The Ministry of Interior of the Czech Republic

Fire Rescue Service

History of fire protection on Czech territory

Although the first professional fire service on Czech territory was established in Prague in 1853 already, the main liability for firefighting in the second half of 19th Century, even after the Czechoslovak Republic was established and up to the beginning of 2nd World War, belonged to voluntary firefighters organisations of cities and municipalities. Public fire units of professional character existed in certain bigger cities only.

Basic reorganisation of fire protection took place after 2nd World War only, namely in connection with the acceptance of the Law No. 35/1953 on State Fire Inspection and Fire Protection. On the basis of that Law the public and company fire units became executive fire units and fire protection started to be established on the principles of military organised body. The new fire protection law in 1958 however meant a gradual decentralisation of fire protection and consequent weakening of its level. The sixth decade is therefore characterised by efforts to establish a new legal modification of fire protection, which in 1968 led to the draft of a new Fire Code. Following events however caused, that the new Fire Code was realised only after long 17 years.

Fire protection has undergone basic changes in last thirty years. At the beginning of the seventh decade began to increase the proportion of technical responses of fire units in comparison with fire interventions only. Because of their abilities the professional fire protection units gradually replaced the non-functioning or non-existing types of technical services. To that fact had to be adapted the existing legal provisions and organisation, better conforming to the requirements of fire protection and rescue activities and having higher effectiveness of the means spent on those activities.

The new legal modifications, which came into force on January 1st, 2001, stood for a basic change in the position, jurisdiction and organisation of Fire Rescue Service of CR.