European firefighter standard for the safe use of, trainings with and exchange on aerial devices and machines Erasmus Project

Project Title

European firefighter standard for the safe use of, trainings with and exchange on
aerial devices and machines

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Overcoming skills mismatches (basic/transversal); New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Reaching the policy level/dialogue with decision makers

Project Summary

An aerial device is a mechanical device that is generally used for a broad range of different temporary, flexible applications by
building companies, technical relief organizations, armed forces and public as well as corporate firefighters amongst others. They
are widely used in any European member state. Although the construction of aerial devices is already heavily regulated with
corresponding European standards and norms, aerial devices for firefighters have to comply with further specifications:
• Firstly, aerial devices for firefighters are highly customized products, reflecting local or regional conditions. Therefore, they are
usually the most expensive device in the fleet of vehicles for firefighting (the cost for one aerial device alone amounting to around
700,000 to 1,000,000 EUR – most of which is funded by the taxpayer).
• Secondly, aerial devices for firefighters are the most complex technical devices in firefighting; its range of application is extremely
broad and will increase even further with the growing urbanization across Europe.
• Thirdly, aerial devices for firefighters are designed to protect the affected people and firefighters in state of emergencies, under
substantial time constraints and in situations with unknown or unforeseen variables. These specifications can only be acknowledged
by clear and transparent vocational instructions that are educated and trained in a comprehensible manner (#3). The instructions/
the training has to be adapted to local or regional conditions for the use of these complex devices on the one hand (#1). On the
other hand, it should set a comparable standard for a cross-national application at European level (#2). This can be ensured by a
European vocational education and training scheme for the use of aerial devices (EUROFFAD) – a standard that is currently missing
at European as well as at national level and that should be the starting point for further European integration in vocational training
and education of firefighting. The vocational education and training objective of this three-year programm will be that –starting
from the commander in chief across all operating units – all important actions relating to the use of aerial devices are summarized in
a logical order and therefore aiding to minimize the stress-levels of crews and victims during incidents. The scheme will be further
developed to allow vocational training and education of trainers and comply with the ECVET-standard. It shall be applicable and
adaptable to all manufacturers in use and independent of the year of manufacturing.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 215332,5 Eur

Project Coordinator

GFBA Gesellschaft für Brandschutzausbildung mbH & Country: DE

Project Partners

• CORPS GRAND DUCAL D’INCENDIE ET DE SECOURS
• LANDES-FEUERWEHRVERBAND TIROL
• La zone de secours numéro 6