Comparative Report: Emergency Triage & the Role of Fire Brigades in 13 European Emergency Medical Systems

On behalf of Marco Martins, and on behalf of the Portuguese Firefighters League, CTIF would like to convey sincere thanks to our members for valuable contribution to the Study on Triage and Dispatch of Emergency Medical Resources in European countries.

Your willingness to share information and national practices has been greatly appreciated and has been essential to the successful completion of this comparative study.

The comparative review of emergency medical systems across 13 European countries highlights structural differences in how fire brigades are integrated into pre‑hospital care, revealing a divide between firefighter‑led response models and strictly medicalized systems.

According to the study, some countries rely heavily on firefighters as first responders, whereas in contrast, other countries maintain strict functional separation, with medical services operating independently of fire brigades.

For instance, the Portuguese Integrated Medical Emergency System (SIEM) is structurally dependent on the fire departments which are responsible for more than 80% of operational activity .

Across Europe, response‑time targets vary widely, however the studies conclude that the most resilient systems combine clear triage rules, multi sectoral integration, and strategic use of responders.

Attached, please find the results and conclusions of the study.
 

The headlines of the three documents are as follows:

1.  Compilation of responses sent by the 12 countries that replied to the email

2.  Comparative Analysis of Emergency Medical Systems: Triage Models and Response Times

3. Comparative Report: The Role of Fire Brigades in European Emergency Medical Systems

As a working methodology, several emails were sent to various entities and individuals representing European firefighters, who are represented in the CTIF, FEU, World Fire Congress and ABEU, requesting information on the organization of the triage and dispatch of resources implemented in their respective countries.

Following the emails sent, the following European countries responded to the requests:

1. Portugal
2. Netherlands
3. Lithuania
4. Luxembourg
5. Denmark
6. Poland
7. Latvia
8. France
9. Estonia
10. United Kingdom
11. Spain
12. Bulgaria
13. Lithuania