CTIF Firefighting Sports Commission: A Brief History and Milestones (2023–2026)

The CTIF Firefighting Sports Commission is one of the newest expert bodies within CTIF, created to strengthen and modernize the international development of Firefighting Sports. 

Its establishment, rapid growth, and early achievements show how quickly this discipline is evolving into a central pillar of CTIF’s competitive activities.

Founding of the Commission

The Delegates Assembly in June 2023 in Vienna formally approved the creation of the Firefighting Sports Commission. Until then, firefighting sport had been part of the broader CTIF Competitions Commission; the separation marked a strategic decision to give the sport its own dedicated leadership, structure, and long‑term development plan.

Zdeněk Nytra (Czechia)—former CTIF Vice President, chief organizer of the 2009 Firefighting Games in Ostrava, and current deputy mayor of the Firefighters’ Association of Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia—was elected as the first chairman.

Thirteen CTIF member countries were nominated official representatives:

Czechia, Bulgaria, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Germany, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia, and Ukraine.

Additional associate members joined from Croatia, Moldova, Austria, and North Macedonia, expanding the commission’s international reach.

Early Activities and Planning (2023–2024)

The commission began its work with an online inaugural meeting in November 2023, setting out its program, objectives, and development priorities.

A second meeting followed on 19 February 2024 in Prague, focusing on the activity plan and the competition calendar. Although no official CTIF competition was held in 2024, several national‑level championships with international participation served as testing grounds for future CTIF events.

Preparing the First European Championship (2024–2025)

The third meeting, held on 2 October 2024 in Varna, Bulgaria, concentrated on preparations for the 1st CTIF European Fire Sports Championship, planned for 2025. Key agenda items included competition rules and the appointment of international referees.

The fourth meeting took place on 25 August 2025 in Dolna Banya, Bulgaria, during the inaugural European Championship. The event featured only adult categories:

• Women (6 teams): Czechia took gold, followed by Ukraine and Germany.
• Men (8 teams): Czechia again won, ahead of Ukraine and Slovakia.

The successful debut confirmed the demand for a structured European‑level competition.

Expansion and Strategic Decisions (2026)

On 18 August 2026, the commission met in Ostrava on the eve of the 2nd CTIF European Firefighting Championship. The main topic was the future rhythm and structure of the championship. After discussion, the majority supported:

• Annual organization, rather than multi‑year intervals
• Four full categories: junior women, junior men, women, and men

The commission also reviewed the status of the Firefighters’ Games, which had been planned for Berlin in 2026 but were cancelled. Instead, three separate events were held:

• Youth Olympics – Šumperk (Czechia)
• Classic disciplines – Eisenstadt (Austria)
• Firefighting Sports– Ostrava (Czechia)

Results of the 2nd European Firefighting Championship (2026)

Held from 17–22 August 2026, the second championship in Ostrava marked a major expansion with all four categories included:

• Junior Women (6 teams): Czechia, Germany, Slovakia
• Junior Men (8 teams): Czechia, Slovakia, Ukraine
• Women (7 teams): Ukraine, Czechia, Germany
• Men (10 teams): Czechia, Slovakia, Bulgaria

More information is available at www.meostrava2026.cz.

See the full photo gallery here: https://shcms.rajce.idnes.cz/

Looking Ahead: 2027 and Beyond

A promising sign for the future came with the announcement that Slovakia has applied to host the 3rd CTIF European Firefighting Championship in 2027. This early interest demonstrates the growing enthusiasm for firefighting sport across Europe and the strengthening role of CTIF in coordinating international development.