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History of fire service 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 the 19th century, even after the Czechoslovak Republic was established and up to the beginning of the 2nd World War, belonged to voluntary firefighters organisations of cities and municipalities. Public fire units of professional character had existed in certain bigger cities only.  

Basic reorganisation of fire protection took place after the 2nd World War, namely when the Law No. 35/1953 on State Fire Inspection and Fire Protection came into force. On the basis of the Law, the public and company fire units became executive fire units, and fire protection started to be established on principles of military organised bodies.
 
The new Fire Protection Law in 1958, however, meant gradual decentralisation of fire protection, and consequent weakening of its level.
The sixties are therefore characterised by efforts to establish a new legal frame of fire protection.
 
In last thirty years fire protection has undergone essential changes. At the beginning of seventies the proportion of technical responses of fire units began to increase, in comparison with fire interventions. And because of their abilities, professional fire units gradually replaced some of other technical services. Therefore, the existing legal provisions and organisation had to be adapted. The process of changes culminated at the beginning of this millennium, when scope of the Ministry of Interior was enlarged in the areas of emergency management, civil emergency planning, population protection, and the Integrated Rescue System. 
 
The new legal modifications, which came into force on 1st January 2001, stood for essential change in the position, jurisdiction and organisation of the Fire Rescue Service of CR.
 

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