Brandweer Zone Kempen is the rescue zone for 15 municipalities in the south-east of Antwerp Province, including Geel, Mol, Herentals, Balen and Westerlo: about 273,000 residents on 727 km² of towns, farmland, heath and canals. About 380 career and volunteer firefighters work from seven posts, with headquarters in Geel. Zone-wide teams include divers, rope rescue and a hazardous-materials team. In an emergency, dial 112.
Zone headquarters (non-emergency)
+32 14 28 78 00- Wasp line: +32 14 28 78 78 (7:00–19:00); campfire requests: +32 14 28 79 79
- info@brandweerzonekempen.be; prevention: preventie@brandweerzonekempen.be
- Stelenseweg 92, 2440 Geel, Belgium
- kempen.hulpverleningszone.be
- Office hours: weekdays 9:00–12:00 (by phone)
Who Provides Fire Protection in Brandweer Zone Kempen
Since 2015, Belgian fire services are organized in rescue zones (hulpverleningszones) run by their member municipalities. Zone Kempen merged the fire services of Balen, Geel, Grobbendonk, Herentals, Herenthout, Mol and Westerlo, and covers 15 municipalities, confirmed by the federal list of rescue zones (April 2026): Balen, Dessel, Geel, Grobbendonk, Herentals, Herenthout, Herselt, Hulshout, Laakdal, Meerhout, Mol, Olen, Retie, Vorselaar and Westerlo.
Career firefighters (beroeps), volunteers (vrijwilligers) and ambulance crew work at the seven posts; the split is not published. Volunteers must live within 8 km of their post and be available within 15 minutes of a call. Dial 112: the call reaches the zone's own dispatchers (centralisten), who alert the crews.
Fire Posts in Brandweer Zone Kempen
| Post | Type | Location | Specialist teams |
|---|---|---|---|
| Post Grobbendonk | Not published | Vaartkom 3, 2280 Grobbendonk | Divers, rope rescue (RED) |
| Post Herenthout | Not published | Itegemse Steenweg 128, 2270 Herenthout | Not published |
| Post Herentals | Not published | Oud-Strijderslaan 1, 2200 Herentals | Divers |
| Post Westerlo | Not published | De Merodedreef 13, 2260 Westerlo | Not published |
| Post Geel (HQ) | Not published | Stelenseweg 92, 2440 Geel | Divers; central administration |
| Post Mol | Not published | Ambachtsstraat 18, 2400 Mol | Divers, rope rescue (RED) |
| Post Balen | Not published | Vredelaan 1, 2490 Balen | Divers |
Staffing per post is not published; the zone recruits volunteers for Balen, Grobbendonk, Herenthout, Mol and Westerlo. Team locations come from 2017 zone pages. Posts have no separate phone numbers; dial 112 for emergencies.
Estimated Response Time
Only seven posts share 727 km², so the average distance to the nearest post is roughly 5.8 km (3.6 mi), the longest of the Antwerp Province zones. With about 375 residents per km² and volunteers who first travel to the post, we use the volunteer column of our baseline table, with the combination column as a best case when a crew is already at the post.
| Radius | Volunteer turnout | Best case (combination) |
|---|---|---|
| ≤ 2.4 km | 8–12 min | 5–8 min |
| 2.4–4.8 km | 10–14 min | 7–10 min |
| 4.8–9.7 km | 12–18 min | 9–13 min |
| > 9.7 km | 18+ min | 13+ min |
Typical expectation: about 12–18 minutes in villages without a post, such as Dessel, Retie, Meerhout, Laakdal, Herselt or Vorselaar; faster near the seven posts. Average arrival times were not available for this page.
