Hannover, Germany. INTERSCHUTZ 2026 offers visitors – in addition to exhibitor product presentations at the stands – a diverse supporting program featuring a wide range of special events. These cover topics ranging from wildfire suppression and rescue operations to live demonstrations of various firefighting exercises.

“Like no other trade show in its sector, INTERSCHUTZ offers this level of interactive special events. The topics are deliberately diverse – and that is what makes the supporting program so successful. The attractions range from professional, action-packed live demonstrations in emergency response, to highly complex firefighting exercises, to sporting competitions among firefighters and hands-on activities for volunteers. This creates an additional platform for information, knowledge, and experience for all visitors – one that exists only at INTERSCHUTZ,” says Thilo Horstmann, Project Director of INTERSCHUTZ at Deutsche Messe AG.

Overview of the INTERSCHUTZ 2026 Supporting Events

WildfireCamp@INTERSCHUTZ will celebrate its premiere at INTERSCHUTZ 2026. It brings together national and international experts to present innovative methods, practical strategies, as well as technologies and solutions for the early detection, prevention, and suppression of wildfires. Leading partners such as Bosch Building Technologies, the European Forest Institute (EFI), @fire, and IMBOS e. V. connect decision-makers, emergency responders, and technology providers. Thematically, the WildfireCamp is structured into five operational sections:

Pre- and post-fire management: Focus on preventive measures, detection, and reforestation, with the involvement of exhibitors from the forestry and environmental sectors.

Vehicle-based firefighting: Presentation of the capabilities and limitations of vehicles in firefighting operations.

Aerial support: Focus on the use and coordination of airplanes and helicopters. Exhibitors from aviation and firefighting showcase innovative approaches.

Firefighting crews: Specialized companies present practical deployment options for different teams, the protective equipment required for demanding firefighting operations, and essential hand tools.

Special operational options: Tactical deployments, retardants, and other specialized operational capabilities, involving companies specifically focused on these applications.

Each of the five sections provides hands-on insight into the different aspects of firefighting and gives visitors a comprehensive overview of the respective operational areas. More information is available here .

The second premiere at INTERSCHUTZ 2026 is the High-Angle Rescue Pavilion . The name says it all: in Pavilion 34 under the EXPO roof, everything over all six days of the trade fair revolves exclusively around high-angle rescue. On Saturday, June 6, 2026, the national performance competition of German high-angle rescue teams will take place there. Fire service teams from across Germany will demonstrate their skills in realistic rope and high-angle rescue stations. Visitors can follow the teams live and experience how they master teamwork, safety, and technology. On the exhibition area, the specialist group “Special Rescue from Heights and Depths” will present its modern equipment through demonstrations, various hands-on activities, and technical discussions – ideal for experiencing high-angle rescue up close.

With the first FEU Leadership Conference , the third special-event premiere will launch at INTERSCHUTZ 2026. On June 3 and 4, around 300 international fire chiefs and strategic leaders in the fire service sector will gather at INTERSCHUTZ for the FEU Leadership Conference. Aligned with the INTERSCHUTZ motto “Safeguarding Tomorrow,” the conference aims to strengthen public safety and resilience by sharing insights and fostering collaboration across national borders. FEU stands for the Federation of European Fire Chiefs and represents a strong network of European fire service associations and national fire services, connecting senior professionals responsible for the strategic management of fire and rescue services across Europe. Its mission is to facilitate the exchange of best practices and to collaborate on projects that enhance public safety in Europe. Tickets and the full program of the FEU Leadership Conference are available here .

Things get action-packed with the S-GARD SAFETYTOUR . Running throughout INTERSCHUTZ on all six days of the trade fair, it offers all emergency responders the opportunity to improve their skills in hands-on team training under realistic conditions. The focus is on firefighting, technical rescue, emergency medical services, and advanced first aid. Five varied stations require teamwork, communication, and tactical approaches to successfully master practical challenges. Anyone can take part—whether beginners or advanced participants.

More information, including the registration and ticket link, is available here .

