[en] In the models for energetic heavy ion reactions it is assumed that during the reaction a hot and dense nuclear matter, a fireball is formed from all or a part of nucleons of the target and projectile nuclei. The process is similar to the chemical processes leading to dynamical equilibrium. The relaxation times necessary to establish ''chemical'' equilibrium among different hadrons in hot, dense hadronic matter is deducted in a statistical model. Consequences for heavy ion collisions are discussed. The possibility of Bose-Einstein pion condensation around the break-up time of the nuclear fireball is pointed out. (D.P.)