Fire brigade employees; professional and voluntary, ranks, region 2000-2019

Fire brigade employees; professional and voluntary, ranks, region 2000-2019

Region Years Operational staff Voluntary staff Total voluntary employees (number)
Nederland 2019* 18,857
Noord-Nederland (LD) 2019* 2,529
Oost-Nederland (LD) 2019* 4,458
West-Nederland (LD) 2019* 7,887
Zuid-Nederland (LD) 2019* 3,983
Groningen (PV) 2019* 691
Friesland (PV) 2019* 1,102
Drenthe (PV) 2019* 736
Overijssel (PV) 2019* 1,411
Flevoland (PV) 2019* 318
Gelderland (PV) 2019* 2,729
Utrecht (PV) 2019* 1,661
Noord-Holland (PV) 2019* 2,496
Zuid-Holland (PV) 2019* 2,619
Zeeland (PV) 2019* 1,111
Noord-Brabant (PV) 2019* 2,761
Limburg (PV) 2019* 1,222
Groningen (VR) 2019* 691
Fryslân (VR) 2019* 1,102
Drenthe (VR) 2019* 736
IJsselland (VR) 2019* 753
Twente (VR) 2019* 658
Noord- en Oost-Gelderland (VR) 2019* 1,311
Gelderland-Midden (VR) 2019* 774
Gelderland-Zuid (VR) 2019* 644
Utrecht (VR) 2019* 1,661
Noord-Holland-Noord (VR) 2019* 1,186
Zaanstreek-Waterland (VR) 2019* 489
Kennemerland (VR) 2019* 322
Amsterdam-Amstelland (VR) 2019* 208
Gooi en Vechtstreek (VR) 2019* 291
Haaglanden (VR) 2019* 206
Hollands-Midden (VR) 2019* 998
Rotterdam-Rijnmond (VR) 2019* 765
Zuid-Holland-Zuid (VR) 2019* 650
Zeeland (VR) 2019* 1,111
Midden- en West-Brabant (VR) 2019* 1,244
Brabant-Noord (VR) 2019* 809
Brabant-Zuidoost (VR) 2019* 708
Limburg-Noord (VR) 2019* 805
Limburg-Zuid (VR) 2019* 417
Flevoland (VR) 2019* 318
Source: CBS.
Explanation of symbols

Dataset is not available.


This table includes information on the number of employees of municipal and regional fire brigades and security regions on 1 January of the reference year. Operational staff are broken down by professional and voluntary status. Since 2005, non-operational fire brigade employees are also included. Operational staff is broken down by rank and non-operational staff by education level. The figures refer to the situation on 1 January of a particular year. Data are available for the Netherlands as a whole and for each security region.

Since 1 January 2011, figures may vary from previous years due to introduction of a new ranking system and a revised questionnaire. Since that date, the questionnaire can be completed consistent with the new ranking system as published in “Het besluit personeel Veiligheidsregio’s” (for details see: Staatsblad 2010, nr 253)”. The “Leidraad Conversie Rangen van de Nederlandse Vereniging voor Brandweerzorg en Rampenbestrijding (NVBR)” is used for the translation from function to rank and from the old to the new ranking system.

Since 2012, higher and mid-level ranks are included in one category. This decision was made because a reliable break-down by region cannot be made.

Since 1 January 2011, the definitions of professional, voluntary and non-operational staff are also adjusted.

The security regions Limburg Noord en Brabant-Zuidoost could not deliver data of 2019 before the closingdate of the survey.They agreed that the figures for 2018 are also valid for 2019.
De security regions Kennemerland en Haaglanden have indicated that for 2019 they have reported data with a higher quality than before. They agreed that the figures for 2019 are retroactively also valid for 2018.

Data available from: 2000.

Status of the figures:
Figures for the period 2000-2018 are definitive and figures for the year 2019 are provisional.

Changes effective from 25 February 2021:
None, this table has been discontinued.

When will new figures be published?
Not applicable.

Description topics

Operational staff
Fire brigade employees trained to fulfil repressive (fire-fighting) duties. They are mostly engaged in fire-fighting duties and they render assistance. Employees in management functions are also included. These employees can be engaged in repressive and non-repressive duties. New definition (since 2011): fire brigade employees fulfilling repressive duties (including trainees), also if fire-fighting is not their main duty.
Voluntary staff
Public servants employed by a municipality or security region who fulfil their fire-fighting duties in addition to their main employment. New definition (since 2011): voluntary fire-fighters with repressive (fire-fighting) duties (including trainees).  
Total voluntary employees