Fire And Rescue Training Centre, Kenya - Firetrack

Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, formerly South Sudan, and now also Nigeria are countries with enormous demographic and economic potential. Together they are home to more than 515 million people. Nairobi is East Africa’s business and technology hub; Lagos is one of the largest and most dynamic cities in the world; Addis Ababa, the seat of the African Union, is another; and Dar es Salaam is one of the fastest-growing ports on the continent. These are states with their own services, institutions, and ambitions, but also with challenges that stem directly from the pace of their development.

The "Polish school" of rescue - PCPM Polish fire service instructors have once again demonstrated that the “Polish school of rescue” has a strong global reputation – this time in Nigeria

From 2 to 5 June, the Fire and Rescue Training Centre in Kiambu is hosting the first Training of Trainers course for members of Nairobi-Kiambu Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Teams.

The course is delivered by members of USAR Poland and is designed for selected Kenyan USAR rescuers who will later train responders from across the country in the basic principles of rescue operations during structural collapse incidents.

This training marks the next step in building Kenya’s national USAR capacity. Participants are being prepared to work as operational instructors able to plan lessons, adapt training content to Kenyan conditions, organise practical training stations, supervise trainees safely and assess basic rescue skills.

The future First Responders course will be based on the INSARAG First Responder Training Programme, expanded with operational input developed through PCPM’s work with Kenyan fire and rescue services. The aim is to create a practical training package that can be delivered locally and safely, with examples, scenarios and equipment assumptions adjusted to the Kenyan operating environment.

During the ToT, participants work on adult education, course planning, localisation of materials, training safety, scenario design, practical demonstrations and micro-teaching. A significant part of the course focuses on how to teach basic response to collapsed structures: scene safety, initial assessment, information flow, basic search, surface rescue, casualty handling and cooperation with professional USAR teams.

The course is part of a wider process of developing instructors who can support the roll-out of standardised First Responders training in Kenya. In the first phase of a building collapse, local responders are usually the first to arrive and the first to act. Their ability to recognise hazards, organise the scene, pass accurate information and conduct simple rescue tasks safely can directly influence the effectiveness of later specialist operations.

By training instructors from within the USAR system, Kenya is strengthening specialist rescue capability and the wider response chain around it.

The Training of Trainers course is conducted at the Fire and Rescue Training Centre in Kiambu, managed by Polskie Centrum Pomocy Międzynarodowej (PCPM)CPM, with the support of .

The Nairobi County Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Team has been deployed to Ngong’, Kajiado County, following the collapse of an eight-storey building that was under construction.

At least four people are feared trapped under the rubble. A multi-agency rescue operation is ongoing, involving the National Disaster Management Unit (NDMU), Kenya Red Cross Society, Kajiado County Fire Brigade and Nairobi County USAR teams.

The work on site includes structural assessment, hazard identification, search and rescue, debris removal and stabilisation of the affected structure.

This is exactly why continuous training in structural collapse response matters. USAR operations require patience, discipline and safe work around unstable structures.

We are proud to see trained rescuers applying these skills in real incidents, working together with other agencies where lives may still depend on every decision made on site.

National Disaster Management Unit (NDMU) team continues to build its capacity in responding to structural collapse incidents.

This time, the focus is on stabilisation of compromised structures – working with damaged elements, securing unstable parts, and creating safe access for further rescue operations.

These skills are part of operating in collapse environments, where every movement can change the behaviour of the structure and directly affect safety.

Training continues thanks to Polskie Centrum Pomocy Międzynarodowej (PCPM) and

📷Rafał Własinowicz

Call for Technical Experts and Administrative Officers for Pre-Qualified Candidate Pool

Fire and Rescue Training Centre is establishing a pre-qualified Pool of Candidates to support our ongoing and upcoming initiatives across Kenya.

We are looking for Technical Experts in Community Outreach, Education Management, the TVET Sector, and Business Management (Kenya), as well as Administrative Officers to join our roster.

Please read more for all the details: https://firetrack.ke/2026/03/11/call-for-technical-experts-and-administrative-officers-for-pre-qualified-candidate-pool/

Please apply to the address provided in the advertisement.
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