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13 Nov 2025

11 countries participated in the CTIF Fire Investigation Working Group meeting in Prague, 2025

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The Czech Republic hosted an international meeting with 11 countries present at the CTIF Fire Investigation Working Group from 22 to 24 October 2025 in Prague. 

The event brought together fire investigation experts and representatives from several European countries (Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Greece, Finland, Denmark, Netherlands, Slovenia and Singapore) to exchange knowledge, share best practices, and discuss developments in fire investigation systems.

The meeting officially began after an informal dinner on Wednesday, 22 October, where participants had the opportunity to meet each other, strengthen professional relationships, and discuss expectations for the upcoming sessions in a friendly setting.

 

Thursday, 23 October 2025

The meeting began at the Directorate General of the Fire Rescue Service (FRS) of the Czech Republic, where participants were welcomed by Martin Nekula, Vice-President of CTIF, who officially opened the session.

Following introductions, Jiří Studnička from the Czech Republic gave a presentation on System HAWK, an advanced system supporting fire investigations, followed by Jakub Škoda from the Czech Republic with an overview of the Fire Investigation System in the Czech Republic, highlighting its connection to fire prevention. René Ruusunen from Denmark then gave an insightful presentation on “The Process from the Fire Scene to the Court.”

After a short coffee break, the program continued with Folkert van der Ploeg from the Netherlands, who shared a detailed case study on a Fire in a Large Nursing Home for the Elderly, followed by Dainis Gavarāns from Latvia, who demonstrated techniques for Reconstruction of the Fire Scene.

After lunch, participants visited the Technical Institute of Fire Protection of the FRS of the Czech Republic, where they had the opportunity to explore laboratories, testing facilities, and ongoing research projects. The visit was hosted by the Director of the Institute, Col. Ondřej Suchý.

The afternoon session resumed at the Directorate General with presentations from Hungarian representatives Zoltán Szilcsanov and Péter Nagy, who provided a General Overview of the Hungarian Fire Investigation System and described Hungary’s Fire Investigation Training System and its connection to the Fire Investigation Competition. The final presentation of the day came from Dominykas Čepulis and Raimondas Bagdzevičius from Lithuania, who shared insights into Fire Investigation Practice in Lithuania and the functions of their national Fire Investigation Center.

 

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Friday, 24 October 2025

On the third day, participants were welcomed by Deputy Director General, Major General Petr Ošlejšek, who expressed appreciation for the international collaboration and wished the group a productive meeting.

The morning sessions featured presentations by Giannis Barous and George Vastakis from Greece on the Directorate for Combating Arson Crimes (Hellenic Fire Service), and Henri Porila from Estonia, who presented a Fire Investigation Case – Fatal Residential Fire. 

Participants also connected online with representatives from Singapore, who introduced Singapore’s Fire Investigation System.

Participants then took part in a short excursion to the National Operational and Information Centre of the Directorate General of the FRS of the Czech Republic, where they were introduced to the centre’s key functions and technologies supporting emergency response coordination across the country.

After a short coffee break, the group held vice-chair elections, during which Tiina Kiil (Estonia) was proposed as a candidate to be approved by the CTIF Executive Committee.

The meeting concluded with an open discussion session, addressing topics such as collaboration with other fire investigation groups in Europe, practical aspects of case studies, plans for the next meeting, and the creation of a shared contact list for future cooperation.

 

Strengthening International Cooperation

The three-day event successfully strengthened professional cooperation between fire investigation experts across Europe and beyond. Participants exchanged valuable experiences, explored innovative tools and training systems, and reaffirmed their commitment to improving fire investigation practices and fire safety standards internationally.