FIRE21 - The risk landscape

FIRE21 is a four-year project that investigates problem-solving in the Fire and Rescue Service in the 21^st century. The research is organized into five different work packages.

Presentation of the research in FIRE21

Work package 3 is led by Frank Markert, DTU Technical University of Denmark. The group includes members from Lund University in Sweden as well as from RISE Fire Research AS in Norway.

The risk landscape of today and tomorrow

The research in work package 3 compares the risk landscape of today with that of the future. It also maps the available tools and methods to predict future emergency scenarios. The picture is seen from a global point of view with an emphasis on risks experienced in the Nordic and European countries.

Climate change causes challenges

One of the primary factors causing challenges for the Fire and Rescue Service is climate change. Climate change causes direct impact in terms of severe storms, flooding, heavy rains, and very dry summers. Over time, this can for example lead to increased vulnerability to landslides and forest fires. These emergencies require many resources and demand coordination of the Fire Rescue Services both locally and nationally as well as across European countries.

Indirect challenges from climate change

Climate change is a strong motor for technological innovations changing our infrastructure and daily lives. This may at the same time introducing not yet-recognized emerging risks. So, also indirectly, climate change causes potential challenges for Fire and Rescue Services. One example of this development is the wider use of sustainable materials in new buildings. Another example is the change in power supply for the transport sector, where batteries and fuel cell technologies are more widely used.

New solutions alter the nature of incidents

The introduction of new solutions may alter the nature of incidents for the Fire and Rescue Service in the future. In the long run, this means new challenges that are not yet fully known to the Fire and Rescue Service.

The research of work package 3

In this context, work package 3 in FIRE21 is now establishing a picture of today´s risk landscape as a benchmark to compare future risks to. The national risk profiles for Sweden, Norway and Denmark have been evaluated and accompanied using an analysis of trends in statistical data. The work will be summarized in a report that will be published in 2022.

Report gives overview of recognized risks

The result of the coming report will provide both an overview and a comparison of the recognized risks for the Fire and Rescue Services in Sweden, Denmark, and Norway. The report will also show how the knowledge about present and future challenges is implemented.

The purpose of the report

The goal of work package 3 is to understand recognized risks and the national risk landscapes in the three participating countries. Further, the research will also clarify the countries' different ways of preparing for present and emergent risks. A spin-off from this work will be the opportunity for first responders from the three participating countries to exchange ideas and knowledge in support of incident response in the future.

Responsible for work package 3: Frank Markert, DTU Denmark.

Back to overview of the work packages in FIRE21.
 

FIRE21 start page