NVFC Participates in International Conference on Climate Disasters and Emergency Management
September 2, 2025
As devastating and frequent natural disasters continue to occur around the world, responding to these disasters has become a critical issue for the fire service. To address this, the Japan Firefighters Association invited representatives from fire service agencies in seven counties to an International Conference on Climate Disasters and Emergency Management on July 2. Kevin Quinn, past chair and current Rhode Island director of the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), participated as the U.S. delegate.
Quinn joined leaders from the fire services of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, and the United Kingdom, as well as the president of the International Association of Fire and Rescue Services. The conference took place at the newly completed Japan Fire Service headquarters building in Tokyo.
The conference provided an opportunity for each delegate to present on the disasters their country faces as well as challenges to response and initiatives to address these challenges. This was followed by a panel discussion to share ideas, best practices, and insights that could assist in future disaster response efforts.
Japan Firefighters Association President Toshifumi Akimoto concluded the conference by emphasizing the shared mission of the fire service across nations and how in order to strengthen disaster response systems it is essential to:
- Promote information exchange among stakeholders
- Share challenges and lessons learned
- Strengthen command and communication systems
- Conduct joint research on effective response strategies and early, accurate damage assessment
- Secure personnel, enhance equipment, and conduct training
- Foster collaboration between national and local governments, cooperation with specialized agencies, and community participation
“No country is immune to disasters caused by climate change, and the fire service in every nation is on the forefront of responding when these disasters strike,” said Quinn. “International collaboration, cooperation, and exchanging of ideas and best practices are critical to making our world better prepared and able to respond to these disasters. We thank the Japan Firefighters Association for hosting this important conference.”
