Name

Hulpverleningszone Zuid-West Limburg

Legal name

Hulpverleningszone Zuid-West Limburg

Website

https://zuidwestlimburg.be

Company type

Public

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Emergency Services / Public Safety Services

NAICS

Fire Protection (922160)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Fire & Rescue Services (Fire Suppression, Rescue) (BPAIAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Emergency Dispatch Center Services (PSAP/911 Support, Private Dispatch) (BPAKAFAJ), Search & Rescue (Urban/Water/Wilderness) Coordination (HLAJAGAJ)

Keywords

• Fire emergency services
• Emergency medical services
• Fire prevention services
• Technical rescue services
• Ambulance transport services

Headquarters

HQ city

Hasselt

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Government Funding (Gemeenten en Federale Overheid): The hulpverleningszone is financed by municipal contributions from the 19 municipalities in its intervention area and by federal government operational budget. The zone transitioned from individual municipal fire services to a unified zone structure on 1 January 2015.
2. Retributies (Service Fees): Fees charged for non-emergency services including wasp nest removal (€46), false alarm responses (€179–€306), door opening (€46), pumping services (€128), storm/water assistance materials, and fire prevention advice (starting at €92). Emergency life-saving interventions remain free.
3. Dringende Geneeskundige Hulpverlening (Ambulance Transport): Forfaitary fee for emergency medical transport services, set by Royal Decree (KB van 28 november 2018). The base amount is €60 (2019) with annual indexation. Invoicing follows a specific procedure regulated by the federal government.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Hulpverleningszone Zuid-West Limburg is a Belgian public emergency services zone providing firefighting, emergency medical (ambulance) services, technical rescue, and fire prevention services to 19 municipalities in the Limburg province. Service delivery is organized through 8 fire stations and 6 ambulance posts operating 24/7 under the Snelst Adequate Hulp (SAH) dispatch principle, with nearly 1,000 digital intervention plans (DIPs) supporting intervention teams. Emergency interventions are free of charge; non-emergency services (wasp nest removal, false alarm response, door opening, pumping, pollution cleanup, fire prevention advice) are billed under a regulated retributiereglement fee schedule.

Product overview

Hulpverleningszone Zuid-West Limburg operates as a consolidated fire and emergency services organization covering 19 municipalities in the Limburg province of Belgium. The organization provides integrated emergency response through 8 fire stations (Beringen, Borgloon, Hasselt, Herk-de-Stad, Heusden-Zolder, Sint-Truiden, Tessenderlo, and Tongeren). Core services include firefighting, emergency medical services (ambulance), rescue operations, and logistical interventions. The portfolio includes both emergency services (brandbestrijding, dringende geneeskundige hulpverlening, rescue services) and non-emergency services (storm damage response, flood response, wasp nest removal, fire prevention consultations, digital intervention plans, key safe systems, and station visits). The organization serves approximately 386,000 inhabitants or 44% of Limburg's population, employing over 600 staff members including volunteer and professional firefighters, ambulance personnel, nurses, and administrative/technical support staff.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Brandbestrijding (Firefighting Services) Fire suppression and extinguishing services across the intervention area, including response to structural fires, wildfires, and other fire-related emergencies.
• Dringende Geneeskundige Hulpverlening (Emergency Medical Services / Ambulance) Emergency ambulance services operating 24/7 from 6 stations, providing urgent medical transport and care staffed by ambulanciers and verpleegkundigen with bijzonder beroepstitel (BBT spoed- en intensieve zorgen).
• Hulp aan Mensen en Dieren in Nood (Rescue Services) Rescue operations including extrication from vehicles, water rescue, high-angle rescue, elevator rescues, and animal rescue services.
• Vrijmaken Openbare Weg (Road Clearance) Clearing debris, glass, and oil spills from roadways after traffic accidents, and containment of environmental pollution to protect the public and waterways.
• Hulp bij Stormschade (Storm Damage Response) Response to storm damage including securing loose roof elements, facade parts, and clearing fallen trees from public roads.
• Hulp bij Wateroverlast (Flood Response) Pumping and damming operations to address water damage and flooding; free for natural causes, fee-based for technical defects.
• Wespenverdelging (Wasp Nest Removal) Professional wasp nest removal services at regulated rates (€46 per nest standard rate, €92 weekend rate as of 2026).
• Brandpreventie (Fire Prevention) Fire safety consultations, inspections, digital intervention plans (DIPs), key safes, and fire safety training for businesses and institutions; dossier costs starting at €92 plus per-area pricing for larger buildings.
• Bezoek Brandweer (Station Visits) Free guided tours of fire stations for groups (10–30 people, aged 6+) on weekdays September through April, lasting approximately 2 hours.
• Melding Brandoefening (Fire Drill Reporting) Online system for reporting planned fire or evacuation drills to prevent unnecessary emergency responses.

