On the occasion of St Florian’s Day, the annual celebration honouring the patron saint of firefighters, CERN’s Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) welcomed four new firefighters – part of this year’s new intake – to its diverse team of 15+ nationalities, alongside two state-of-the-art vehicles. The ceremony was attended by CERN’s Director-General, as well as representatives from local company Firmenich, Geneva Airport’s Fire and Rescue Service (Service de Sauvetage et de Lutte contre les Incendies Aéroportuaires – SSLIA) and the fire services of both Geneva (Service Incendie Secours – SIS) and the department of Ain (SDIS 01), marking a significant moment for safety at CERN.

The new first response emergency vehicle (FREV) and fire engine are tailored to CERN’s unique needs. Both are equipped with COBRA ColdCut units, an advanced extinguishing system that uses ultra-high-pressure water jets to penetrate materials in seconds, making it highly effective for both structural and electric vehicle fires, as well as for both surface and underground interventions. In addition to traditional firefighting tools, both vehicles carry specialised equipment, such as car extrication tools, rope rescue gear, water leak management tools and equipment for dealing with hazardous and radiological incidents. The fire engine is also fitted with a mobile compressed-air foam (CAFS) system.

Designed in the UK using components from across Europe and featuring a new, highly visible livery, these vehicles are the result of two and half years of collaboration, overcoming supply chain hurdles and customs checks. Their arrival marks a significant milestone in the CFRS’s ongoing mission to protect the CERN community and infrastructure.