The vfdb's specialist units are represented on the Technical and Scientific Advisory Board (TAB). A significant amount of detailed technical work for protection, rescue and safety is carried out in the 14 technical divisions and the ad hoc groups. More than 250 experts from various fields, research institutes and universities, fire brigades and relief organisations, authorities, insurance companies and engineering offices work here on a voluntary basis. In the divisions, the documents of the vfdb (guidelines, leaflets, technical reports, memoranda) are prepared on specialist topics jointly identified in the TWB. The TWB advises the Presidium of the vfdb on technical-scientific issues, coordinates the work of the units and is the contact for the basic orientation of the vfdb on all technical-scientific topics of protection, rescue and safety. The TWB submits proposals to the Presidium for the topics of scientific symposia, in particular for the design of the technical programme of the annual symposium, of international symposia and other technical events.