Across the world, there is significant variation in the ranks used by fire departments, with this variance representing the diverse origins of firefighting in each country. Many nations use military-inspired ranks as firefighting in their nation originated with military units - for some countries, the military still performs civilian firefighting and so firefighting units will use the rank structures of said military. In other nations, firefighting may be a responsibility of the police, who also often use military-inspired rank structures. In other countries, rank structures were designed to be explicitly civilian, especially those which have been developed in more modern eras. Rank insignia also varies heavily by country, often incorporating national symbols or rank devices which correlate with other public bodies. There is commonly a distinction made between rank insignia used on formal uniforms, which is designed to look smart and represent the values of the department and/or nation, and rank insignia used on personal protective equipment which must be resistant to contamination and highly visible to facilitate easy identification of commanders on the fireground.
Australia
New South Wales FRNSW Career Firefighters
FRNSW Retained firefighters
NSW Rural Fire Service
Victoria Victoria Country Fire Authority
Western Australia Department of Fire and Emergency Services
Austria Salzburg Volunteer Fire Department
Belgium
Modern ranks Source:
Pre-2015 ranks
Brazil
Officer grades
NCO and enlisted grades
Canada
Ranking categories and insignia in the Canadian fire service is common across the country, with minor variations, often based on department size. Virtually every fire department in Canada has at least a fire chief, and usually captains. Rank insignia is worn either on the collar, (colloquially called "collar dogs" or "collar brass"), or on epaulets, and in some cases, both. Also badges, which also denote rank, are worn in some regions. Badge, stripe and trumpet colours are a further denotation, silver being non-Chief ranks, gold reserved for Chiefs. Like the United States, Canada uses speaking trumpets for rank indication - a reference to a megaphone-like device used in the early days of the fire service, for officer ranks. Typically, silver trumpets indicate lieutenant (1 trumpet) or captain (2 trumpets), and gold indicates Chief officer ranks, ranging 2 trumpets (Battalion or District Chief) up to 5 trumpets (Fire Chief). Due to close ties and histories with Britain, there are also considerable ranking similarities to the United Kingdom, including the use of rank insignia on uniform epaulettes.
Toronto
Montreal
Vancouver
Colombia
Chile Ranks are divided between company officers and fire department officers, which can be subdivided between active officers (field officers) and administrative officers. The active officers are the captain, and three or four lieutenants, these four active officers are distinguished by red lines on their helmets.
China
Czech Republic
Cyprus
Denmark
France
Civilian fire fighters Civilian fire services uses the following ranks. The chief fire officer of a departemental fire brigade can be a comptroller general, a colonel senior class or a colonel, depending on the size of the brigade.
Paris Fire Brigade
The Paris Fire Brigade belongs to the army and uses army ranks with the corps of engineers badge. The commanding officer has the rank of divisional general.
Marseille Naval Fire Battalion The Marseille Naval Fire Battalion belongs to the navy and uses naval ranks. The commanding officer has the rank of rear admiral.
Germany In Germany every federal state has its own civil protection laws thus they have different rank systems. In the professional fire brigades, the intermediate technical fire service requires basic fire fighter training for employment, advanced fire technical service requires a bachelor's degree from a fire college or promotion from the intermediate service, while higher technical fire service requires a master's degree from a university. Additionally, in the volunteer fire departments, there is a difference between a rank and an official position. This is founded on the military traditions of the fire departments. Every firefighter can hold a high rank without having an official position. A firefighter can be promoted by years of service, training skills and qualifications. Official positions are partly elected or given by capabilities. These conditions allow that older ordinary firefighters have higher ranks than their leaders. But through this ranks are no authorities given (brevet rank).
Rheinland-Pfalz Professional fire fighters (intermediate technical grades) Completed vocational training in a technical occupation suitable for the fire service. Basic firefighter training.
Professional fire fighters (advanced technical grades) Bachelor of engineering and two years departmental training
Professional fire fighters (higher technical grades) Master of engineering and two years of departmental training
Helmet insignia
Saxony Professional fire brigades
Volunteer fire brigades
Feuerschutzpolizei (1938–1945) The Feuerschutzpolizei was formed in 1938 as a branch of the Ordnungspolizei, formed in 1938 when the German municipal professional fire brigades were transferred to the national police. The previously red fire vehicles, blue uniforms and fire service ranks were replaced by green fire vehicles, green uniforms and police ranks.
Greece
Hungary Officer grades
NCO and enlisted grades
India
In the Indian fire services, the ranks and hierarchy may vary slightly across different states and organizations. The specific rank names and their corresponding responsibilities may vary across different states and organizations in India. The following ranks are commonly found in indian fire departments.
Director general, fire and rescue services (head of the department) (IPS cadre officer in the rank of DGP) Director/additional director Regional fire officer/ divisional officer/joint director District fire officer Station officer, (in-charge of fire stations) Assistant station officer Senior fire and rescue officer/senior fireman/leading fireman Fire and rescue officer/fireman/ fireman (driver), (this is the entry-level position in the fire service.)
Kerala Fire and Rescue Services
Indonesia Firefighters in Indonesia form part of the civil service of local governments and wear variant forms of uniforms worn by civil servants and employees.
Iran
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