The CTIF Delegates Assembly took place on 23 July in the Czech city of Ostrava, alongside the International CTIF Fire Brigades and Youth Fire Brigades Competitions. The Assembly meets once every year to decide on the main policies, actions and projects to be carried out by CTIF, and was attended by around 100 Delegates from 29 countries. The meeting was opened by Miroslav Štěpán, President of the Czech CTIF National Committee and Director of the Czech Fire and Rescue Service, whom CTIF President Walter Egger warmly thanked for the help and support of the Czech fire brigades during the competitions and the many events organised all along the week.

Election of the CTIF Treasurer
Laurent Wehrli was unanimously re-elected as CTIF Treasurer for a four-year term. He is the President of the Swiss and Liechtenstein Fire Fighters Federations. “It is a real pleasure to work in an international environment. I joined the CTIF Executive Committee in 2005 and I have learned many things, from a professional but also from a personal point of view. My work for CTIF is focused on managing our association’s finances, but it is also important for me as a volunteer fire fighter to make our voices heard and to share our experiences. That’s the aim of CTIF’s expert permanent commissions. We also try to respond as best as we can to our member countries’ needs by creating working groups on issues that are important to all of us, like volunteering or education and training.”

The Delegates officially welcomed CTIF’s host country to Ostrava: JapanOver the past months, CTIF has developed strong links with the Japanese Fire Fighters Volunteer Association. The association’s Director General Mr. Akimoto expressed his great honour to have the opportunity to greet the CTIF Delegates. “I feel that the fire fighters’ mission of protecting people’s lives and property seems to be common in the world, even if the policies and systems are different from one country to the other, and even if we live far from each other.” In Japan, there are 160,000 career fire fighters and 900,000 volunteer fire fighters, but also 420,000 boys and girls between 10 and 15 years old involved in 5,300 “junior fire fighting clubs”. Two of these clubs were also invited to participate in the CTIF competitions in Ostrava.

Four new members have joined CTIF
The Delegates Assembly voted in favour of the membership of Iran as a new ordinary CTIF member country and of three associate members: Sperian - a French company specialising in individual protection equipments – Nairobi Fire & Rescue Ltd. – a company working on community safety based in Kenya - and @fire – a German association involved in wildfire fire fighting and international help.

CTIF: the world’s largest “meeting place” for fire fighters 
Beside the Delegates Assembly, CTIF offers many opportunities for its members to exchange and debate: the CTIF Europe and Fire Prevention commissions held meetings on 21 and 22 July in Ostrava. The Hazardous Materials Commission will have its autumn meeting in Bulgaria in September as well as the Fire Fighters Health Service Commission from 3 to 6 September in Saint-Petersburg, Russia. The CTIF History Commission will hold its traditional conference from 30 September to 2 October in Pribyslav, Czech Republic. The CTIF Youth Leaders will meet in Manchester, UK, from 9 to 11 October to draw a balance of the Ostrava competitions. On 16 October, CTIF National Committees’ representatives will get the opportunity to continue the debate led by the volunteer fire fighting working group in Saint-Etienne, France. And finally, the newly created working group on training and education will hold its first meeting by the end of the year. CTIF will also be involved in the international exhibition Interschutz in June 2010 in Leipzig, Germany: the International Association of Fire and Rescue Services will have a stand there to promote its activities and will hold its Delegates Assembly 2010 at the same time to enable exchanges between its members and the exhibitors.

Download the Powerpoint presentation on the current work and activities of CTIF commissions by clicking on the document below, and click on the pictures to view them in full size!

(photos by Marco Haupenthal / Deutscher Feuerwehrverband)

CTIF Delegates Assembly 2009 - Commission Reports