International Firefighters’ Day 2020

Today we say THANK YOU to all firefighters! We wish to honour all those whose daily job is to fight fires, to rescue, salvage and protect people.

The International Firefighters' Day is on the Saint's day of Florian of Lorch who is the patron saint of all firefighters. Florian (born in the 3rd century AD; died 4th May 304 AD in Lauriacum, now Lorch, Austria) was an officer in the Roman army and commander-in-chief of a firefighting unit.

The occasion to introduce such a day of honour was a tragic incident on 2nd December 1998 in Australia when five firefighters died in a bushfire near Linton, Victoria. The local fire brigade called for back-up by an external unit. Yet the vehicle transporting a crew of five was entrapped by fire and burnt down. This tragedy prompted the Australian fireman JJ Edmondson to initiate a campaign from which the International Firefighters' Day arose. St Florian's Day was specially chosen for this date.

To all firefighters:

THANK YOU. Have a great and safe day and let yourselves be celebrated!