The year 2023 marks the 75th anniversary of the Genève Aéroport Fire Brigade. To mark the occasion, an open house weekend is being organised on 13 - 14 May, from 10 am to 4 pm, with registration and free of charge. Come and discover what goes on behind the scenes at the airport and meet the professionals who work every day to ensure your safety: the firemen!
Program of the open weekend
Date: 13 - 14 May from 10am to 4pm
Location: Terminal 2, Geneva Airport
Bus/train stop: Control Tower or Geneva Airport
3 locations make up the visit:
- The fire brigade's exercise area: workshops on how to fight various types of fires, engine fire on the simulator and a pan fire to learn the right gestures.
- An exhibition on the safety and rescue resources of the Canton of Geneva, with the presence of the Police, the Air Force and the professional firemen.
- The SSLIA fire station: workshops on first aid, the alarm centre and the discovery of the fire station.
- In addition, many surprises await you throughout the weekend!
Practical information:
- A valid identity card is required for access to the airport.
- The visit will take place outdoors, so we recommend that you bring comfortable clothes that are suitable for the weather.
- The visit is estimated to take two hours. A bus will take you from one station to the next, taking you along the little-known roads of the airport.
We hope to see many of you for this exceptional event!
The Airport Fire Brigade is 75 years old
It all started in 1948, when civil aviation was taking off after the war. Genève Aéroport, with its 2,000-metre concrete runway, saw its passenger numbers double in less than a year. In 1946, 70,000 travellers passed through Geneva, compared with 166,000 in 1947, the year in which Swiss air's DC-4 connected Geneva to New York for the first time.
This development in air transport has led to the creation of strict standards by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to ensure the safety of passengers on the ground and in the air. All Genève Aéroport operations are also subject to the regulations of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the Federal Office for Civil Aviation (FOCA). Including those of the airport's fire brigade.
In order to meet these standards, personnel and means of intervention are needed. This is why the permanent fireman of 1948 was soon joined by 24 employees and seven vehicles in 1953. In 1978, there were 93 firemen and more than 20 vehicles to ensure the safety of the platform, passengers and employees.
The Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting Service (ARFF) currently has about 120 employees in various sections. The fire sections, made up of professional fire fighters. The Communications section, made up of controllers whose job is to process alarms and engage rescue resources, and the Ambulance section, made up of paramedics.
The open house is a unique opportunity for the public to take part in workshops to put themselves in the shoes of a firefighter specialising in aviation, by putting out an engine fire, of a centralist by managing an alarm, or of an ambulance driver by performing first aid. It will also be an opportunity to meet the security and rescue actors of the canton and of Switzerland. Indeed, the Police, the Fire and Rescue Service (SIS) as well as the Air Force will join the airport tarmac with some of their intervention means. Professionals will be on hand to answer any questions the public may have.
Registration will be open via a link on our website and social networks from 5 May 2023.