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Berlin fire brigade rejoices: 2026 competitions have now been canceled!
The 2026 international fire brigade competitions in Berlin were canceled due to financial bottlenecks. Despite intensive planning, financing was not secured.
Berlin fire brigade rejoices: 2026 competitions have now been canceled!
There is currently great disappointment in the German fire service scene: the international fire service competitions planned for 2026 in Berlin have been canceled. The reason for this is that the necessary financing could not be secured. This was caused not least by the lack of cooperation from federal politicians, who made verbal promises of support but did not keep them. The Berlin fire department itself was also not involved in the decision, as Tagesschau reports.
The Berlin Fire Department originally had big plans for the event to mark its 175th anniversary in 2026. Together with the German Fire Brigade Association (DFV), work has been underway since 2023 on an extensive concept that should have attracted more than 3,500 participants from over 30 countries. The disciplines included “hook ladder climbing” and “wet firefighting attack”, which were intended to not only promote the competitive spirit, but also to strengthen specialist networks and support personnel recruitment.
A hit in the water
The cancellation comes at a particularly bad time for the fire department. The competitions, organized every four years by the Comité Technique International de prevention et d'extinction de Feu (CTIF), had the potential to not only strengthen the fire service itself, but also to increase public interest and the reputation of the fire service. The DFV was unable to secure the necessary financing for implementation, which caused the ambitious plans to collapse.
Another setback for the Berlin fire department is that the last CTIF competitions took place in Berlin in 1993 and the city was very much looking forward to hosting again. With the cancellation, not only are the preparations in jeopardy, but numerous planned activities in the anniversary year also have to be reconsidered. The fire department had big plans to focus on issues such as recruiting and retaining personnel and the resilience of the population, which is now at risk.
Another time in 2026?
The Berlin fire department still hopes that the competitions can take place at a later date or in a different form. “We now have to see what options are available to us,” said a fire department representative. Whether and when the competitions will be rescheduled is still unclear. Preparations for an event of this magnitude cannot be carried out overnight. The expensive competition would have required a whole year of preparation time, which is now simply lost.
The fire brigade scene will follow the developments with interest, because not only the sporting aspect is in demand, but also cohesion within the fire brigade community and the promotion of young talent and commitment to firefighting. Despite current setbacks, it remains exciting to see how the framework conditions for the fire brigade in Berlin and throughout Germany will continue to develop. Who knows, maybe even 2026 will take a positive turn. Until then, the Berlin Fire Department says: Get up, keep going and keep the flame of competition alive!