Managing wildfires: CESI supports new EU strategy

In its Strategy, the European Commission proposes an integrated approach covering prevention, preparedness, response and recovery. It suggests stronger ecosystem-based prevention, better risk assessment, more citizen preparedness, improved monitoring through the Copernicus Emergency Management Service (CEMS) and further AI-supported tools, and expanded EU firefighting capacity through 12 additional planes and 5 helicopters under rescEU. It is also announces to support the establishment of a European firefighting hub in Cyprus and to release a proposal for a Council Recommendation on integrated wildfire risk management.

From the perspective of CESI and its member trade union representing firefighting personnel across EU Member State, the intention to better collect data on long-term health risks for firefighters, including exposure to dangerous conditions and toxic substances, is encouraging. CESI has for long been advocated better:

• better occupational health monitoring,

• improved exposure tracking

• enhanced protective equipment

• adapted staffing and working time rules

• enhanced recognition of occupational illnesses

• improved compensation and rehabilitation rights

The newly launched Strategy stresses the importance of pre-positioning firefighters, better exchanging experts, expanding rescEU capacity, and creating a training and readiness hub. CESI supports related investment in public civil protection services, better workforce planning, and stronger cross-border cooperation without substituting stable public staffing with ad hoc emergency responses.

The European Commission further emphasises the need of a “culture of preparedness”, including training, education staff involvement, youth programmes, volunteering and expert exchange. CESI is in line with the closely related initiative of the European Commission on crisis preparedness and its whole-of-society-approach, arguing that preparedness must also include structured professional training, continuous upskilling and a better recognition of the highly specialised skills of firefighters, first responders, forestry personnel and other exposed workers.

CESI Secretary General Klaus Heeger said: “CESI welcomes the Strategy and its link to the portfolio of the Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness Roxana Mînzatu. This is a clear acknowledgement that wildfire preparedness is not just about equipment, but also about the people delivering protection from fires – frontline workers and support services. making link between resilience and quality jobs, safe staffing levels, fair pay, proper contracts and social protection for emergency and land-management workers is absolutely necessary.”

CESI also underlines the importance of involving social partners in the implementation of the Strategy. A whole-of-society approach must include those who represent the workers directly affected by wildfire prevention, response and recovery. Social dialogue has a key role to play in shaping effective and fair solutions.

Alain Laratta, Secretary General of the French Firefighters trade union Avenir Secours and as Vice-President of the CESI Academy, noted: “The European Commission’s initiative is encouraging, but it is not enough. It must more systematically address issues of staff shortages, proper training, and strengthened occupational health and safety standards. Resilience cannot be built without firefighters on the front line. Across Europe, they face longer fire seasons, more dangerous conditions, and growing physical and mental strain, yet their working conditions remain too often overlooked.”

CESI stresses that if Europe is serious about resilience, it must invest in firefighters. They are not a secondary element of civil protection; they are its foundation. Europe must lead in coordinating concrete action: supporting research and innovation, financing projects on drones, water substitutes, fire retardants, command systems, building a European-financed aerial fleet, and creating a task force of at least 500 firefighters to respond to disasters across the continent.

*** Through its annual Firefighters’ Day, CESI has consistently highlighted the need for greater investment in the firefighting profession.***

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