Quantifiable outcome

• Zone covers 19 municipalities and 44% of Limburg population (386,000+ inhabitants)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Brandweerschool LimburgcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe fire school of Limburg (Brandweerschool Limburg) provides training and education for firefighters in the zone. Located at brandweerschool.plot.be.
• Vespa-WatchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVespa-Watch is an organization that fights the Asian hornet (Aziatische hoornaar). The fire brigade forwards reports of Asian hornet nests to Vespa-Watch for specialized elimination, as this invasive species attacks honeybee colonies.
• Brandweer Vlaanderen (Fire Service Flanders)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Flemish fire service federation that represents and coordinates fire services across Flanders. The zone is linked from the Brandweer Vlaanderen website as part of the Flemish fire service network.
• Veiligheid en Preventie (BeSafe)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA federal safety and prevention platform (besafe.be) linked as a useful resource for citizens on the zone's homepage.
• Civiele Veiligheid (Civil Protection)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Federal Public Service for Home Affairs (FOD Binnenlandse Zaken) oversees the organization of fire services in Belgium and is co-located at Campus H with the zone headquarters in Hasselt, along with services including CIC, 112, Veiligheidskorps, gevangeniswezen.
• Lab Intervention Team (LIT) — Federal Judicial PoliceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecialized team for dismantling illegal drug laboratories. The fire brigade coordinates with LIT for dangerous chemical dumping incidents from drug labs, as these present extreme hazards to the public and the environment.
• Surrounding Fire Brigades (Geel, Leopoldsburg, Diest)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Tessenderlo fire station works regularly with neighboring brigades from Geel, Leopoldsburg, and Diest. Under SAH principles, these brigades provide mutual aid for interventions.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Brandweerzone Antwerpen: Largest Flemish hulpverleningszone, operating 24+ fire stations across the Antwerp region. Comparable in regulatory structure, service portfolio (fire, EMS, prevention), and dispatch model, but materially larger in scale.
• Hulpverleningszone Oost-Limburg: Adjacent Belgian fire/EMS zone covering the eastern half of Limburg province. Same legal structure (hulpverleningszone), same funding model, and directly comparable operating scope under the same 2015 federal reorganization.
• Brandweer Brussel / SIAMU: Brussels-Capital Region fire and EMS service (the 35th zone adjacent to Belgium's 34 zones). Operates bilingual emergency dispatch and provides a comparable mix of fire suppression, ambulance, and prevention services under a distinct legal framework.
• Hulpverleningszone Noord-Limburg: Third Belgian hulpverleningszone in Limburg, serving the northern municipalities. Structurally identical peer under the same federal law, providing direct benchmarking across the three Limburg zones.

Broad incumbents

• London Fire Brigade: UK statutory fire and rescue authority for Greater London. Comparable in that it operates as a public fire/EMS authority with pre-planning (DIP-equivalent), prevention campaigns, and regulated funding, but at much larger scale.
• Brandweer Vlaanderen: Flemish federation that coordinates and represents all fire zones in Flanders. Acts as a peer-level umbrella body for advocacy, training, and policy coordination across the 24 Flemish zones.
• Brandweer Nederland (Veiligheidsregio's): Dutch national fire service coordination across 25 safety regions. Comparable public fire and EMS provider in the neighboring regulatory environment, providing cross-border benchmark for response model and prevention practice.

Regional players

• SDIS (Service Départemental d'Incendie et de Secours) - example: SDIS 59: French departmental fire and rescue service. Operates under a separate legal framework (France) but provides an international peer reference for volunteer/professional mixed staffing, prevention services, and SEVESO-equivalent (ICPE) industrial response.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hulpverleningszone-zuid-west-limburg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hulpverleningszone Zuid-West Limburg