KINGSPORT, Tenn. (WJHL) — A firefighter from Munich, Germany visited the Kingsport Fire Department on Monday and the Johnson City Fire Department last week to learn how responding to emergencies differs around the world.

Andreas Rieter told News Channel 11 that while visiting friends in the Tri-Cities, he took the opportunity to tour and learn from local fire stations.

“And so it was a great experience last week in Johnson City, where I had the chance to visit different fire stations,” he said. “And also today in Kingsport to see how they do things and what are the differences or what is the same, to meet new people. I really enjoy that firefighters are a big family all over the world, for sure.”

Rieter said one difference he’s noticed is the physical response to calls. He said although the methodology is different, fire departments around the globe seek the same result: helping as many people as they can.

“One of the major different things is that you respond with more trucks, [of] course, than we do, but we have more people on the trucks. So it is nearly the same when you arrive on scene. So your trucks are much bigger and look cooler than our German ones.”

He said he was able to ride along with the JCFD to a house fire last week, where he learned multitudes about a Tennessee fireman’s daily work life.

“The last week in a chance, there was a structure fire over a residential house. I was able to be there also on scene and the district chief showed me around and asked me how we do things and I got the chance to ask him right on scene, ‘why is firefighters doing exactly this and that?’ And it was interesting to see some small differences, but all in all, it is the same tactic that we use in Germany.”