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Can trains be separated under incident conditions?

In our officer courses, it is often suggested that if a train fire breaks out in a tunnel, the part of the train that is not on fire should be uncoupled and pulled out into the open. This magazine article explains why this tactical option is virtually impossible to implement under operating conditions for passenger trains and represents a significant challenge for freight trains requiring specialised personnel.

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Good reasons for a two-sided attack at tunnel incidents

The International Fire Academy recommends attacking tunnel fires from both sides of the tunnel from the first call-out. Course participants repeatedly ask whether this personnel-intensive two-sided attack is really necessary. In this magazine article, we explain the arguments favouring this approach.

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Reap the benefits of our training consultants' expertise at an early stage

Many fire services only get in touch with us when their thoughts on training for underground transport systems (UTS) operations are already well advanced. However, we recommend you take advantage of our free training consultation service as early as possible. Due to the knowledge of our experts, they can support fire services in a variety of ways. For example, in the development of intervention concepts, in measuring the actual training requirements or in considering the procurement of funds for…

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Securing with wedges is a «emergency immobilisation»

A new term is added to the Swiss Railway Tunnel Firefighting Procedure: «emergency immobilisation». This term refers to placing wooden wedges on the wheels of rail vehicles to prevent it from rolling away. For comparison, the term «securing» is used when parking brakes and rail skids are used. This article explains the background and consequences of the new regulation.

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Fighting the fire is not the goal, but a means of rescue

In our courses, the tactical principle of «extinguish in order to rescue» is repeatedly questioned. We, therefore, explain the background to this principle in this magazine article. In particular, we would like to point out that «extinguish in order to rescue» does not mean that the fire should be extinguished first and thereafter start with rescuing. Although fighting the fire is the top priority, as explained below, search & rescue should be started at the same time as firefighting if…

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Instructor advanced training: Rescue of people with disabilities

What is particularly important when rescuing people with physical disabilities from vehicles? Paraplegic Michaela Vogler and her team provided answers to this question at the 2025 advanced training for instructors at the International Fire Academy. The key insight was: Whenever possible, talk to those affected - because only they can say what the right course of action is.

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Between practice and vision: dynamic and adaptive escape routing

Escape route signs in tunnels illustrate the problem: The signs tell the distances to the safe area. However, the length of the route as a criterion can be misleading. «People fleeing should take the safest route out of the danger zone,» explains Franz-Joachim Schäfer, «and that is not necessarily the shortest.» With his 50 years of experience in the fire service, Schäfer looks at the new DIN 14036 standard for dynamic and adaptive escape routing. His conclusion: Dynamic escape routing is…

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Fire attack without water for construction machinery fire in the S21 tunnel

A construction machine is on fire at a tunnel construction site. The surrounding rock consists of anhydrite, which swells into gypsum in contact with water. For this reason, the senior site manager asked the fire services not to use water to extinguish the fire. It was one of the prominent challenges for the Stuttgart Fire Service during an operation, which Michael Czech from the Stuttgart Fire Service reported on in his report.

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Fire services from all over the world train at the International Fire Academy

A strong network is a valuable basis for developing good solutions and continuing to learn as a training institution. The International Fire Academy has been preparing fire departments for operations in underground transport systems since 2009. It regularly offers fire service officers the opportunity to exchange ideas and provides advice on major projects. We would now also like to encourage an exchange of ideas here by introducing fire services and institutions from our network who are…