As AI becomes more prominent in civil protection, building the skills and confidence to use it effectively is essential. Institutions such as the École Nationale Supérieure des Officiers de Sapeurs-Pompiers (ENSOSP) play a key role in this effort, examining how AI can support firefighter training, strengthen preparedness, and improve coordination across Europe’s fire and rescue services.
The École Nationale Supérieure des Officiers de Sapeurs-Pompiers (ENSOSPopens in new tab) — France’s national firefighter school — trains 31,000 professional and volunteer fire and rescue officers for leadership, operational command, crisis management, and response to technological risks. In recent years, the school has also become a hub for research and innovation, exploring how artificial intelligence can strengthen firefighter training and preparedness across France and Europe.
“Our work focuses on understanding how AI can support learning, operational planning, and decision-making — without losing sight of the human factor,” explains Quentin Brot, Head of the Innovation Division at ENSOSP’s Department of Research, Innovation and Foresight.
ENSOSP is testing how AI and digital simulation can help train officers to manage complex, fast-evolving scenarios. Through Virtual Reality (VR), trainees can experience large-scale incidents in real time — from industrial fires to multi-hazard crises — while safely practising command and coordination under pressure.
“AI allows us to recreate highly realistic conditions,” says Brot. “It helps trainees anticipate events, analyse risks, and test decisions in dynamic situations that would be too dangerous or costly to reproduce in the field.”
These tools also support instructors by providing insights into how trainees react under stress — tracking decision speed, communication patterns, and situational awareness. This data is used to adapt teaching methods, improve decision-support skills, and strengthen cognitive resilience in crisis situations.
Technology can help us prepare better, but professional judgement, experience, and teamwork will always remain at the heart of effective response.
Soon, virtual reality will be combined with AI to enhance the realism and accuracy of training scenarios. This type of solution is already being deployed for certain online courses offered by the school. AI makes it possible to adapt its responses to the learner’s level.
One of the key objectives for ENSOSP is therefore to leverage this data using AI to generate more accurate scenarios and better support trainees in their learning process.
ENSOSP is actively contributing to European discussions on the use of AI in civil protection training, promoting ethical guidelines and interoperability between institutions. The school’s objective is to ensure that future officers can both operate and critically assess AI-based tools — understanding their capabilities, limits, and implications for command structures.
Through this approach, ENSOSP bridges the gap between technological innovation and practical field experience, preparing Europe’s fire and rescue officers to use artificial intelligence as a tool that enhances — rather than replaces — human expertise and decision-making.
The Knowledge Network editorial team is here to share the news and stories of the Knowledge Network community. We'd love to hear your news, events and personal stories about your life in civil protection and disaster risk management. If you've got a story to share, please contact us.