Hulpverleningszone Oost Vlaams-Brabant (HVZ Oost) is the rescue zone for 32 municipalities in the eastern half of Flemish Brabant, from Leuven, Overijse and Tervuren to Aarschot, Diest, Tienen and Landen: 552,402 residents (2023) on about 1,227 km². More than 600 staff work from eight fire posts. Leuven has a career crew, Haacht, Overijse and Tienen are mixed, and the other four are mainly volunteer. Eleven ambulances run from six posts. In 2025 the zone recorded 11,453 fire-brigade calls and 16,339 ambulance calls. In an emergency, dial 112.
Zone office (non-emergency)
+32 16 31 72 70- Fire prevention (Preventiedienst, Terbankstraat 20, Leuven): +32 16 31 72 27, brandpreventie@hvzoost.be
- info@hvzoost.be
- De Kouter, Spoorwegstraat 6, 3020 Herent, Belgium
- oost-vlaams-brabant.hulpverleningszone.be
- Office hours: prevention service 8:30–12:00 and 13:00–16:00; others not published
Who Provides Fire Protection in Hulpverleningszone Oost Vlaams-Brabant
Since 2015, Belgian fire services are organized in rescue zones (hulpverleningszones) run by their member municipalities. The federal list of rescue zones (April 2026) names 32 members of HVZ Oost:
- Leuven area: Leuven, Herent, Kampenhout, Bertem, Bierbeek, Holsbeek, Lubbeek, Oud-Heverlee, Rotselaar and Tielt-Winge
- South-west: Overijse, Hoeilaart, Huldenberg and Tervuren
- North: Haacht, Boortmeerbeek, Keerbergen, Tremelo, Begijnendijk and Aarschot
- Hageland and east: Diest, Scherpenheuvel-Zichem, Bekkevoort, Geetbets, Glabbeek, Kortenaken, Linter, Zoutleeuw, Tienen, Boutersem, Hoegaarden and Landen
The zone has more than 600 staff; most operational staff are both firefighters and ambulance crew. Leuven is a career post (beroepskorps); the other seven recruit volunteers (vrijwilligers). Dial 112 and the emergency center alerts the nearest crews.
Fire Posts in Hulpverleningszone Oost Vlaams-Brabant
| Post | Type | Location and phone | Ambulances |
|---|---|---|---|
| Post Aarschot | Mainly volunteer | Boudewijnlaan 4, 3200 Aarschot · +32 16 31 72 50 | 1 (with Hageland112) |
| Post Diest | Volunteer | Schaluinstraat 2, 3290 Diest · +32 13 38 03 50 | None |
| Post Haacht | Mixed | Provinciesteenweg 34, 3150 Haacht · +32 16 31 72 60 | 1 |
| Post Landen | Mainly volunteer | Attenhovenstraat 47, 3400 Landen · +32 11 70 10 60 | 2 |
| Post Leuven | Career | Terbankstraat 20, 3001 Leuven · +32 16 31 72 00 | 2 |
| Post Overijse | Mixed | Schavei 77, 3090 Overijse · +32 2 781 18 10 | 3 |
| Post Scherpenheuvel-Zichem | Volunteer | Prattenborgstraat 14B, 3270 Scherpenheuvel-Zichem · +32 13 78 08 00 | None |
| Post Tienen | Mixed | Diestsesteenweg 360, 3300 Tienen · +32 16 80 45 60 | 2 |
Post lines are office numbers. In an emergency, dial 112.
Estimated Response Time
Eight posts share about 1,227 km², so the average distance to the nearest post is roughly 7.0 km (4.3 mi). With about 450 residents per km², the zone uses the suburban/combination column of our baseline table. Leuven gets the career column; Diest, Scherpenheuvel-Zichem, Aarschot and Landen get the volunteer column, because volunteers must first reach the post.
| Radius | Leuven (career) | Mixed posts | Volunteer posts |
|---|---|---|---|
| ≤ 2.4 km | 4–6 min | 5–8 min | 8–12 min |
| 2.4–4.8 km | 6–8 min | 7–10 min | 10–14 min |
| 4.8–9.7 km | 8–11 min | 9–13 min | 12–18 min |
| > 9.7 km | 11+ min | 13+ min | 18+ min |
Typical expectation: about 6–8 minutes in central Leuven; about 9–13 minutes in most other towns; and 12–18 minutes or more in rural Hageland villages far from a post.
