Berlin: International fire brigade competitions 2026 canceled due to lack of money!

Berlin: International fire brigade competitions 2026 canceled due to lack of money!

The anticipation for the international fire brigade competitions 2026 in Berlin has gone abruptly. The Berlin fire brigade announced on June 18, 2025 with a press release that the competitions will be canceled due to lack of money. This decision is particularly unfortunate because the event was to take place on the occasion of the 175th anniversary of the Berlin fire brigade, the oldest and largest professional fire brigade in Germany. Although they had hoped for oral support commitments from federal politics, they were not implemented in the necessary financing. The dream of more than 3,500 firefighters from 30 countries who wanted to come to Berlin remains unfulfilled for the time being. This reports rbb24 .

The cancellation of the international fire brigade competitions is not only disappointing, but also a setback for the entire fire brigade community. The competitions, which were originally prepared in cooperation with the German Fire Brigade Association (DFV) since 2023, had offered an excellent opportunity to strengthen the fire brigades' specialist networks and win new talents. The disciplines that were on the program included, among other things, "hook ladder climbing" and "fire -fighting attack wet", and also tasks such as transport technical devices, climbing over obstacles and water extinguishing exercises. These competitive formats are not only a test stone for the skills of the firefighters, but also a platform to promote cohesion and solidarity within the fire brigade, such as Tagesspiegel Reported.

A review of past competitions

The last international fire brigade competitions took place in Berlin in 1993. Then as now, the competition should offer the opportunity to exchange and measure intensively. In the years in between, the competitions took place every four years, most recently in Slovenia in 2022. Thomas Reuter, who has headed competitions in the German Fire Brigade Association since March 2023, has also participated in several competitions in the past and knows the importance of such events from his own experience. He has been active in the fire brigade since 1992 and brings a long tradition of competitions, which makes the loss of the upcoming event even more painful. In his role, he also took part in major international events and German fire brigade championships, as the fire brigade association describes.

A glimmer of hope remains: The cancellation of the competition could perhaps be an impetus for future financing in order to continue to carry out such events in Berlin. It remains to be seen whether and where the competitions in 2026 are actually taking place. Many in the fire brigade are looking forward to a quick clarification of this question, because the community not only needs challenges, but also successes in order to develop further. The Berlin fire brigade definitely has a good hand for the organization of such highlights, which shows the review of the past few years. It is now due to politics and the associations to set the course for the future so that the fire brigade can continue to shine and in competition, as the tradition of the fire brigade demands.