List of comparative firefighting ranks

Fire department ranking systems derive from the military, with different systems existing in different parts of the world as a reflection of that region's military.

Rank in the fire service is an important element of its structure due to the battle-like conditions found on emergency incidents. Positions of authority need to be clearly defined, as do the type and number of subordinates under a rank, and the ability to manage the number of personnel on an incident or emergency scene.

Australia

New South Wales

Fire and Rescue New South Wales^[1]

Main article: Fire and Rescue New South Wales

Rank	Commissioner	Deputy Commissioner	Assistant Commissioner	Chief Superintendent	Superintendent	Inspector	Leading Station Officer	Station Officer	Leading Firefighter	Senior Firefighter 15 years service	Senior Firefighter	Qualified Firefighter	Firefighter Level 2 (Probationary)	Firefighter Level 1 (Probationary)	Recruit
Insignia													No Epaulettes (Number 2 displayed on sides of helmet)	No Epaulettes (Number 1 displayed on sides of helmet)

Fire and Rescue New South Wales Retained firefighters

Rank	Retained Captain	Retained Deputy Captain	Retained Firefighter 15 years service	Retained Firefighter 10 years service	Retained Firefighter 5 years service	Retained Firefighter	Recruit
Insignia						No Insignia	Both Recruit and Student epaulettes used

New South Wales Rural Fire Service

Main article: New South Wales Rural Fire Service

Operational rank	Membership type	Insignia
Commissioner	NSW government senior executive service officer
Deputy commissioner	NSW government senior executive service officer
Assistant commissioner	NSW government senior executive service officer
Chief superintendent	NSW government public service officer
Superintendent	NSW government public service officer
Inspector	NSW government public service officer
Group captain	Volunteer
Deputy group captain	Volunteer
Assistant group captain	Volunteer
Captain	Volunteer
Senior deputy captain	Volunteer
Deputy captain	Volunteer
Support fire fighter (no qualifications)	Volunteer

Victoria

Victoria Country Fire Authority

Main article: Country Fire Authority

Administrative ranks for volunteer firefighters	Helmet insignia	Epaulette	Hardboard
Group officer			N/A
Deputy group officer			N/A
Operational ranks for volunteer firefighters	Helmet insignia	Epaulette	Hardboard
Captain
1st lieutenant
2nd to 5th lieutenant			N/A
Firefighter		N/A	N/A

Western Australia

Department of Fire and Emergency Services

Main article: Department of Fire and Emergency Services

	Executive and Managers
Title	Commissioner	Deputy Commissioner	Assistant Commissioner	Chief Superintendent	Superintendent	District Officer Urban & Rural Fire	District Officer Natural Hazards	Area Officers	Community Emergency Services Manager
Rank insignia

	Professional Firefighters
Title	Station Officer	Leading Firefighter	Senior Firefighter Fifteen years service	Senior Firefighter	Firefighter 1st & 2nd class	Firefighter 3rd, 4th & 5th class	Firefighter Trainee
Rank insignia

	Volunteer Firefighters							Volunteer Administrator
Title	Captain	Lieutenant	Apparatus Officer	Leading Firefighter	Senior Firefighter	Qualified Firefighter	Firefighter	Volunteer Secretary
Rank insignia

Austria

Salzburg

Volunteer fire departments

	Higher ranks				Administrative ranks
Title	Landesbranddirektor (LBD)	Landesbranddirektor-Stv. (LBD-Stv.)	Oberbrandrat (OBR)	Brandrat (BR)	Hauptverwalter (HV)	Oberverwalter (OV)	Verwalter (V)
Rank insignia

	Leading ranks
Title	Abteilungsbrandinspektor (ABI)	Hauptbrandinspektor (HBI)	Oberbrandinspektor (OBI)	Brandinspektor (BI)	Hauptbrandmeister (HBM)	Oberbrandmeister (OBM)	Brandmeister (BM)
Rank insignia

	Sub-officers/crew commanders			Firefighters and leading firefighters
Title	Hauptlöschmeister (HLM)	Oberlöschmeister (OLM)	Löschmeister (LM)	Löschmeister (LM) 18 years as firefighter	Hauptfeuerwehrmann (HFM)	Oberfeuerwehrmann (OFM)	Feuerwehrmann (FM)	Probefeuerwehrmann (PFM)
Rank insignia

Belgium

Main article: Firefighting in Belgium

New rank structure as of 2015:^[2]

	Officers (higher cadre)				NCOs (middle cadre)		Enlisted (basic cadre)
Insignia
French	Colonel	Major	Capitaine	Lieutenant	Adjudant	Sergent	Caporal	Sapeur-pompier
Dutch	Kolonel	Majoor	Kapitein	Luitenant	Adjudant	Sergeant	Korporaal	Brandweerman

Obsolete ranks:

	Officers (higher cadre)			NCOs (middle cadre)
Insignia
French	Lieutenant-colonel	Capitaine-commandant	Sous-lieutenant	Adjudant-chef	Sergent-major	Premier Sergent
Dutch	Luitenant-Kolonel	Kapitein-Commandant	Onder-luitenant	Opperadjudant	Sergeant-majoor	Eerste sergeant

Brazil

Main article: Military Firefighters Corps

Officers

Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers
Military Firefighters Corps v t e
											Coronel		Tenente-coronel		Major		Capitão		Primeiro tenente			Segundo tenente

NCO and enlisted grades

Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted
Military Firefighters Corps v t e
	Subtenente										Primeiro-sargento						Segundo-sargento			Terceiro-sargento			Cabo						Bombeiro primeira classe						Bombeiro segunda classe

Canada

A chief and platoon chief coordinate activities on site of a house fire in Vaughan, Ontario

Ranking categories and insignia in the Canadian fire service is common across 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 epaulets.

