring to society, and who accommodate our men and women during working hours so they can respond to emergencies or attend training. Many companies also allow fire brigades to use their premises for exercises—an advantage for both the fire service and the business, as emergency crews become familiar with the site. This ensures they are well prepared should an incident occur.”

Award Recipients 2026

The awards were presented at the Raiffeisen Forum in Vienna by Fire Brigade President Robert Mayer, Minister Korinna Schumann, and the respective state fire brigade commanders.

The presentations—from large international corporations to small family‑run businesses—highlighted the wide range of ways employers can offer support.

Burgenland

• Josef Kamper Gesellschaft m.b.H.
• Vossen GmbH & Co. KG

Carinthia

• Omya GmbH
• Raiffeisenbank Mittelkärnten eG

Lower Austria

• Benediktinerstift Melk
• Feuerschutz Bayer GmbH

Upper Austria

• IDEAL Kältetechnik GmbH
• AGRANA Stärke GmbH

Salzburg

• Leube Zement GmbH
• METALL‑Tech Brugger Manfred GmbH

Styria

• Pfleger Bau GmbH
• Steirerfleisch GmbH

Tyrol

• Zitt – Transporte Erdbau GmbH & Co KG
• Holzbau Lengauer‑Stockner GmbH

Vienna

• Anna Kölbl, Agriculture
• collaborative.cloud e.U.

Minister Schumann:

“Much of what makes our society strong would not be possible without the dedication of committed individuals. The operational capability of volunteer fire brigades is closely tied to employer support. When companies allow their employees to respond to emergencies, participate in exercises, or complete essential training, they make a valuable contribution to our society and the safety of our country. The honored companies demonstrate impressively that economic success, social responsibility, and volunteer engagement are not opposites—they reinforce one another.”

Special Award for INTERSPAR Austria

Since 2025, there has been a close cooperation between the Austrian Federal Fire Brigade Association and INTERSPAR Austria. Fire brigades responsible for INTERSPAR locations benefit from deposit‑receipt donations made by customers. Until July 26, specially created “Floriani rolls” are also available in all INTERSPAR stores, with all proceeds going to support the Austrian fire service.

INTERSPAR Managing Director Johannes Holzleitner stated:

“Fire brigades do outstanding work for our society every day. Through deposit‑receipt donations and the Floriani roll, we give our customers the opportunity to directly support the fire brigades in their communities and the youth fire service. We are sincerely grateful for this award—it belongs to our team and our customers, who make this support possible.”

Fire Brigade President Mayer added:

“Ensuring daytime operational readiness and all measures that allow us to respond quickly are invaluable. I sincerely thank all firefighter‑friendly employers who support our system in so many ways and demonstrate that, alongside economic considerations, social responsibility, humanity, and safety in Austria are decisive factors for success.”---

A Unique System: Firefighting in Austria

Austria’s fire service is primarily staffed by volunteers. One in every 25 Austrians is a member of one of the roughly 4,800 fire brigades (about 4,500 volunteer brigades, six professional brigades, and around 300 industrial brigades). Thanks to this dense and well‑organized network, help can reach nearly any incident location in the country within minutes—often for days at a time, across regions and even internationally, without compromising local protection.

A wage‑continuation regulation passed by Parliament in 2019 allows, under certain conditions (agreement between employer and employee during major incidents involving more than 100 responders for over eight hours), compensation payments to certain companies (€200 per employee and lost workday). However, this can only be claimed if the responder is an employee. The Austrian Federal Fire Brigade Association has long advocated for expanding eligibility to include, for example, self‑employed individuals and farmers, as well as simplifying the application process.

Photos by Mathias Seyfert

The photos attached, as well as those available at the link below (in higher resolution), may be used free of charge in connection with this release, provided the source is correctly credited: FEUERWEHR.AT/Seyfert

https://www.flickr.com/photos/oebfv/albums/72177720334362726/