Estimated Fire Control Time
| Fire size | Example | Indicative time |
|---|---|---|
| Small | Grass patch, dumpster, small vehicle | 5–20 min |
| Medium | Room-and-contents, car fully involved | 15–45 min |
| Large | Whole house, commercial unit | 45–120 min |
| Major | Multi-alarm, industrial, large woodland fire | 2–12+ hours |
The Kempen mixes heath and woods with villages and industrial estates. In July 2026, during a drought, the zone asked all 15 mayors to ban outdoor fires, beyond the code orange already in force for nature and forest areas. Hazardous-materials incidents are handled by the zone's IGS team (measurement teams, hazmat advisers and gas-suit crews).
Apparatus & Equipment
No fleet list was available for this page. Zone-wide specialist teams (2017 figures):
- Divers (Balen, Geel, Grobbendonk, Herentals, Mol)
- 36
- Rope-rescue (RED) team members (Grobbendonk, Mol)
- 15
- Dive rescue
- Rope rescue
- Hazmat (IGS)
- Ambulance (EMS)
- Aftercare (FIST)
Brandweer Zone Kempen in Numbers
- Calls per year: in the 2025 activity report on the zone site (not yet verified here)
- About 380 career and volunteer firefighters (2026)
- 7 posts for 15 municipalities
Services & Community Programs
- Volunteer recruitment: open for five posts until August 31, 2026; vacature@brandweerzonekempen.be.
- Wasp nests: online form or the wasp line, +32 14 28 78 78.
- Fire prevention and E-loket: preventie@brandweerzonekempen.be.
Ratings & Accreditation
Belgium has no public fire-protection rating comparable to the US ISO classification. Not applicable.
Outdoor burning: Flemish environmental rules ban burning any waste in the open air, garden waste included. The Flemish Environment Agency lists only narrow exceptions, such as fire-brigade training, farm or landscape plant waste that cannot be processed on site, plant-health reasons and campfires. Police rules or a drought ban can restrict even these; the zone takes campfire requests on +32 14 28 79 79. Take garden waste to a recyclagepark and ask your municipality before lighting any outdoor fire.
Neighboring Rescue Zones
- Hulpverleningszone Taxandria, Antwerp Province (north: Kasterlee, Lille, Arendonk)
- Brandweer Zone Rand, Antwerp Province (west: Zandhoven)
- Brandweerzone Rivierenland, Antwerp Province (south-west: Nijlen, Heist-op-den-Berg)
- Hulpverleningszone Oost Vlaams-Brabant, Flemish Brabant (south: Aarschot, Scherpenheuvel-Zichem)
- Hulpverleningszone Zuid-West, Limburg (south-east: Tessenderlo-Ham, Beringen)
- Hulpverleningszone Noord-Limburg, Limburg (east: Leopoldsburg, Lommel)
- Netherlands (north-east: North Brabant)
FAQ
What is the non-emergency number for Brandweer Zone Kempen?
The zone's number is +32 14 28 78 00 (Stelenseweg 92, Geel), weekdays 9:00–12:00. For any fire or medical emergency, dial 112.
Which municipalities does Brandweer Zone Kempen cover?
Fifteen, including Geel, Mol, Herentals, Balen, Westerlo, Dessel, Retie and Herselt.
Are Kempen's firefighters paid?
The zone has about 380 career and volunteer firefighters; the split per post is not published.
How fast does the fire service respond in the Kempen?
With seven posts for 727 km², we estimate about 12–18 minutes in villages without a post, less near a post.
Can I burn garden waste or light a campfire?
Garden waste: no, Flemish rules ban it. Campfires need permission; the zone takes requests on +32 14 28 79 79.
Last verified:
- FPS Home Affairs — Rescue zone contacts (April 17, 2026) (members, HQ)
- Brandweer Zone Kempen — Contact details (posts, phones, hours)
- Brandweer Zone Kempen — Who we are (area, posts)
- Brandweer Zone Kempen — Volunteer recruitment (2026) (staff)
- Brandweer Zone Kempen — Dive team
- Brandweer Zone Kempen — RED team
- VMM — FAQ on outdoor burning
- VRT NWS — Fire ban advice (2026)
- Wikipedia NL — Brandweer Zone Kempen (population per Statbel, neighbors)