Toronto

Main article: Toronto Fire Services

Rank	Fire chief	Deputy fire chief	Division commander	Platoon chief	District chief	Captain	First class firefighter	Second class firefighter	Probationary firefighter
Insignia							None	None	None

Montreal

Main article: Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal

Rank	Insignia
Firefighter/firefighter instructor	no insignia
Interim lieutenant	1 silver stripe
Lieutenant/lieutenant instructor	2 silver stripes
Captain	3 silver stripes
Operations chief	1 thick yellow stripe
Division chief	1 thick and 1 thin yellow stripe
Assistant chief	1 thick and 2 thin yellow stripes
Deputy chief	1 thick and 3 thin yellow stripes
Fire chief	1 thick and 4 thin yellow stripes plus star

Vancouver

Main article: Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services

	Fire chief	Deputy fire chief	Assistant chief	Battalion chief	Training officer	Captain	Lieutenant	Firefighter	Probationary firefighter
Rank epaulettes								No insignia	No insignia
Rank pins								No insignia	No insignia

Colombia

Fire Officers rank insignia of Colombia

Fire Fighters rank insignia of 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

Main article: China Fire and Rescue

	Commissioner	Deputy commissioner	Assistant commissioner	Commanders				Battalion chiefs
	Director general	Deputy director general	Assistant director general	Senior commander	Commander I	Commander II	Commander III	Battalion chief I	Battalion chief II	Battalion chief III	Battalion chief IV

	Senior firefighters			Intermediate firefighters		Junior firefighters
	Captain I	Captain II	Captain III	Firefighter I	Firefighter II	Firefighter III	Firefighter IV	Probationary firefighter

Czech Republic

	Insignia
	Title	Generál- poručík	Generál- major	Brigádní generál	Plukovník	Podplukovník	Major	Kapitán	Nadporučík	Poručík	Podporučík	Nadpraporčík	Praporčík	Podpraporčík	Nadstrážmistr	Strážmistr	Rotný

Cyprus

Main article: Cyprus Fire Service

Rank	Chief Fire Officer	Deputy Chief Fire Officer	Assistant Chief Fire Officer	Station Manager	Watch Manager	Crew Manager
Insignia

Denmark

Main article: Geography of firefighting § Denmark

See also: Copenhagen Fire Department

Rank epaulettes[3]
Title	Direktør	Vicedirektør	Afdelingschef	Områdeleder	Beredskabsinspektør	Viceberedskabsinspektør	Beredskabsmester	Viceberedskabsmester	Deltidsholdleder m. instruktør	Deltidsholdleder	Beredskabsassistent
Direct translation of Danish ranks	Emergency director/ Emergency chief	Deputy emergency director/ Deputy emergency chief	Department chief/ Area chief	Area manager	Fire inspector	Deputy fire inspector/ Station master	Emergency master/ Fire master	Deputy emergency master/ Deputy fire master	Part-time team leader with instructor skills	Part-time team leader	Fire assistant/ Emergency assistant
Equivalent in London Fire Brigade	Commissioner	Deputy commissioner	Assistant commissioner	Deputy assistant commissioner	Group manager	Station manager	Station officer	Sub-officer	No equivalent	No equivalent	Firefighter

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.

	Ministry of Interior			Civilian professional firefighters class A+		Civilian professional firefighters class A			Civilian professional firefighters class B
	Directeur Général de la sécurité civile et de la gestion des crises	Directeur des sapeurs-pompiers (directeur adjoint du DGSCGC)	Contrôleur général (officiers investis de responsabilités particulières envers l'État)	Contrôleur général	Colonel hors-classe Colonel	Lieutenant-Colonel	Commandant	Capitaine	Lieutenant hors classe Lieutenant de 1re classe Lieutenant de 2e classe

	Civilian professional firefighters class C
	Adjudant-Chef	Adjudant	Sergent-Chef	Sergent	Caporal-Chef	Caporal	Sapeur de 1re classe	Sapeur de 2e classe

Paris Fire Brigade

Main article: Paris Fire Brigade

Rank insignia of a lieutenant of the 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.

	Officers
Rank	Général de division	Général de brigade	Colonel	Lieutenant-colonel	Commandant	Capitaine	Lieutenant	Sous-lieutenant
Rank insignia [4]

	Non-commissioned officers
Rank	Major	Adjudant-chef	Adjudant	Sergent-Chef	Sergent with 2nd level specialty training	Sergent
Rank insignia [4]

	Firefighters
Rank	Caporal-chef with a 1st grade technical certificate	Caporal-chef with 15 years service	Caporal-chef	Caporal with 15 years service	Caporal	Sapeur de 1re classe with 15 years service	Sapeur de 1re classe	Sapeur de 2nd classe
Rank insignia [4]

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. 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).

Professional fire fighters (middle technical grades) of Rheinland-Pfalz

Completed vocational training in a technical occupation suitable for the fire service. Basic firefighter training.

Brandmeister/-in während der Laufbahnausbildung	Brandmeister	Oberbrandmeister	Hauptbrandmeister

Professional fire fighters (upper technical grades) of Rheinland-Pfalz

Bachelor of engineering and two years departmental training

Brandinspektorenanwärter	Brandinspektor	Brandoberinspektor	Brandamtmann	Brandamtsrat	Brandoberamtsrat

Professional fire fighters (higher technical grades) of Rheinland-Pfalz

Master of engineering and two years of departmental training

Brandreferendar	Brandrat	Oberbrandrat	Branddirektor	Leitender Branddirektor Ministerialrat	Leitender Ministerialrat	Landesfeuerwehrinspekteur

Helmet insignia of Rheinland-Pfalz

Company leaders	Upper technical grades, battalion chiefs	Higher technical grades, fire chiefs

Germany 1935-1945

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.

