Fiji and Samoa boost disaster response

Firefighters from Fiji and Samoa have significantly boosted their regional disaster response capacity following their first joint training in Urban Search and Rescue and Swift Water Rescue. This collaborative program represents a key achievement stemming from a twinning partnership initiated in April 2025 between Fiji’s National Fire Authority (NFA) and the Samoa Fire and Emergency Services Authority (SFESA). The partnership is designed to foster firefighter exchanges, facilitate shared training programs, and cultivate essential skills needed to address increasingly complex emergencies across the Pacific region.

The National Fire Authority of Fiji stated its ambition to establish Fiji as a regional training hub. This initiative would provide neighboring countries with improved access to advanced rescue training closer to home, potentially reducing costs associated with such specialized education. The program's development is particularly timely, as Pacific island nations continue to confront escalating disaster risks. This underscores the critical importance of strengthening regional cooperation in emergency preparedness and response mechanisms.

The joint training initiative is a practical step towards building resilience in a region highly vulnerable to natural disasters. By sharing expertise and resources, Fiji and Samoa are setting a precedent for inter-island collaboration in emergency services. The focus on both urban search and rescue and swift water rescue equips the firefighters with a broader range of skills necessary to handle diverse disaster scenarios, from collapsed structures to floodwaters.