COLUMBIA, Md. — Fire service leaders and researchers will meet monthly to share findings and discuss fire safety challenges through international working groups supported by UL Research Institutes’ Fire Safety Research Institute.
The eight groups, called Communities of Practice (CoP), continue collaboration between the biennial World Fire Congress gatherings. Their 2026–2028 work will include sharing training approaches, comparing lessons from incidents and discussing how research can inform fire service operations, the institute said in a press release.
The initiative builds on the inaugural World Fire Congress in Washington, D.C., in 2024. The second congress brought representatives from more than 60 nations to London on Sept. 8–9, 2026.
“The inaugural World Fire Congress and Communities of Practice (CoP) in 2024 established the foundation for sustained and collaborative knowledge exchange, and ULRI is honored to build on that foundation,” World Fire Congress founder and chief fire safety strategist for the Fire Safety Research Institute Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell said. “Drawing on more than a century of fire research and leadership, ULRI is bringing its scientific rigor into the global conversation, ensuring the dialogue is grounded in evidence over anecdote.”
The event let fire services worldwide share knowledge, align on emerging risks and turn research into practice across borders. Through ULRI, members gain access to an international network, best practices and researchers working on issues like lithium-ion battery safety, EV fire risk and climate adaptation.
The CoPs will work to accelerate progress on critical issues:
- Climate-Driven Large-Scale Events
- Emerging Technology and Artificial Intelligence
- Data: The Foundation of Evidence-Driven Fire Services
- Fire in Low- and Middle-Income Nations
- Firefighting: Tactics and Training
- Firefighter Health and Safety
- Women in the Fire Service
- Fire and Civil Defense in Conflict and Hostile Environments
The World Fire Congress is led by an international steering committee, including the host nation, and supported by the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association (Metro Chiefs) as its Secretariat, a section of the National Fire Protection Association and the International Association of Fire Chiefs. The secretariat provides continuity between Congresses and supports international collaboration between events.
The next World Fire Congress will be hosted by Dubai Civil Defence in the United Arab Emirates in February 2028.
