FIRE-IN

FIRE-IN (Fire and Rescue Innovation Network) is a European project designed to strengthen the innovation capacity of firefighters and first responders across Europe. Its mission is to connect practitioners with researchers, industries, and policymakers to ensure that innovation meets real operational needs.

Firefighters and rescue services face new and evolving challenges: urban fires in complex environments, wildfires intensified by climate change, industrial accidents, terrorist threats, and large-scale natural disasters. FIRE-IN brings together this community to identify shared priorities and capability gaps.

At the heart of the project is the creation of a permanent network of practitioners. Through workshops, surveys, and exchanges, FIRE-IN gathers the experiences of firefighters from across Europe, mapping the most urgent needs in equipment, training, and procedures.

These needs are then matched with existing research and technologies, while also guiding future R&D investment. The project fosters collaboration with universities, research institutes, and industry, ensuring that solutions are both innovative and field-ready.

FIRE-IN also develops a Knowledge Platform, a digital resource that collects best practices, technical solutions, and lessons learned from past incidents. This platform is open to practitioners and decision-makers, helping to spread innovation widely.

By bridging the gap between end-users and innovators, FIRE-IN ensures that new technologies are not developed in isolation but directly respond to the demands of those who save lives daily.

The project’s ambition is to leave a lasting legacy: a European fire and rescue community that is better connected, more innovative, and more resilient in the face of the challenges ahead.