Karl-Heinz Banse has been elected as the new President of the German Fire Brigade Association

Karl-Heinz Banse is now the new President of the German Fire Brigade Association (DFV). The 58-year-old from Lower Saxony was elected with 86 of 164 votes at the 67th Assembly of Delegates. The event had to be postponed during 2020 due to the corona pandemic and was instead arranged as an online event on February 27.

Photo: Matthias Oestreicher / DFV

DFV has not had an elected president since the resignation of Hartmut Ziebs in 2020. DFV has had an acting president in the meanwhile, but now, Mr Banse has been duly elected as the president of Germany´s largest fire service organisation:

"Regaining trust, intensifying association work in a wide variety of fire-fighting areas, expanding lobbying work, working more transparently and further professionalising association work," stated Karl-Heinz Banse as the five goals of his presidency.

According to the statutes, the term of office is six years. "We need a strong, unified, independent umbrella association," he said, looking to the future.

The administrative clerk has previously been working as a coordinating fire protection officer for the state of Lower Saxony. The position of DFV President is exercised as an honorary post with a corresponding allowance for expenses. Banse had opposed Dr. Karsten Homrighausen (Berlin) and Frank Kliem (Brandenburg) prevailed.

The predecessor in the position of DFV President, Hartmut Ziebs from North Rhine-Westphalia, had resigned from office on December 31, 2019. The new election was only now possible due to the pandemic. The majority of the DFV Presidential Council (representatives of the full members) voted in favor of a digital meeting.

Pictures of the event 

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