10 Dec Cameroon joins global fire and rescue leaders at Baku conference

Baku has hosted the 26th International Conference of Heads of Fire and Rescue Services of the International Sport Federation of Firefighters and Rescuers (ISFFR), with Cameroon representing Africa among more than 20 participating countries. The event, running from 2–6 December 2025, brought together over 100 delegates to review the federation’s activities, assess recent competitions and set priorities for the next cycle of international fire and rescue sport.​

Official information lists Cameroon alongside Germany, Austria, Belarus, Bulgaria, China, the Czech Republic, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Latvia, Mongolia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia and Vietnam, as well as representatives of partner companies. Representatives from Türkiye and Kyrgyzstan are taking part via videoconference, extending the conference’s reach beyond those physically present in Azerbaijan.​

The opening of the conference was attended by Azerbaijan’s Minister of Emergency Situations, Colonel General Kamaladdin Heydarov, ISFFR President and Colonel General of the Internal Service Alexander Chupriyan, and Uzbekistan’s Minister of Emergency Situations Botir Kudratkhodjaev, together with other senior officials. On the sidelines, Minister Heydarov and Alexander Chupriyan held bilateral discussions on strengthening cooperation between the Azerbaijani Ministry of Emergency Situations and the federation.​

According to ISFFR documentation, the XXVI International Conference is dedicated to discussing the state and development of the federation’s work, deepening international cooperation and planning the organisation of world championships and other international fire and rescue sport competitions scheduled for 2026. The federation’s events and news channels indicate that these championships form a core mechanism for enhancing physical readiness, teamwork and operational skills among firefighters and rescuers in member countries, including Cameroon.​

For fire and life safety professionals in the wider Middle East and across Africa, Cameroon’s participation in Baku underlines how African services are engaging in international fire and rescue sport as a structured tool for skills development, benchmarking and cooperation. Lessons learned and relationships built through this platform can support improved training regimes, shared standards and joint initiatives that strengthen response capabilities in both African and Middle Eastern fire and civil defence organisations.