Professional fire departments in Prussia 1935–1938	Feuerschutzpolizei 1938–1941	Feuerschutzpolizei 1941–1945	Insignia
–	–	Generalleutnant
Oberbranddirektor[a]	Generalmajor	Generalmajor
Oberbranddirektor Branddirektor	Oberst	Oberst
Oberbaurat	Oberstleutnant	Oberstleutnant
Baurat	Major	Major
Brandingenieur Brandoberingenieur Baurat[b]	Hauptmann	Hauptmann
–	–	Bezirkshauptmann
–	Inspektor	Bezirksoberleutnant
Oberbrandmeister	Obermeister	Leutnant
–	–	Bezirksleutnant
Brandmeister	Meister	Meister
Löschmeister	Hauptwachtmeister	Hauptwachtmeister
Oberfeuerwehrmann	Bezirksoberwachtmeister	Bezirksoberwachtmeister
–	Oberwachtmeister	Oberwachtmeister
Feuerwehrmann	Wachtmeister	Wachtmeister
–	–	Rottwachtmeister
–	–	Unterwachtmeister[c]
–	–	Anwärter[c][d]	No insignia
–	–	Anwärter[c]

1. The fire chief of Berlin.
2. With less than three years in the rank
3. Only in the field units
4. With more than six months in the rank.

Greece

Main article: Hellenic Fire Service

Title	Lieutenant general	Major general	Brigadier	Colonel	Lieutenant colonel	Fire major	Fire captain	Fire lieutenant	Fire second lieutenant
Greek title	Αντιστράτηγος Antistrátigos	Υποστράτηγος Ypostrátigos	Αρχιπύραρχος Archipýrarchos	Πύραρχος Pýrarchos	Αντιπύραρχος Antipýrarchos	Επιπυραγός Epipyragós	Πυραγός Pyragós	Υποπυραγός Ypopyragós	Ανθυποπυραγός Anthypopyragós
Insignia

Title	Warrant officer (NCO)	Master sergeant	Sergeant	Senior firefighter	Firefighter
Greek title	Πυρονόμος Pyronómos	Αρχιπυροσβέστης Παραγωγικής Σχολής Archipyrosvéstis Paragogikís Scholís	Αρχιπυροσβέστης Μη Παραγωγικής Σχολής Archipyrosvéstis Mi Paragogikís Scholís	Υπαρχιπυροσβέστης Yparchipyrosvéstis	Πυροσβέστης Pyrosvéstis
Insignia

Hungary

Officers

Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers
National Directorate General for Disaster Management
											Tűzoltó ezredes		Tűzoltó alezredes		Tűzoltó őrnagy		Tűzoltó százados		Tűzoltó főhadnagy			Tűzoltó hadnagy

NCO and enlisted grades

Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted
National Directorate General for Disaster Management
	Tűzoltó főtörzszászlós						Tűzoltó törzszászlós	Tűzoltó zászlós	Tűzoltó főtörzsőrmester		Tűzoltó törzsőrmester						Tűzoltó őrmester

India

See also: List of fire departments in 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.^[5]

• 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.)

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.

Rank category	Rank category number	Rank in Indonesian	Equivalent rank (with US general schedule and UK civil service paygrade)	Rank in English (Provincial/city/municipal/regency/district fire service personnel only)
Directors and commissioners	IV/e	Pembina Utama	Director general senior executive service level V, pay band 3 A7	Director
	IV/d	Pembina Utama Madya	Director senior executive service level V pay band 2 A7	Chief commissioner
	IV/c	Pembina Utama Muda	Deputy director GS-15, pay band 2 A6	Commander
Subaltern and field ranked officers	IV/b	Pembina Tingkat I	Assistant director GS-14, grade 6 A5	Senior commissioner
	IV/a	Pembina	Senior executive officer 1st class GS-14, grade 7 A4	Commissioner
	III/d	Penata Tingkat I	Senior executive officer 2nd class GS-13, grade 7 A3	Battalion chief
	III/c	Penata	Higher executive officer 1st class GS-12, grade 7 A2	Captain
Lieutenants	III/b	Penata Muda Tingkat I	Higher executive officer GS-11, A2	First lieutenant
	III/a	Penata Muda	Executive officer 1st class GS-10, A2/B6	Second lieutenant
Senior NCOs	II/d	Pengatur Tingkat I	Executive officer 2nd class GS-9, A1/B6	Station sub-officer
	II/c	Pengatur	Executive officer GS-8, A1/B5	Brigadier major
Junior NCOs	II/b	Pengatur Muda Tingkat I	Administrative officer class 1 GS-7, B4	Brigadier 1st class
	II/a	Pengatur Muda	Administrative officer class 2 GS-6, B4	Senior brigader
Basic level	I/d	Juru Tingkat I	Higher clerical officer 1st class GS-5, B3	Brigadier
	I/c	Juru	Higher clerical officer GS-4/GS-3, B3	Junior brigadier
	I/b	Juru Muda Tingkat I	Clerical officer GS-2, B2	Senior firefighter
	I/a	Juru Muda	Administrative assistant GS-1, B1	Firefighter

Iran

Iranian insignia

In Iran, every city has its own fire department, but ranks are the same in the whole country, and are as follows:

