18 young firefighters from across Europe gathered in Warsaw for the first UCPM Exchange of Young Firefighters. Over six days, they trained together, shared operational experience, and explored European civil protection cooperation, building lasting connections that strengthen future cross-border emergency response.
Eighteen young firefighters from Member and Participating States of the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM), namely Malta, Spain, Estonia, Latvia, the Netherlands, Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Luxembourg, the Czech Republic, France, Sweden, Greece, Germany, Poland, Iceland and Serbia, gathered in Warsaw, Poland, from 29 June to 4 July 2026 for the first UCPM Exchange of Young Firefighters.
Building on a pilot exchange organised in France in 2025, this first pan-European edition aimed to familiarise young firefighters with European civil protection cooperation at an early stage of their careers, while fostering a network of peers to strengthen exchange and cooperation.
Throughout an intensive six-day programme, participants combined technical training with discussions on European civil protection cooperation. They took part in technical search and rescue exercises, visited the Fire University's specialised medical rescue, chemical rescue and hydromechanics laboratories, exchanged ideas on youth engagement in preparedness, and explored the future of European emergency response, and were introduced to Poland's new rescEU CBRN Detection, Sampling, Identification and Monitoring (DSIM) module, which is expected to become operational later this year.
For many participants, the interactive workshop on the UCPM was their first opportunity to look beyond their national fire service and understand how European civil protection cooperation works in practice.
A participant from Malta reflected on what the European dimension meant for a small island state. "Sometimes Malta can feel quite isolated from the rest of Europe. This week reminded me that there is a whole European community ready to support one another whenever it is needed."
Led by DG ECHO's Claire Kowalewski together with Polish UCPM expert Grzegorz Borowiec, the session combined operational experience with practical scenario exercises on floods and wildfires. Rather than focusing solely on structures and procedures, participants explored how international deployments are coordinated, how interoperability is achieved in practice, and what opportunities the UCPM may offer later in their careers.
Claire Kowalewski, a former firefighter who has been working in DG ECHO for more than ten years, stressed that the greatest value of the exchange extends beyond the classroom.
Knowledge is important, but the real added value is the network they are building here. They are exchanging ideas, comparing ways of working and learning from one another. Those connections will stay with them throughout their careers.
Those relationships may one day have a direct operational impact, she reflects: "If you already know the people and the firefighting cultures you will work with during an international deployment, cooperation becomes much easier. That starts here."
The workshop also introduced participants to opportunities within the UCPM that many had never heard about before. "I knew the host country played an important role during international deployments, but I had never heard about liaison officers or the different training opportunities for this position. It's definitely something I want to explore in the future," one participant said.
A workshop on youth engagement in population preparedness facilitated a rich exchange on how firefighters engage with citizens and strengthen awareness of risks and threats. Participants compared awareness campaigns, school-based educational programmes led by firefighters, emergency preparedness guidance, and community outreach initiatives from their respective countries. Discussions highlighted how children learn basic first aid skills from an early age in some countries, while in others partnerships with petrol stations or other businesses help improve access to emergency preparedness kits. The exchange also explored the challenges of spontaneous volunteers, the use of social media to reach young people, public warning systems, and the challenge of “alert fatigue”.
Beyond preparedness, participants reflected on the diversity of civil protection systems across Europe. They compared recruitment pathways, training models, the role of civil protection within national administrations, and, more broadly, the position of women in the profession, which still varies significantly between countries.
One participant summarised the experience:
I was surprised by how much I learned from the other firefighters. I found myself writing down ideas every chance I got because there was so much I wanted to take back home.
Director-General of DG ECHO, Maciej Popowski joined the closing ceremony, underlining the importance of investing in young professionals as the future of European civil protection.
"Preparedness starts with people. It is about connections, relationships, and trust. And this is what you have achieved here this week: you have begun building a network of young firefighters that strengthens our resilience across Europe," he said.
Reflecting on the role of the UCPM Exchange for Young Firefighters in fostering cross-border cooperation, he added: "Wherever firefighters go under the umbrella of the Union Civil Protection Mechanism, they operate as one big European team. It works because they know each other, they study together, they train together, and they are in action together. This is European solidarity at its best."
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