Reorganizing an existing volunteer fire station network in Germany

•Volunteer firefighters face numerous challenges such as less young volunteers following.•Different decision criteria and stakeholders are examined and considered in the model.•Optimal closing sequence of departments can directly be determined.•Proposed models can support decision maker to minimize the impact on public supply.

Volunteer fire departments have been founded to ensure public safety in case of fire and to provide support for professional firefighters. Most of the current stations date back to the beginning of the 19th century. Today, volunteer fire departments face numerous challenges, such as reduced number of following young volunteers or decreasing public budgets. We quantify these effects and identify different alternatives, such as relocating or closing of stations to minimize the impact on rescue service supply. Based on comprehensive case studies in Bochum, Germany it is apparent that these recommendations provide an excellent toolset for a prospective planning approach.