Rank	Persian	Collar/epaulette markings	Collar/epaulette markings (in Persian)
Volunteer firefighter III	آتش نشان داوطلب سوم	One golden bar	یک خط طلایی
Volunteer firefighter II	آتش نشان داوطلب دوم	Two golden bars	دو خط طلایی
Volunteer firefighter	آتش نشان داوطلب	Three golden bars	سه خط طلایی
Firefighter III	آتش نشان سوم	One silver bar	یک خط نقره ای
Firefighter II	آتش نشان دوم	Two silver bars	دو خط نقره ای
Firefighter	آتش نشان	Three silver bars	سه خط نقره ای
Head firefighter III	سرآتش نشان سوم	One flame with a thin silver bar below it and one golden bar	یک شعله با زیر پایه ی نقره ای نازک و یک خط طلایی
Head firefighter II	سرآتش نشان دوم	One flame with a thin silver bar below it and two golden bars	یک شعله با زیر پایه ی نقره ای نازک و دو خط طلایی
Head firefighter	سرآتش نشان	One flame with a thin silver bar below it and three golden bars	یک شعله با زیر پایه ی نقره ای نازک و سه خط طلایی
Master firefighter III	آتش یار سوم	One flame with golden border and silver bar below flame	یک شعله با حاشیه ی طلایی و زیر پایه ی نقره ای حجیم زیر شعله
Master firefighter II	آتش یار دوم	Two flames with golden border and silver bar below each flame	دو شعله با حاشیه ی طلایی و زیر پایه ی نقره ای حجیم زیر هر شعله
Master firefighter	آتش یار	Three flames with golden border and silver bar below each flame	سه شعله با حاشیه ی طلایی و زیر پایه ی نقره ای حجیم زیر هر شعله
Head master firefighter	سر آتش یار	Four flames with golden border and silver bar below each flame	چهار شعله با حاشیه ی طلایی و زیر پایه ی نقره ای حجیم زیر هر شعله
Chief firefighter III	آتش پاد سوم	One empty golden wreath	یک حلقه گل طلایی خالی
Chief firefighter II	آتش پاد دوم	One golden wreath with a flame inside it	یک حلقه گل طلایی با یک شعله درونش
Chief firefighter	آتش پاد	One golden wreath with a flame inside it and a silver bar below them	یک حلقه گل طلایی با یک شعله درونش و یک خط نقره ای زیر آنها
Chief master firefighter III	فرآتش پاد سوم	One golden wreath with a flame inside it and two silver bars below them	یک حلقه گل طلایی با یک شعله درونش و دو خط نقره ای زیر آنها
Chief master firefighter II	فرآتش پاد دوم	One golden wreath with a flame inside it and three silver bars below them	یک حلقه گل طلایی با یک شعله درونش و سه خط نقره ای زیر آنها
Chief master firefighter	فرآتش پاد	One golden wreath with a flame inside it and four silver bars below them	یک حلقه گل طلایی با یک شعله درونش و چهار خط نقره ای زیر آنها

Ireland

Ireland's fire service is provided by its 31 local authorities. The four Dublin local authorities provide an unified fire service for County Dublin. Dublin Fire Brigade also provides an emergency ambulance service. Galway City Council and Galway County Council also provide a unified fire service. Whereas Cork City Council and Cork County Council provide separate fire services. The remaining local authorities provide a fire service for their respective county.^[6] Ireland's ranks and insignia are similar across the country, with some differences in Dublin Fire Brigade.

Structure	County brigades		Dublin Fire Brigade[7]
Rank	Insignia	Helmet	Insignia	Helmet
Firefighter		Yellow		Yellow
Leading firefighter or driver mechanic		Yellow, one 12 mm horizontal black stripe	This rank is not used in Dublin
Sub officer		Yellow, two 12 mm horizontal black stripes		Yellow, two 12 mm horizontal black stripes
Station officer		White, one 19 mm horizontal black stripe		White, one 12 mm horizontal black stripe
District officer (operations) or district FPO	These ranks are not used in counties			White, one 19 mm horizontal black stripe
Third officer (operations) or executive FPO				White, two horizontal black stripes (one 19 mm, one 12 mm)
Senior assistant chief fire officer		White, one 38 mm horizontal broad black stripe	This rank is not used in Dublin
Chief fire officer		White, two 38 mm horizontal broad black stripes		White, one 38 mm horizontal broad black stripe
Key: FPO = fire prevention officer

Israel

Main article: Israel Fire and Rescue Services

Officers

	Rav tafsar (רב טפסר)		Tafsar (טפסר)		Tat tafsar (תת טפסר)		Tafsar mishne (טפסר משנה)		Segan tafsar (סגן טפסר)		Ráv Reshef (רב רשף)		Reshef (רשף)		Lahav (להב)			Lahav mishne (להב משנה)
English	Lieutenant general firefighter		Major general firefighter		Brigadier general firefighter		Colonel firefighter		Lieutenant colonel firefighter		Major firefighter		Captain firefighter		First lieutenant firefighter			Second lieutenant firefighter

Other Ranks

	Rav semel bakhir kabai (רב-סמל בכיר-כבאי)	Rav semel rishon kabai (רב-סמל ראשון-כבאי)	Rav semel kabai (רב-סמל-כבאי)		Semel kabai (סמל כבאי)						Rav kabai (רב כבאי)						Lokhem esh rishon (לוחם אש ראשון)				Lokhem esh (לוחם אש)
English	Sergeant major firefighter	Master sergeant firefighter	Sergeant 1st class firefighter		Sergeant firefighter						Corporal firefighter						Senior firefighter				Firefighter

Italy

Main article: Vigili del Fuoco

Chief fire officers
	Dirigente generale Capo di corpo	Dirigente generale	Dirigente superiore di livello C	Dirigente superiore di livello D	Dirigente superiore di livello E	Dirigente superiore di livello F

Fire officers
	Direttore vice dirigente con funzioni dei vicario dei dirigente di livello E	Direttore vice dirigente	Direttore	Vice direttore

Station commanders
	Sostituto direttore antincendi capo esperto	Sostituto direttore antincendi capo	Sostituto direttore antincendi	Ispettore antincendi coordinatore	Ispettore antincendi esperto	Ispettore antincendi

Crew commanders
	Caporeparto	Caposquadra esperto	Caposquadra

Firefighters
	Vigile del fuoco coordinatore	Vigile del fuoco esperto	Vigile del fuoco

Volunteer firefighters
	Funzionario tecnico antincendi volontario	Caporeparto volontario	Caposquadra volontario	Vigile del fuoco volontario

Japan

See also: Tokyo Fire Department

Municipal fire departments

The rank structure and insignia of the career municipal fire departments of Japan are dictated in regulations published by the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, the nation's coordinating body for fire and rescue services. In formal and station wear, rank is indicated by a small rectangular badge, normally worn on the left breast, consisting of varying numbers of lines and stars (the star used on the badge is the Firefighter's Emblem of Japan), whereas in operational wear rank is normally indicated by bands on the headwear of varying number and thickness according to rank.

