Albemarle Employees Follow Families’ Firefighting Tradition for 40 Years

April 10, 2025

Frank Busch and Volker Wiese have been friends since childhood, as both of their fathers worked at the Albemarle plant in Langelsheim, Germany, and were part of the site’s fire department. 

Albemarle's production plant in Langelsheim, situated on the northern edge of the Harz Mountains in Lower Saxony, produces butyllithium, lithium chloride, lithium hydrides, cesium and other special metals. As part of the company’s commitment to safety, each global plant has an in-house fire department run by employee volunteers.

Today, Busch works as a safety professional, and Wiese is a maintenance technician—and they have both been part of the plant’s fire department for 40 years.

When Busch and Wiese were just 10 years old, they were inspired to join the youth fire department in their hometown. At 16 (in 1982), they became active members of the Langelsheim volunteer fire department. 

Both men completed their vocational training as energy system electronics technicians at our Langelsheim plant between 1981 and 1985. After completing their training, they joined our plant’s fire department in 1985. 

Busch took over as head of the plant fire department in 1997, and Wiese became his deputy in 1999. They have led this group for more than 25 years, bringing knowledge they learned and expanded on since childhood to active firefighting work. 

“During this time, we have learned to trust each other and to be able to rely on each other at all times, especially in difficult situations,” Busch said, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some of their favorite memories have come from their camaraderie with their teammates. In 1972, the plant management provided the plant fire department with a piece of land, the so-called “leisure area,” on the edge of the plant site in Langelsheim. Since then, the team and their families have been meeting here in their free time for fellowship.

“Here, the comrades can exchange ideas, process difficult events and recharge their batteries for new challenges,” Busch said. 

In March, Busch and Wiese received special thanks from Langelsheim leadership for their dedication and hard work. Among the well-wishers at the event were Albemarle Germany leaders, site management nearby companies and local fire chiefs.