Firefighting conference to be held in Europe in October

Hosted in Northern Europe for the first time, the event will provide an opportunity to share best practice between new and mature markets. The new venue boasts modern event facilities for a dedicated conference, exhibition, and private workshops, as well as opportunities for static displays.

Chaired by Professor Johann Georg Goldammer, Director of Germany’s Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC), the two-day conference will take place at a time when the current pandemic – unprecedented in recent history – and the increasingly noticeable impacts of climate change are challenging Europe and the world. Over the last few years, Europe’s natural and cultural landscapes – including the society living therein – have become increasingly vulnerable to wildfires.

European countries need to adjust to new reality

Central and Northern European countries need to adjust to a new reality. This has led to a call for sharing expertise with other regions of Europe and the world, where experience in fire management methods has evolved over decades. The conference will provide a forum for exchanging expertise and visions for the future of landscape fire management. Conference contributions from Europe and North America will address the advances in technology development and the integration of aerial resources into concepts of building sustainable integrated fire management.

Lessons identified during cross-boundary cooperation in fire management in Europe during the peak of the pandemic are another theme of the conference. Representatives of the European Commission will present the opportunities for sharing aerial firefighting resources in the frame of the rescEU agenda, which is an activity of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. The aim of rescEU is to strengthen European preparedness for disasters and sharing capacities to respond to forest fires, medical emergencies or chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear incidents. In terms of wildfire-related information – early warning and monitoring of wildfires – the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) provides support to rescEU.

Meeting face to face with clients

The conference will also shed light on special problems of fire management: Europe is bearing extended landscapes that are contaminated by the heritage of armed conflicts – unexploded ordnance stemming from the World Wars, the Cold War and other recent conflicts. In addition, fires burning on territories contaminated by industrial waste or accidents, including radioactively contaminated areas of Eastern Europe, pose a special threat to society and fire and rescue personnel.

Aerial Firefighting Europe 2021 will include a dedicated exhibition area that will offer the aerial firefighting technology providers a much-needed opportunity to meet face-to-face with new and existing clients and showcase their products to the global audience. Confirmed participants include DynCorp International LLC, Viking Air Limited, Conair Aerial Firefighting, Perimeter Solutions, Fireboss LLC, Antavia Ametek, Columbia Helicopters, Inc., Overwatch Imaging, Airtelis, Ansett Aviation, Collins Aerospace and Heli Austria GmbH among many others.

Over 816,000 rescues and sorties are performed every year countering fires across Europe, and the resources required to fight fires are as diverse as the landscape. Aerial assets are key to successful firefighting efforts, as AirMed&Rescue identified.