Rank[1]	Roles in a department serving the special wards (Tokyo Fire Department)[8]	Roles in a department serving a designated city or over 700,000 residents[8]	Roles in a department serving 300,000 to 700,000 residents[8]	Roles in a department serving 100,000 to 300,000 residents[8]	Roles in a department serving less than 100,000 residents[8]	Badge Insignia[9]	Helmet Markings[9]
Fire Chief (aka Fire Superintendent-General) Japanese: 消防総監 Hepburn: Shōbō sōkan	Chief of the Department
Deputy Chief (aka Fire Chief Superintendent) Japanese: 消防司監 Hepburn: Shōbō shikan	Vice-Chief of the Department, HQ Chief of Division	Chief of the Department
First Assistant Chief (aka Fire Senior Superintendent) Japanese:消防正監 Hepburn: Shōbō seikan	HQ Chief of Division, District Chief	Vice-Chief of the Department, HQ Chief of Division, Station Chief	Chief of the Department
Assistant Chief (aka Fire Superintendent) Japanese:消防監 Hepburn: Shōbō kan	Counsellor of the Department, HQ Chief of Section, Station Chief	HQ Chief of Section, Station Vice-Chief	Vice-Chief of the Department, HQ Chief of Division, Station Chief	Chief of the Department
Battalion Chief (aka Fire Senior Commander) Japanese:消防司令長 Hepburn: Shōbō shirei-chō	HQ/Station Chief of Section, Vice-Counsellor of the Department, Station Vice-Chief	HQ/Station Chief of Section, Battalion Commander	HQ Chief of Section, Station Vice-Chief, Battalion Commander	Vice-Chief of the Department, HQ/Station Chief of Section, Station Chief	Chief of the Department
Fire Captain (aka Fire Commander) Japanese: 消防司令 Hepburn: Shōbō shirei	HQ/Station Assistant Chief of Section, HQ/Station Chief of Subsection, Battalion Commander	HQ Assistant Chief of Section, HQ/Station Chief of Subsection, Company Commander	HQ/Station Assistant Chief of Section, HQ Chief of Subsection, Company Commander, Platoon Commander	HQ/Station Assistant Chief of Section	Vice-Chief of the Department, HQ Chief of Section, HQ Assistant Chief of Section, Station Chief, Station-Vice Chief, Battalion Commander
Fire Lieutenant (aka Fire Assistant Commander) Japanese: 消防司令補 Hepburn: Shōbō shirei-ho	HQ/Station Senior Staff, Company Commander, Platoon Commander	HQ Senior Staff, HQ Chief Examiner, Station Chief of Subsection, Platoon Commander	HQ/Station Chief Examiner, Station Chief of Subsection	HQ/Station Chief of Subsection, Company Commander	HQ/Station Chief of Subsection, Company Commander, Platoon Commander
Fire Sergeant (aka Firefighter Chief) Japanese: 消防士長 H Hepburn: Shōbō shichō	HQ Assistant Senior Staff, Station Team Leader, Station Team Member	HQ Assistant Senior Staff, Station Team Leader, Station Team Member	HQ/Station Senior Staff, Station Team Leader, Station Team Member	HQ/Station Chief Examiner, Platoon Commander	HQ/Station Chief of Subsection, HQ/Station Chief Examiner, Platoon Commander
Assistant Fire Sergeant (aka Assistant Firefighter Chief) Japanese: 消防副士長 Hepburn: Shōbō fuku-shichō	HQ Team Member, Station Team Leader, Station Team Member	HQ Team Member, Station Team Leader, Station Team Member	HQ Assistant Senior Staff, Station Team Leader, Station Team Member	HQ/Station Assistant Chief Examiner	HQ/Station Senior Staff
Firefighter Japanese: 消防士 Hepburn: Shōbō shi	HQ Team Member, Station Team Leader, Station Team Member	HQ Team Member, Station Team Leader, Station Team Member	HQ Team Member, Station Team Leader, Station Team Member	HQ Team Member, Station Team Leader, Station Team Member	HQ Team Member, Station Team Leader, Station Team Member

Volunteer fire corps

The rank structure and insignia of the reserve volunteer fire corps of Japan are also dictated by the Fire and Disaster Management Agency. As with the career departments, in formal and station wear, rank is indicated by a small rectangular badge, normally worn on the left breast, consisting of varying numbers of lines and stars (the star used on the badge in this case is the Volunteer Fire Corps Emblem of Japan), whereas in operational wear rank is normally indicated by bands on the headwear of varying number and thickness according to rank.

Rank[2]	Volunteer Firefighter Japanese: 団員 Hepburn: Dan'in	Volunteer Crew Chief Japanese: 班長 Hepburn: Hanchō	Volunteer Company Chief Japanese: 部長 Hepburn: Buchō	Volunteer Assistant Squad Chief Japanese: 副分団長 Hepburn: Fuku-bun danchō	Volunteer Squad Chief Japanese: 分団長 Hepburn: Bun danchō	Volunteer Assistant Fire Chief Japanese: 副団長 Hepburn: Fuku danchō	Volunteer Fire Chief Japanese: 団長 Hepburn: Danchō
Badge Insignia[10]
Helmet Markings[10]

Luxembourg

Main article: Grand-Ducal Fire and Rescue Corps of Luxembourg

Higher cadre of professional and volunteer fire fighters[11] Cadre supérieur des pompiers volontaires et professionnels
Insignia
French	Directeur général	Colonel	Lieutenant-colonel	Major	Capitaine	Lieutenant 1ère classe	Lieutenant	Lieutenant-aspirant
English	Director general	Colonel	Lieutenant colonel	Major	Captain	Lieutenant 1st class	Lieutenant	Aspirant lieutenant

