CTIF’s participation in global fire safety events

As reported by CTIF President Milan Dubravac, the International Association of Fire and Rescue Services (CTIF) played an active role in key international events throughout the past year, including COP28, the European Firefighter Summit, and the World Fire Congress.

At COP28, held in December 2023, CTIF joined the International Alliance for Reduction of Fire Emissions, an initiative led by the United Arab Emirates.

This alliance aims to monitor and reduce fire-related emissions globally.

CTIF also provided expertise in environmental protection and statistics.

In April, the European Firefighter Summit took place in Paris, where CTIF supported the idea of a more uniform appearance for firefighters within the European Union.

Additionally, in May, CTIF participated in the first World Fire Congress in Washington, USA.

The Congress, which included participation from around 60 countries, is expected to become a biennial event.

CTIF, as a member of the steering group, seeks to influence the future organisation of this event.

CTIF commissions and working groups activity

Throughout the year, CTIF’s commissions and working groups remained active, primarily through hybrid meetings, allowing wider participation from members.

Significant progress was made with the successful reactivation of three commissions: Fire Investigation, Fire Prevention, and Tunnels.

The CTIF Executive Committee met 20 times online during the year, ensuring the organisation’s smooth operation between annual assemblies.

Some Executive Committee members also attended COP28, the European Firefighter Summit, and the World Fire Congress.

President Dubravac expressed gratitude to these members for their active involvement, emphasising the importance of their contributions to CTIF’s success.

Cooperation with other associations

CTIF maintained and expanded its cooperation with various associations through memorandums of understanding (MoUs) and other collaborative initiatives.

Notably, cooperation with the Organisation of Fire Brigades (OBA) saw the OBA delegating members to several CTIF commissions and working groups, enhancing knowledge exchange.

The collaboration with the Fire Chiefs Council of Europe (FEU) was most intensive within the EU project DIREKTION, where both organisations contributed to providing practitioners’ input.

President Dubravac also highlighted CTIF’s ongoing cooperation with EURO NCAP, the World Rescue Organisation (WRO), and the International Emergency Drone Organisation (IEDO), among others.

Strategic developments and future plans

CTIF is focused on strengthening its National Committees, which President Dubravac described as “the real decision-makers” within the organisation.

To this end, CTIF’s Executive Committee has initiated the formation of a Strategic Board, intended to gather Presidents and heads of national committees to shape the future policies of the organisation.

The first meeting of this board is planned for the end of summer 2024, where future challenges and strategies will be discussed.

The CTIF website has also become a valuable resource, now offering materials in five different languages.

This expansion aligns with CTIF’s goal of providing useful information to firefighters worldwide.

CTIF highlights global collaborations in 2024 annual report: Summary

CTIF’s 2024 annual report, presented by President Milan Dubravac, detailed the organisation’s involvement in major international fire safety events, including COP28, the European Firefighter Summit, and the World Fire Congress.

The report also highlighted the reactivation of key commissions and continued cooperation with various global associations.

Looking ahead, CTIF plans to strengthen its National Committees through the establishment of a Strategic Board and aims to enhance its role in future international fire safety initiatives.

The report emphasised the importance of collaboration and knowledge-sharing in advancing CTIF’s mission.