World Fire Congress advances global fire service collaboration through new Secretariat and research framework

NFPA and IAFC to support Secretariat function; UL Research Institutes to provide learning, research, and global insight efforts

QUINCY, Mass., June 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The World Fire Congress (WFC) has named the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association (Metro Chiefs), a section of the National Fire Protection Association^® (NFPA^®) and the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), to serve as its Secretariat, establishing a long-term coordination and continuity framework designed to strengthen global collaboration across the fire and emergency services profession.

The Secretariat structure will provide continuity between Congresses, preserve institutional knowledge, support host-nation coordination, and strengthen sustained international engagement on emerging fire and life safety challenges.

"It is an honor for the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association to serve as the Secretariat for the World Fire Congress," said Otto Drozd III, Executive Secretary of Metro Chiefs. "What is being established through this partnership is far more than operational coordination for a single event. It is the long-term infrastructure designed to support continuity, global engagement, and sustained collaboration for future Congresses and the international fire and emergency services community. With the support of NFPA and IAFC, combined with the research and learning efforts being advanced through UL Research Institutes' Fire Safety Research Institute, the World Fire Congress is building a strong and enduring foundation capable of supporting global cooperation for generations to come."

The World Fire Congress is a biennial global forum that brings together fire and emergency service leaders to strengthen international cooperation, share knowledge, and advance evidence-informed dialogue on evolving fire and life safety challenges impacting communities worldwide. Topics include firefighter health and safety, climate-driven disasters, structural fires, wildfires, emerging technologies, prevention, response, recovery, and resilience.

The 2026 World Fire Congress will take place September 8-9, 2026, at the QEII Conference Centre in Westminster, London, hosted by the United Kingdom and organized by the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC).

"Hosting the 2026 World Fire Congress in London is a significant moment for UK fire and rescue," said Phil Garrigan, Chair of the National Fire Chiefs Council. "It provides a unique opportunity to bring together leaders, practitioners, and partners from across the world to share experience, learn from one another, and build lasting relationships. This year's Congress comes at a time when the challenges facing fire and rescue services are evolving rapidly. Wildfires, flooding, and natural disasters are becoming more frequent, and incidents are increasingly complex, placing firefighters on the front line of global resilience efforts. Bringing the global fire community together allows us to share evidence, innovation, and learning at scale. With more than 60 countries already registered to attend, we hope this Congress inspires fresh thinking, practical collaboration, and renewed confidence in the vital role fire and rescue services play in keeping people safe."

In addition to the Secretariat announcement, the World Fire Congress confirmed that UL Research Institutes' Fire Safety Research Institute (ULRI) will support the Congress' learning, research, and insight efforts by developing global Communities of Practice designed to sustain collaboration between Congresses.

"The science of fire is universal. What burns in London burns the same way in Lagos, São Paulo, or Seoul," said Dr. Steve Kerber, Vice President of Fire Safety at ULRI. "What differs is access: access to data, to research, to technology, and to the resources that turn knowledge into safer outcomes for firefighters and communities. Whether the challenge is climate disasters, emerging technologies and AI, building fire response infrastructure, protecting firefighter health, or advancing women in the fire service, the path forward runs through research shared across borders. UL Research Institutes is committed to helping power this global network to impact the future of fire safety."

Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell, former U.S. Fire Administrator, and Chief Fire Safety Strategist at ULRI, emphasized the importance of continual international cooperation.

"Having had the privilege to Chair and convene the inaugural World Fire Congress in Washington D.C. in 2024 — and now returning to London as part of UL Research Institutes' Fire Safety Research Institute — I am proud to carry that work forward through the WFC Communities of Practice," said Moore-Merrell. "No single nation can solve the challenges the fire service faces alone; it requires us to come together around a global table to share knowledge and expertise to make a difference."

Dubai, United Arab Emirates is scheduled to host the Congress in 2028, and proposals are currently being accepted for prospective host nations for 2030.

The World Fire Congress is led by a steering committee that includes the Asociación Mexicana de Jefes de Bomberos; the Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council; the Federation of European Fire Officers; the International Association of Fire and Rescue Services; the National Fire Chiefs Council, the Organización de Bomberos Americanos; and in the United States through the collaborative leadership of the National Fire Protection Association and the International Association of Fire Chiefs.

For more information about the World Fire Congress, visit worldfirecongress.org.

About the World Fire Congress

The World Fire Congress is a biennial global forum focused on strengthening international cooperation, knowledge sharing, and evidence-informed dialogue on fire and life safety challenges facing communities worldwide. Guided by its founding principles, the Congress brings together fire and emergency service leaders, researchers, and partners to advance collaboration on firefighter health and safety, wildfires, structural fires, emerging technologies, prevention, response, recovery, and resilience. For more information, visit worldfirecongress.org.

About the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association

The Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association (Metro Chiefs) is a section of the National Fire Protection Association^® and the International Association of Fire Chiefs and serves as an international forum for sharing knowledge, advancing best practices, and strengthening fire and life safety. Founded in 1965, Metro brings together senior fire service leaders from major metropolitan fire departments to address the complex challenges facing large-city and global fire and emergency services. The Metro Chiefs also serve as the Secretariat of the World Fire Congress. For more information, visit the Metro Chiefs' website.

About Fire Safety Research Institute

UL Research Institutes' Fire Safety Research Institute advances fire science and fire safety knowledge to reduce risk, save lives, and protect property. We conduct rigorous research, outreach, and education in collaboration with the fire service, fire safety professionals, policymakers, communities, and an international network of partners. Together, we develop tools, resources, and strategies that improve fire safety outcomes worldwide. To learn more, visit fsri.org. Follow FSRI on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

SOURCE National Fire Protection Association, Inc.