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Brazil defends its title of “International Fire Department of the Year”

Rio de Janeiro Fire Department wins the 2015 Conrad Dietrich Magirus Prize. The “White Helmets” are this year's award sponsor and take part at the ceremony in Ulm. The Syrian rescue workers give top three trophies to winning fire department teams from Isfahan (Iran) and Istanbul (Turkey). The Winners visit the world’s largest fire department in New York City.

Rio de Janeiro at the award

The Rio de Janeiro Fire Department wins the 2015 International Conrad Dietrich Magirus Prize.

White Helmets gives prize to Rio de Janeiro

White Helmets gives prize to Rio de Janeiro Raed Saleh as the Head of the White Helmets hands over the statue to the winners from Brazil.

For the second time in a row, a Brazilian fire department team secured the International Conrad Dietrich Magirus Prize. Accompanied by the cheers from 700 invited guests, the Rio de Janeiro Fire Department (Brazil) was crowned the “2015 International Fire Department Team of the Year” on 22 January 2016 in the Congress Centre in Ulm. During the world famous carnival, the city’s forces had successfully battled a large fire in one of Rio’s largest suburban shopping malls. The top three winners also included the Isfahan (Iran) and Istanbul (Turkey) fire departments. Together with other online finalists, they were invited to the festive gala in Germany and honoured in front of an international audience of experts.

The winners of the coveted “Oscar of the fire-fighting sector” were handed their trophies this year by the White Helmets, a Syrian disaster relief organisation that sponsored the 2015 Conrad Dietrich Magirus Prize. “Every fire department’s job is to save human lives under extreme conditions. What the ‘White Helmets’ do every day, however, is far beyond what we can imagine. To work under the hazardous conditions that currently prevail in Syria, often without suitable equipment, deserves our greatest respect. We are thus very happy to have won the ‘White Helmets’ as a sponsor for the 2015 Conrad Dietrich Magirus Prize,” said Andreas Klauser, interim CEO of Magirus. The fact that the Conrad Dietrich Magirus Prize unites people throughout the world was impressively demonstrated by the presentation of the international prize. In a moving moment, the Syrian rescue workers handed their colleagues from Iran, Turkey and Brazil their trophies, proving that the prize and the common voluntary commitment of all involved overcomes political borders.

Maximum performance throughout the world

From major conflagrations to rescues at death-defying heights, the missions entered in the contest impressively show the pressure that comrades are under and the breadth of tasks and dangers they are confronted with daily. During the city’s world famous carnival, which attracts millions of visitors to Brazil’s capital yearly, a major fire broke out in one of Rio’s largest suburban shopping malls. Even some walls collapsed. 100 crew members from ten stations rushed to the scene with 30 vehicles and two helicopters. Together, they managed to save 80 percent of the building from the flames. Thanks to the experienced crew members and their courageous action, there were no deaths or serious injuries. The shopping mall was able to open its doors again three days later. The Rio de Janeiro Fire Department prevailed over teams throughout the world with this operation. Numerous cities and municipalities had applied for the international prize. A jury of specialists selected the best from all of these applications and put them online for public voting at www.world-of-firefighters.com.

Trip to New York

The international “Oscar of the fire-fighting sector” will also take the winners from Rio to New York. Ten crew members will travel to the most well-known fire department in the world: the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) – flight, accommodations and exciting programme included. In addition to tours of various fire stations and the Training Academy “The Rock”, they will also visit the most modern fireboats in the world. 

National awards

The winners of the 2015 National Firefighting Team of the Year were also honoured on the same evening. The winners’ podium was so full that there was scarcely any more room on it. Thanks to outstanding cooperation among the volunteer fire departments in Lauf an der Pegnitz, Neunkirchen am Sand, Ottensoos, Reichenschwand, Rüblanden and Speikern during the rescue of a seriously injured man, these six teams from Bavaria came out on top. The team “Disaster Response Rauschenhammermühle” also won the title “2015 National Firefighting Team of the Year”. Together with Reutlingen Fire Department, it was among the top three. The Disaster Response Rauschenmühle unites over 60 Bavarian fire departments under this name. For the first time, a special prize in the category “Social Commitment” was given in 2015. The Wennigloh fire-fighting team of the Arnsberg Fire Department won this prize; its members received the award for their joint fire-fighting exercise with mentally disabled men.


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