In December 2024, the CERN Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) and Geneva Airport’s Fire and Rescue Service (Service de Sauvetage et de Lutte contre les Incendies Aéroportuaires– SSLIA) signed a collaboration agreement to enhance their training and preparedness.
The collaboration enables both teams to train in realistic fire scenarios at each other’s facilities – the CFRS at the airport and the SSLIA at CERN’s Prévessin training facilities.
By sharing their expertise, the CFRS and SSLIA will gain new perspectives and enhance their knowledge and practical skills, thus building a strong relationship and being better prepared for both planned and unforeseen challenges.
The exchange fosters skill development through exposure to new environments and diverse training methods. It provides the firefighting teams from both organisations with opportunities for joint training on techniques such as compartmental firefighting, fire behaviour analysis, search and rescue, and suppression techniques using simulators. The proximity of the two organisations to each other makes this partnership not just practical but also sustainable, with minimal travel needed.
This new agreement builds on existing frameworks in place, notably a tripartite agreement with the Service départemental d’incendie et de secours (SDIS) in France and the Service d’incendie et de secours in Switzerland for firefighter training, and an agreement with the Hôpitaux universitaires de Genève (HUG) for medical emergencies. These agreements strengthen the Organization’s ties with the Host States in relation to fire and rescue efforts and generate increased regional visibility and recognition for the expertise of the CFRS. Another collaboration, with the local company DSM-Firmenich, is also under discussion with a view to exchanging know-how and practices in the context of hazardous materials training.