Middle cadre of professional and volunteer fire fighters[11] Cadre moyen des pompiers volontaires et professionnels
Insignia
French	Adjudant-major	Adjudant-chef	Adjudant	Adjudant-aspirant
English	Chief warrant officer	Master warrant officer	Warrant officer	Aspirant warrant officer

Basic cadre of professional and volunteer fire fighters[11] Cadre de base des pompiers volontaires et professionnels
Insignia
French	Sergent-major	Sergent-chef	Sergent	Caporal-chef 1ère classe	Caporal-chef	Caporal	Brigadier	Brigadier-aspirant
English	Sergeant major	Master sergeant	Sergeant	Master corporal 1st class	Master corporal	Corporal	Brigadier	Aspirant brigadier

Malaysia

Main article: Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia

No.	Rank	Abbreviation	Rank (English)	Grade	Epaulet
					Shoulder board	Collar badge
Penguasa Bomba (fire superintendent)
1	Ketua Pesuruhjaya Bomba	KPjB	Chief fire commissioner	JUSA A
2	Pesuruhjaya Bomba	PjB	Fire commissioner	JUSA B
3	Timbalan Pesuruhjaya Bomba	TPjB	Deputy fire commissioner	JUSA C
4	Penolong Kanan Pesuruhjaya Bomba	PKPjB	Senior assistant fire commissioner	KB 54
5	Penolong Pesuruhjaya Bomba	PPjB	Assistant fire commissioner	KB 52
6	Penguasa Kanan Bomba I	PgKB I	Senior fire superintendent I	KB 48
7	Penguasa Kanan Bomba II	PgKB II	Senior fire superintendent II	KB 44
8	Penguasa Bomba	PgB	Fire superintendent	KB 41
Penolong Penguasa Bomba (assistant fire superintendent)
9	Timbalan Penguasa Bomba	TPgB	Deputy fire superintendent	KB 38
10	Penolong Kanan Penguasa Bomba	PKPgB	Senior assistant fire superintendent	KB 32
11	Penolong Penguasa Bomba	PPgB	Assistant fire superintendent	KB 29
Pegawai Bomba (fire officer)
12	Pegawai Bomba Tinggi	PBT	Leading fire officer	KB 26
13	Pegawai Bomba Kanan I	PBK I	Senior fire officer I	KB 24
14	Pegawai Bomba Kanan II	PBK II	Senior fire officer II	KB 22
15	Pegawai Bomba	PB	Fire officer	KB 17 / 19	No insignia

Netherlands

Main article: Geography of firefighting § The Netherlands

	Hoofdcommandeur	Fire chief
	Adjunct-Hoofdcommandeur	Deputy fire chief
	Commandeur	Division chief
	Hoofdbrandmeester	Battalion chief
	Brandmeester	Captain
	Hoofdbrandwacht	Engineer
	Brandwacht	Fire fighter
	Algemene / Aspirantfuncties	Trainee

New Zealand

In New Zealand, rank is shown on epaulettes on firefighters' station uniform, and through colors and stripes on firefighter helmets. As the nation only has a single fire service, Fire and Emergency New Zealand, ranks are consistent through the country.

Rank	Epaulette[12]	Helmet[12]
Recruit firefighter (RFF)	Blank with "RECRUIT"	Fluro-green
Firefighter (FF)	One hollow bar	Yellow, one white stripe
Qualified firefighter (QFF)	One solid white bar	Yellow, one red stripe
Senior firefighter (SFF)	Two solid white bars	Yellow, two red stripes
Station officer (SO)	One impeller	Red, one blue stripe
Senior station officer (SSO)	Two impellers	Red, two blue stripes
Deputy chief fire officer (DCFO) (Volunteer)	Impeller above an impeller with laurel	White, one blue stripe and Deputy Chief Fire Officer label
Chief fire officer (CFO) (Volunteer)	Two impellers above an impeller with laurel	White, two blue stripes and Chief Fire Officer label
Assistant Commander (AC)	Box border, three impellers	Silver, Assistant Commander label
Commander (CD)	Box border, ne impeller below a crown	Silver, one blue stripe, Commander label
Assistant national commander (ANC)	Three impellers trefoil below a crown	Silver, two blue stripes, Assistant National Commander label
Deputy national commander (DNC)	Silver crossed sword and baton below an impeller	Black, Deputy National Commander label
National commander (NC)	Silver crossed sword and baton below a crown	Black, National Commander label

Nicaragua

	Rank insignia
Officers
	Comandante Primer Jefe	Comandante	Mayor	Capitán	Teniente	Subteniente
Troops
			Sargento 1.º	Sargento	Cabo 1.º	Cabo

Philippines

Main article: Bureau of Fire Protection

Commissioned officers

• Fire director (major general)
• Fire chief superintendent (brigadier general)
• Fire senior superintendent (colonel)
• Fire superintendent (lieutenant colonel)
• Fire chief inspector (major)
• Fire senior inspector (captain)
• Fire inspector (lieutenant)

Non-commissioned officers

• Senior fire officer 4 (executive master sergeant)
• Senior fire officer 3 (chief master sergeant)
• Senior fire officer 2 (senior master sergeant)
• Senior fire officer 1 (master sergeant)
• Fire officer 3 (staff sergeant)
• Fire officer 2 (corporal)
• Fire officer 1 (firefighter)

Peru

Main article: Geography of firefighting § Peru

Cuerpo General de Bomberos Voluntarios del Perú

Category	General Officers			Superior Officers		Officers			Sub-Officers
Rank	Comandante general	General de brigada	Brigadier mayor	Brigadier	Teniente brigadier	Capitán	Teniente	Subteniente	Seccionario
Source:	[13]

