Fire chiefs and senior fire service leaders from Australia, Canada, Mexico, Slovenia and the United States gathered for the annual Urban Fire Forum in September, hosted by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).
The event examined emerging challenges affecting urban fire services, including artificial intelligence, drone deployment, firefighter wellbeing, workforce sustainability and disaster response.
Fire service guidance adopted
Participants adopted five position statements developed through the Urban Fire Forum and Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association.
The statements address firefighter wellness and fitness, PFAS research, ethical drone deployment, fire chief health and leadership, and the future direction of national fire services.
The guidance aims to support departments responding to technological, operational and workforce challenges.
Artificial intelligence in firefighting
Research presentations explored how artificial intelligence, advanced analytics and emergency communications could improve situational awareness and operational decisions.
Speakers examined the National Emergency Response Information System and its potential to support data collection and analysis.
Discussions also highlighted governance requirements, implementation risks and the importance of maintaining human judgement when adopting artificial intelligence.
Firefighter health and operational resilience
Firefighter wellbeing formed another focus, with presentations addressing PFAS exposure, physical fitness and leadership pressures.
Participants also examined lessons from disaster response, immersive training technologies and the introduction of alternative working schedules.
International representatives shared experiences of technology adoption, workforce management and emerging operational risks.
Supporting future fire service leadership
Otto Drozd III, Executive Secretary of the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association and UFF facilitator, said: “Urban fire chiefs are making decisions today about technologies, workforce models, and community risks that will shape service delivery for years to come.
“The Urban Fire Forum brings chiefs and researchers together to examine opportunities and share their experiences while keeping the health and safety of responders and the communities they serve at the centre of the discussion.”
“Chiefs are making decisions about AI, drones, work schedules, and responder health while managing the daily demands of their departments.
“The Urban Fire Forum continues to distinguish itself by bringing together chief officers, researchers, and industry experts to examine emerging challenges through evidence-based discussion.
“The result is not simply the exchange of ideas, but the development of actionable guidance that departments can use to improve service delivery, firefighter safety, and organisational resilience.”
The Forum concluded that technological innovation should be supported by appropriate policies, training, governance and evaluation.
Its position statements are intended to help fire departments improve operational effectiveness, firefighter safety and organisational resilience.
