Florian Laucht is the new city fire inspector for the volunteer fire departments
The volunteer fire departments of Darmstadt elected a new leadership team at their annual general meeting. Under the direction of Paul Georg Wandrey, head of fire and disaster protection, Florian Laucht was unanimously elected as the new city fire inspector.
The delegates also voted unanimously for Yvonne Serba as 1st Deputy City Fire Inspector and for Martin Mark as 2nd Deputy City Fire Inspector.
Other management positions newly filled
In addition to the city fire inspectorate, other important positions within the volunteer fire department were newly elected:
- City youth fire brigade warden: Torben Nothnagel
- Deputy City Youth Fire Brigade Leader: Lisa-Marie Schiele
- City Children's Fire Brigade Coordinator: Christian Luetke
- Deputy City Children's Fire Brigade Leader: Lisa Melk
- Representative of the honorary and senior citizens' section: Jürgen Lutz
The fire chiefs and their deputies, who had already been elected during the year, were appointed and sworn in as honorary officials by City Councillor Paul Georg Wandrey.
The commitment of the emergency services was recognized
Mayor Hanno Benz and Fire Department Commissioner Paul Georg Wandrey praised the achievements of the volunteer fire departments. In addition to responding to emergencies, the volunteer firefighters dedicate extensive training and practice hours throughout the year, are active in the children's and youth fire brigade, and take care of the maintenance and upkeep of the equipment.
Fire Chief Johanna Herdt emphasized that many of the tasks performed by volunteer fire departments are hardly noticed by the public. These include, among other things, specialized training for disaster relief and the maintenance of the relevant vehicles and equipment.
Awards for long-term commitment
During the event, deserving fire service leaders were also honored. Former city fire inspectors Dr. Michael Horn, Marcus Buß, and Arnim Schmidt were given a farewell.
Dr. Michael Horn received the Bronze Medal of Merit from the City of Darmstadt for his services. He and Arnim Schmidt were also awarded the Golden Fire Protection Medal of Merit of the State of Hesse.
Other honors went to:
- Martin Mark and Stefan Schweitzer: Bronze Fire Protection Merit Badge on Ribbon
- Rainer Hold: Silver Fire Protection Merit Badge on Ribbon
- Dirk Fornoff: Golden Fire Protection Merit Badge on Ribbon
New chairman of the city district fire brigade association
On May 7, 2026, the delegates' assembly of the Darmstadt City District Fire Brigade Association elected Timo Köcher as its new chairman. Marcus Buß is the new deputy chairman.
“The fire departments here and elsewhere provide indispensable services for the safety and coexistence of a society. Their members are distinguished by their extraordinary commitment to helping their fellow citizens, to continuously train and improve their skills in order to be able to help people in need,” emphasized Mayor Hanno Benz and City Councillor Paul Georg Wandrey.
(DARMSTADT – RED/PSD/stip)
Featured image: The newly elected city fire inspectorate with department head Johanna Herdt. From left to right: Florian Laucht, Martin Mark, Yvonne Serba. Photo: Darmstadt Fire Department