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 zone mixes the university city of Leuven, with more than 100,000 residents, commuter towns on the edge of Brussels and wide farmland in the Hageland and around Tienen and Landen. Summer is the busiest season: in July and August 2025 the zone counted 3,011 fire-brigade calls, 1,905 of them technical, against 1,251 to 2,231 in the other two-month periods.
Apparatus & Equipment
No fleet list is published.
- Ambulances, 24/7 (6 posts, see table)
- 11
Specialties named by the zone: divers, rope climbers, gas-suit (hazmat) teams, electric-vehicle firefighting and a Fire Stress Team for crew support. Team sizes and bases are not published.
- Hazmat
- Dive rescue
- Rope rescue
- Technical rescue
- EV fires
- Ambulance
Hulpverleningszone Oost Vlaams-Brabant in Numbers (2025)
- 27,792 calls: 11,453 for the fire brigade and 16,339 for the ambulances (excluding Aarschot and the Leuven PIT team, run with partners)
- 1,483 fires, 275 hazardous-materials and environment calls and 5,582 technical rescues
- 1,777 support calls, such as helping ambulance crews, and 15 special incidents
- 2,321 turnouts that needed no action, such as false alarms
Services & Community Programs
- Volunteer firefighter recruitment at all posts except Leuven: on the zone's volunteer page.
- Fire prevention advice: Preventiedienst, +32 16 31 72 27.
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 removed or processed on site, plant-health reasons and campfires of dry, untreated wood. Municipal rules or a drought ban can restrict even these. Take garden waste to a recyclagepark and ask your municipality before lighting any outdoor fire.
Neighboring Rescue Zones
- Brandweerzone Vlaams-Brabant West, Flemish Brabant Province (west)
- Brussels Fire Brigade (SIAMU/DBDMH), Brussels-Capital Region (west)
- Brandweerzone Rivierenland, Antwerp Province (north-west)
- Brandweer Zone Kempen, Antwerp Province (north)
- Hulpverleningszone Zuid-West Limburg, Limburg Province (east)
- Zone de secours Hesbaye, Liège Province (south-east)
- Zone de secours du Brabant wallon, Walloon Brabant Province (south)
FAQ
What is the non-emergency number for the fire service in Leuven and East Flemish Brabant?
For general questions, call the zone office on +32 16 31 72 70 (Spoorwegstraat 6, Herent) or the Leuven post on +32 16 31 72 00. For any fire or medical emergency, dial 112.
Which municipalities does Hulpverleningszone Oost Vlaams-Brabant cover?
32 municipalities, including Leuven, Aarschot, Diest, Haacht, Landen, Overijse, Scherpenheuvel-Zichem, Tienen, Tervuren, Hoeilaart, Herent and Rotselaar.
Are the firefighters in East Flemish Brabant paid?
Leuven has a career crew. Haacht, Overijse and Tienen are mixed, and Aarschot, Diest, Landen and Scherpenheuvel-Zichem rely mainly or only on paid-per-call volunteers.
How fast does the fire service respond in East Flemish Brabant?
The zone does not publish arrival times. Our estimate is about 6–8 minutes in central Leuven, 9–13 minutes in most towns and 12–18 minutes in rural villages far from a post.
Can I burn garden waste in East Flemish Brabant?
No. Flemish rules ban burning garden waste in the open air, with narrow exceptions. Use a recycling park and ask your municipality before any outdoor fire.
Last verified:
- FPS Home Affairs — Rescue zone contacts (April 17, 2026) (members, HQ)
- HVZ Oost — The zone (posts, staff)
- HVZ Oost — Our fire posts (addresses, crew types)
- HVZ Oost — Fire post contacts (post phones)
- HVZ Oost — Administrative services (office phones, hours)
- HVZ Oost — Call statistics 2025
- HVZ Oost — Emergency medical service (ambulances per post)
- HVZ Oost — Volunteer firefighters (specialties, pay)
- VMM — FAQ on outdoor burning
- Wikipedia NL — Hulpverleningszone Oost Vlaams-Brabant (population Jan 1, 2023 per Statbel, area, neighbors)