The Promise of the World Fire Congress
This September, dozens of fire service and government leaders from more than 70 countries around the world will meet in London for the second ever World Fire Congress. Their broad goal is to discuss and share ideas and potential solutions to the many common risks and challenges that fire and rescue services share—everything from extreme wildfires and lithium-ion batteries to firefighter cancer and the looming impacts of artificial intelligence. It's all based on the idea that, rather than each country and department fighting its own battles, working together can solve problems faster and more efficiently, potentially having enormous positive impacts for firefighters and the communities they serve. Today on the podcast, Jesse talks to Otto Drozd III and Stephen Wevers, two accomplished international fire service leaders who are helping to plan and oversee the World Fire Congress. They chat about how the Congress came to be, what it aims to become, and why international cooperation in the fire service is becoming so critical. The interview was recorded live at the 2026 NFPA Conference & Expo in Las Vegas.