Devastating fires, explosions, building collapses, floods, storms, and other disasters prompted King Friedrich Wilhelm IV to establish a professional fire department for the burgeoning city of Berlin under Ludwig Scabell. The decisive event was the fire on February 1, 1851, which completely destroyed the Kroll establishment located across from today’s Reichstag. Even today, firefighting, emergency rescue, technical assistance, and disaster protection remain the main tasks of Germany's oldest professional fire department. With over 200 impressive images, mostly from the collection of fire service veteran Klaus Dietz, Ralf Schmiedecke presents the history of the Berlin Fire Department. He showcases numerous Berlin fire stations from their beginnings in the city center to the present day, as well as the surrounding fire departments of the independent cities before 1920.