Action continues with the third edition of the HOLMATRO Rescue Challenge . Teams from around the world compete against each other during INTERSCHUTZ to free a trapped patient from a vehicle within 20 minutes using state-of-the-art HOLMATRO rescue equipment. The competition format demonstrates realistic vehicle extrication under true-to-life operational conditions and showcases the application of cutting-edge rescue technologies. The aim is to encourage the exchange of experience among international emergency responders and to promote efficiency and precision in technical rescue. Located directly in front of Hall 26, next to the HOLMATRO indoor stand, teams will compete on five weekdays in five runs per day; on Saturday, three teams will compete, followed by the award ceremony. More information is available here .

On the outdoor grounds of INTERSCHUTZ, the FireFit European Championships are traditionally a very special crowd-puller. Firefighters from across Europe gather in Hanover on all six days of the trade fair and demonstrate their skills during open training sessions, qualification rounds, and the finals in the outdoor area. It is a gripping competition every time. Monday and Tuesday are dedicated to training on the course, Wednesday and Thursday focus on the qualification heats, and on Friday and Saturday the European champions are determined in the finals. The competitions take place daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with daily winners announced after the runs. Participants compete individually, in pairs, or in relay teams of three to five colleagues. The disciplines combine strength, endurance, and teamwork, ranging from stair climbs on the HAIX Tower and hose drags to slalom courses and the simulation of a victim rescue using a dummy. More information can be found here .

Another hands-on activity is the LUKAS CRASH DAYS at INTERSCHUTZ, also taking place in the outdoor area. They are a high-performance medical and technical rescue training program for experienced emergency responders and integrate modern rescue techniques into their curriculum. The CRASH DAYS are organized by IDEX Fire & Safety in cooperation with LUKAS and Vetter. Participants can take part in expert-led training sessions conducted by the instructors of the LUKAS RESCUE LEAGUE – highly qualified technical and medical specialists with decades of real-world emergency response experience. The program includes three hours of intensive, hands-on technical rescue training with numerous additional elements, as well as a two-hour certified workshop led by industry and OEM experts. Participation is organized in exclusive groups and limited to 12 participants per group – 8 technical and 4 medical – to ensure maximum hands-on time and high-quality instruction. Two exclusive training sessions take place each day, one in German and one in English. More information is available here .

At the Smart Public Safety Hub in Hall 16, visitors can experience the future of incident command at close range. The hub demonstrates how connected, resilient, and efficient systems seamlessly connect teams, organizations, and technologies. Within just five minutes, a shared operational picture is created, providing all relevant information at the right time and in the right place. The focus is on efficiency, reliability, and optimized collaboration – enabling emergency responders to make faster decisions and operate even more effectively. Eurocommand contributes CommandX, a digital command support platform that enables structured incident management and rapid decision-making by seamlessly connecting all relevant information. As a founding member of IMBOS, the manufacturer also presents – on behalf of the association – an innovative information management solution that functions as a connected data hub, enabling smooth communication and data use. ESRI Germany provides ArcGIS, a powerful geospatial data infrastructure for precise geographic situation awareness and detailed situational pictures. DLR Optsal adds innovative optical technologies for situation assessment, delivering clear visual representations of incidents and further refining the operational picture. More information is available here .

At the INTERSCHUTZ Forum in Hall 17, the civil protection hall, representatives from science, politics, suppliers, and users present current industry topics and discuss challenges, opportunities, solutions, and technological innovations of today and tomorrow. Partners and experts from a wide range of disciplines shape a forum that is both highly topical and high-profile, offering use cases, insights, and solutions.

This year, the INTERSCHUTZ Forum is held under the theme “Civil Protection.” In addition, the core focus topics of INTERSCHUTZ – impacts of climate change, the turning point in civil protection, sustainability, artificial intelligence in control rooms, situation centers, and at the incident scene, as well as key market and trend developments – will all be part of the program. The INTERSCHUTZ Forum is traditionally created by the industry for the industry and addresses the issues that matter most to the sector. The call for papers has already begun.

About INTERSCHUTZ

INTERSCHUTZ is the world's leading trade fair for firefighting, rescue, and civil protection. Taking place in 2026 in Hanover under the motto “Safeguarding Tomorrow”, INTERSCHUTZ showcases a comprehensive range of products and services in the fields of firefighting, preventive fire protection, rescue services, civil protection, communication and control center technology, as well as protective equipment. All information about the trade fair and supporting program is available at www.interschutz.de and is updated on an ongoing basis.

The INTERSCHUTZ portfolio also includes international events such as AFAC Australia , REAS Italy and the China International Emergency Management Exhibition (CIEME) .