Poland

State Fire Service

Strażak Firefighter Private	Starszy strażak Senior firefighter Private	Sekcyjny Section leader Private 1st class	Starszy sekcyjny Senior section leader Specialist
Młodszy ogniomistrz Junior firemaster Corporal	Ogniomistrz Firemaster Sergeant	Starszy ogniomistrz Senior firemaster Staff sergeant
Młodszy aspirant Junior aspirant Sergeant 1st class	Aspirant Aspirant Master sergeant	Starszy aspirant Senior aspirant Sergeant major	Aspirant sztabowy Staff aspirant Command sergeant major
Młodszy kapitan Junior captain Second lieutenant	Kapitan Captain First lieutenant	Starszy kapitan Senior captain Captain	Młodszy brygadier Junior brigadier Major
Brygadier Brigadier Lieutenant colonel	Starszy brygadier Senior brigadier Colonel	Nadbrygadier Chief brigadier Brigadier general	Generał brygadier General brigadier Major general

Volunteer Fire Services

Local level

Firefighter	Senior Firefighter	Team Commander	Deputy Section Commander	Section Commander	Deputy Platoon Commander	Platoon Commander

Board Member	Member of the Audit Committee	Deputy Fire Chief	Vice President and Fire Chief	Chairman of the Audit Committee	President

Fire Brigades 1941

400p

Romania

Officer ranks

Corpului Pompierilor

Mareșal

General

General-locotenent

General-maior

General de brigadă

Colonel

Locotenent-colonel

Maior

Căpitan

Locotenent

Sublocotenent

Other ranks

Corpului Pompierilor

Plutonier adjutant șef

Plutonier adjutant

Plutonier-major

Plutonier

Sergent-major

Sergent

Russian Federation

Main article: Russian State Fire Service

Rank insignia

Personnel of the Russian State Fire Service use special ranks of internal service (apart from military personnel of the service which use military ranks).^[14]

	Senior command personnel			Senior command personnel			Middle command personnel				Officer students
Rank [14]	Colonel General of Internal Service	Lieutenant General of Internal Service	Major General of Internal Service	Colonel of Internal Service	Lieutenant Colonel of Internal Service	Major of Internal Service	Captain of Internal Service	Senior Lieutenant of Internal Service	Lieutenant of Internal Service	Junior Lieutenant of Internal Service	Officer Student
Rank insignia [14][15]

	Junior command personnel						Privates
Rank [14]	Senior Warrant Officer of Internal Service	Warrant Officer of Internal Service	Master Sergeant of Internal Service	Senior Sergeant of Internal Service	Sergeant of Internal Service	Junior Sergeant of Internal Service	Private of Internal Service
Rank insignia [14][15]

Helmet insignia

A Russian firefighter with a head of duty shift fire station helmet.

Rank	Helmet colour/markings
Firefighter	The all color helmet with the applied number, indicating the fire station
Head of fire brigade	The all color helmet with the applied number, indicating the fire station, underlined by line 50 mm wide and 5 mm thick
Head of duty shift fire station	The all color helmet with the applied a circle, inside which the applied number is indicating the fire station
Deputy head of the fire station	The all color helmet with the applied a triangle, inside which the applied number is indicating the fire station
Head of the fire station	The all color helmet with the applied a square, inside which the applied number is indicating the fire station
Commanding staff of the fire department	The all color helmet with the applied a circle, inside which the applied a rhombus

Singapore

Main article: Singapore Civil Defence Force

Officers

Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers
Singapore Civil Defence Force[16]
					Commissioner		Deputy commissioner		Senior assistant commissioner	Assistant commissioner	Colonel		Lieutenant colonel		Major		Captain		Lieutenant			Second lieutenant			Officer cadet

Warrant officers

Rank group	Warrant officers
Singapore Civil Defence Force[16]
					Warrant officer 2		Warrant officer 1

Other ranks

Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted
Singapore Civil Defence Force[16]
																	Sergeant 3		Sergeant 2		Sergeant 1				Corporal		Lance corporal								Private	Recruit

Soviet Union

1936								1937-1939
Category		City Fire Department BBV		Paramilitary Fire Service PMB				Category	City Fire Department	Paramilitary Fire Service
		1936		From 16.06.1936		From 13.09.1936			From 17.11.1937	From 15.04.1938	From 26.02.1939
BBV	PMB	Collar	Forearms	Collar patches	Forearms	Collar patches	Upper arm		Collar patch	Collar patch	Collar patch
Private		n/a						Private			no changes
К-1	К-1	n/a						К-1, К-2			no changes
К-2	К-2	n/a
К-3	n/a	n/a
К-4	К-3							К-3			no changes
К-5	К-4							К-4			no changes
К-6	К-5							К-5			no changes
К-7	К-6							К-6			no changes
К-8	К-7							К-7			no changes
К-9	К-8							К-8			no changes
К-10	К-9							К-9			no changes
К-11	К-10							К-10
К-12	К-11							К-11
К-13	К-12							К-12
n/a	К-13	n/a	n/a					К-13	n/a	n/a

Switzerland

Officer grades

Rank epaulettes
Rank name	German	Oberst	Oberstleutnant	Major	Hauptmann	Oberleutnant	Leutnant
	French	Colonel	Lieutenant colonel	Major	Capitaine	Premier lieutenant	Lieutenant
	Italian	Colonnello	Tenente colonnello	Maggiore	Capitano	Primo tenente	Tenente
	Romansh	Colonel	Litinent colonel	Maior	Chapitani	Primlitenant	Litenet

Other grades

Rank epaulettes
Rank name	German	Adjutant Unteroffizier	Feldweibel	Fourier	Wachtmeister	Korporal	Gefreiter	Soldat	Rekrut / Aspirant
	French	Adjudant sous-officier	Sergent-major	Fourrier	Sergent	Caporal	Appointé	Soldat	Recrue / Aspirant
	Italian	Aiutante sottufficiale	Sergente maggiore	Furiere	Sergente	Caporale	Appuntato	Soldato	Recluta / Aspirante
	Romansh	Adjutant sutuffizier	Primsergent	Furier	Sergent	Caporal	Appuntà	Schuldà	Recruit

Taiwan

Level	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11
	Director general	Deputy director general * Fire chief of metropolitan city	Level 3 positions	Level 4 positions	Level 5 positions	Level 6 positions	Level 7 positions	Level 8 positions	Team leader	Team member	Basic level

Tunisia

Further information: Military ranks of Tunisia

Tunisian firefighter's ranks are the same as the army, police and national guard.

