Celebrating shared stories: Berliner Feuerwehr

For Prof. Dr. Homrighausen, the story of the Berliner Feuerwehr and the first Lufthansa reaches all the way back to April 6, 1926 – the date of the maiden flight, which took off from Berlin’s Tempelhof Airport. At a time when flying still belonged to the realm of possibility rather than routine, that departure stood for much more than a route on a map. It stood for movement, courage, and belief in what comes next. The route he associates with both institutions is, as he puts it, “the route from the ‘here and now’ to the future – on behalf of all fire and rescue services.”

It is a poetic answer, but also a precise one. Both the Berliner Feuerwehr and Lufthansa have grown alongside the city of Berlin – sometimes through extraordinary historical moments. For Prof. Dr. Homrighausen, one stands out above all others. “Apart from the launch of the airline’s flights from Berlin, the most memorable moment for our city – and therefore also for the Berlin Fire Department – was when Lufthansa, as the first German airline, was allowed to land in Berlin again on October 2, 1990, following the end of the Cold War,” he says. “The airspace over Berlin had become a special symbol of the divided city, due to the Berlin Airlift. Accordingly, its opening marked the reunification, which was officially completed the following day, in an equally symbolic way. And this was not only a historic event for Berlin, Germany, and the world – it also initiated a new beginning of sorts for the Berliner Feuerwehr, which had been divided into East and West also.”

When air travel first came to Berlin, the fire and rescue service had to rethink its entire approach. A new mode of mass transportation, fueled by flammable materials, demanded new tactics, new coordination, and new forms of training – work that never stopped. It also crystallized something deeper than competence: a shared understanding of what it takes to operate where there is no margin for error.

When asked to sum up the partnership in three words, Prof. Dr. Homrighausen does not hesitate: “Safety – because it is the top priority for both Lufthansa and the Berliner Feuerwehr. Progress – because both organizations are open to research and innovation. Experience – because both organizations have a long history, and we continue to benefit from the events and insights of that history to this day.”

There is a personal dimension to this, too. “There is something particularly emotional about that sense of freedom that arises when an airplane lifts off the ground,” he says. “This freedom holds historical significance in this country and especially in this city – and that includes the freedom to travel.” In the air, the airline safeguards its passengers by means of quality management, checklists, and disciplined operational systems. “On the ground, we as firefighters do the same for the people in our city,” he says. “And if something does happen, we attend to it and take care of the people.”

Looking ahead, both industries face real pressures – above all climate change, the transition to sustainable fuels, and cybersecurity. But for Prof. Dr. Homrighausen, these are also opportunities. Both Lufthansa and the Berliner Feuerwehr are marking major anniversaries this year – 100 and 175 years respectively – and that shared history only heightens the ambition for what comes next. “As leading organizations in our respective branches, we are committed not only to maintaining the status quo but also to positioning ourselves for the future. The next goal is to embrace the challenges of the present and transform them into opportunities for the future. This is how we ensure that our organizations continue to stand for what they are known for: quality, reliability, and safety.”

Prof. Dr. Homrighausen, your role is defined by responsibility and trust. Could you describe a personal experience where the smooth collaboration between your team and ours was crucial to everyone’s safety?

“One decision that has contributed to the well-being and safety of the majority of Berlin’s residents was the permanent closure of Tegel Airport (TXL) – as historically significant as it was – to civilian air traffic. When a system comes to its limits, it is advisable to modify it and, if necessary, transition to a completely new solution. A willingness to change, along with the ability to identify and utilize development potential, are crucial to the success of complex systems.

The closure of TXL has opened up such development potential not only for Lufthansa, but also for the Berliner Feuerwehr, since the new Berliner Feuerwehr Academy is set to be built at this location in the near future. Where Lufthansa airplanes used to take off, land, and undergo maintenance, young firefighters will then be trained to ensure the safety of Berlin’s residents.”