Turkey

Head of Department	Divisional Managers		Station Managers							Crew Managers
Daire Başkanı Chief Fire Officer	Müdür Assistant Chief Fire Officer	Şube Müdürü Divisional Officer	Birim Amiri Station Officer			Amir Sub-Officer			Çavuş Leading Firefighter
Source: [17]

United Kingdom, Crown dependencies, British Overseas Territories

Contemporary

Other fire service title	Chief fire officer	Deputy chief fire officer	Assistant chief fire officer		Area manager	Group manager	Station manager	Watch manager	Crew manager		Firefighter
London title	Commissioner	Deputy commissioner	Assistant commissioner		Deputy assistant commissioner	Group commander (borough commander)	Station commander	Station officer	Sub-officer	Leading firefighter	Firefighter
Scottish title	Chief Officer	Deputy Chief Officer	Assistant Chief Officer	Deputy Assistant Chief Officer	Area Commander	Group Commander	Station Commander	Watch Commander	Crew Commander		Firefighter
Isle of Man title	Chief fire officer	Deputy chief fire officer				Divisional officer	Assistant divisional officer	Station officer	Sub officer	Leading firefighter	Firefighter
Gibraltar title	Chief fire officer	Deputy chief fire officer				Divisional officer		Station officer	Sub officer	Leading firefighter	Firefighter
Insignia

National Fire Service 1941–1948

Rank	Chief Regional Fire Officer	Fire Force Commander	Assistant Fire Force Commander Regional Woman Fire Officer	Divisional Officer Area Officer	Column Officer Assistant Area Officer	Senior Company Officer Group Officer	Company Officer Assistant Group Officer	Section Leader Senior Leading Firewoman	Leading Fireman Leading Firewoman	Fireman Firewoman
Insignia

United States

Main article: Firefighting in the United States

An American firefighter with a lieutenant's helmet

This ranking system is close to universal across all regions. There may be jurisdictions that do not utilize this rank structure, though they are rare.

In the United States, helmet colors often denote a fire fighter's rank or position. Generally, white helmets denote chief officers, (battalion chiefs, division chiefs, etc.), and red helmets denote company officers, (captains, lieutenants). While not universal, there are other commonalities, such as black for non-ranked firefighters, blue for EMS, and green for probationary firefighter.

There are some region specifics for helmet colors, though they have little to do with rank. For example, in San Francisco the SFFD paint their helmets based on a color system that denotes the apparatus they are assigned to.

Officer ranks are most commonly denoted by the number of speaking trumpets - a reference to a megaphone-like device used in the early days of the fire service, although currently and incorrectly called "bugles". , or by striping. Ranks proceed from one (lieutenant) to five (fire chief) trumpets.

The ranks of Deputy and Assistant Chief may differ based on region: one area may have the Assistant Chief as higher rank than Deputy, while another jurisdiction would be the opposite - Deputy out-ranking Assistant.

Rank	Insignia
Firefighter	No rank insignia
Engineer/apparatus operator/driver operator	No rank insignia
Lieutenant
Captain	or
Battalion Chief/District Chief	or side by side
Division Chief/Assistant Chief/Deputy Chief
Deputy Chief or Assistant Chief
Fire Chief

Typically, the captain is the ranking officer of a fire station, (which may include anywhere from one apparatus up to several apparatus), and the lieutenant is typically in charge of a single apparatus.

There are also both state (e.g. CalFire in California) and federal (e.g. U.S. Forest Service) rank structures. These align with the typical ranking of the rest of the North American fire service.

Some other U.S. fire departments such as the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) use military rank insignia (specifically sleeve insignia, though it is not an official part of the FDNY uniform code) in addition to the traditional bugles.

Vatican City

Main article: Corps of Firefighters of the Vatican City State

	Chief officers	Officers	SNCOs		NCOs	Firefighters	Students
Corps of Firefighters of the Vatican City State
	Primo Dirigente coordinatore	Capo squadra esperto	Capo Squadra di prima classe	Capo Squadra di seconda classe	Vigile del fuoco prima classe	Vigile del fuoco seconda classe	Allievo vigile del fuoco

Venezuela

The firefighter units of the National Directorate for Civil Protection and Firefighting follow a rank system modeled more on the National Guard and the French Paris Fire Brigade. However, officer ranks follow US influence in the insignia.

	General Officers		Superior Officers			Subaltern Officers
Rank	Primer General de Bomberos	General de Bomberos	Coronel de Bomberos	Teniente Coronel de Bomberos	Mayor de Bomberos	Capitán de Bomberos	Premier Teniente de Bomberos	Teniente de Bomberos
Rank insignia
English	Major general firefighter	Brigadier general firefighter	Colonel firefighter	Lieutenant colonel firefighter	Major firefighter (Battalion chief)	Captain firefighter	Lieutenant firefighter	Second lieutenant firefighter

	Sub-Officers			Corporals		Troops
Rank	Sargento Mayor de Bomberos	Sargento Primero de Bomberos	Sargento Segundo de Bomberos	Cabo Primero de Bomberos	Cabo Segundo de Bomberos	Distinguido de Bomberos	Razo de Bomberos
Rank insignia							no insignia
English	Sergeant major firefighter	Staff sergeant firefighter	Sergeant firefighter	Corporal firefighter	Lance corporal firefighter	Senior firefighter	Firefighter