Fire And Rescue Training Centre, Kenya - Firetrack

10/05/2026

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.

04/05/2026

22/04/2026

In USAR, we leave no one behind. Today, we’re making sure we don’t leave our plastic behind either.

14/04/2026

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

02/04/2026

Firefighters trained in Fire And Rescue Training Centre, Kenya - Firetrack once again in a real incident – this time at a fuel tanker fire at the Total petrol station on Kiambu Road.

The response also involved a fire vehicle developed under a Polskie Centrum Pomocy Międzynarodowej (PCPM) project for Kenyan conditions – a prototype adapted to local operational needs.

According to available information, the fire started from the tanker. During an attempt to move the vehicle out of the station, the fire spread further, affecting part of the buildings and parked vehicles (6 in total). The exact cause of the incident has not yet been confirmed.

Kiambu county fire and rescue responded quickly and effectively, preventing further escalation and operating under clearly elevated risk conditions.

This is another example of how trained personnel and properly selected equipment translate directly into results during real incidents.

video by David Nyaga Davephotography Ke

11/03/2026

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.
We do not respond to messages on Facebook regarding this matter.

04/03/2026

We received the news of the death of Samuel Wangila with great sadness – our student, friend, and rescuer.

Samuel was a dedicated member of the Kenya Red Cross Society, an experienced water rescuer, and a person who turned his passion for helping others into real action. He died in the line of duty, doing what he was called to do – helping others.

In recent year, Samuel also played an important role in building cooperation between KRCS responders and firefighters, particularly in the field of rescue operations and joint exercises. For many of us he was not only a colleague, but above all a friend and someone you could always rely on.

We extend our deepest condolences to his family, loved ones, and all members of the Kenya Red Cross Society.

Samuel – thank you for your service.

06/02/2026

Such actions by our graduates make us truly proud.

On Friday, 31 January, the Kiambu County Fire and Rescue Service, with the guest participation of rescuers from Nairobi, responded to a distress call in Ruaka, where a man was trapped in a 44-foot water well. He had been working inside the well when a culvert collapsed, blocking his exit and leaving him trapped underground.

The man remained in the well for 14 hours. Firefighters conducted a long and technically demanding rescue operation, which also lasted approximately 14 hours, before successfully reaching and extracting the casualty. After the rescue, he was handed over to a Kiambu County ambulance and transported to hospital for further treatment.

The operation was carried out under challenging conditions and required patience, technical skills, and strict safety procedures. Members of the public expressed their appreciation to the responding firefighters for saving a life.

02/01/2026

A 16-storey residential building under construction has collapsed in Nairobi’s South C area. The Nairobi-Kiambu Urban Search and Rescue ( ) team was deployed immediately, with the initial response led by the Nairobi Fire Brigade. As rescue operations are expected to continue overnight, the Kiambu Fire Brigade USAR team remains on standby.
Authorities fear that two construction workers and four pedestrians may be trapped under the rubble. Kenya Red Cross Society rescuers and search teams from Kenya Defence Forces have also been deployed to assist in locating victims. The scene management has been established by the services, including the NDMU and NDOC.
The Nairobi-Kiambu Urban Search and Rescue Team, as well as NDMU rescuers, have received specialised training in Fire And Rescue Training Centre, Kenya - Firetrack thanks to through Polskie Centrum Pomocy Międzynarodowej (PCPM)

29/12/2025

As we approach the end of the year, it is time to reflect on what was undoubtedly the most significant milestone of 2025.

On 11 December 2025, at the Fire and Rescue Training Centre – FIRETRACK, we celebrated the Graduation Ceremony of the Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Team for the Metropolitan Area of Nairobi

This historic event marked the certification of 45 USAR rescuers, who successfully achieved the Fire Service Technician KNQF Level 4 qualification through the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) pathway. It was the first time in Kenya’s history that a fully trained and formally certified USAR team for the Nairobi metropolitan area reached this nationally recognised standard.

The graduation was not only a personal achievement for each rescuer, but also a systemic step forward for Kenya’s fire and rescue services. Formal certification at KNQF Level 4 strengthens operational readiness, ensures standardisation of skills, and reinforces the country’s ability to respond effectively to complex urban disasters, including structural collapses. During the event, there was also a practical demonstration of the acquired skills.

This achievement was made possible through the long-term commitment of Polskie Centrum Pomocy Międzynarodowej (PCPM) , with funding provided by , as part of the development cooperation programme of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland. Since 2014, this partnership has consistently supported the professionalisation of firefighter education and the development of a national training system in Kenya.

We extend our sincere congratulations to the USAR Class of 2025 and our respect to the instructors, assessors, and partners who contributed to this demanding process. This graduation stands as a clear symbol of how sustained training, certification, and international cooperation translate into real operational capability.

08/12/2025

For the Nairobi–Kiambu Urban Search and Rescue Team, the Africa–Europe–Middle East INSARAG Earthquake Response Exercise in South Africa was more than a training event — it was their first exposure to a full-scale, international, multi-agency disaster-response environment.

While in Kenya the team focuses on rapid interventions during structural-collapse incidents in Nairobi and surrounding counties, this exercise placed them in a simulated emergency of an entirely different scale. According to the scenario, the Eastern Cape had been hit by two catastrophic events: Tropical Storm Ntombi and, shortly afterwards, a 6.9-magnitude earthquake offshore from Port Elizabeth.

As part of this simulation, the Nairobi–Kiambu USAR team deployed to Port Elizabeth to conduct technical rescue operations alongside teams from South Africa, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, Estonia, Iceland, Russia and others. The Kenyan team — comprising Chief Samuel Kahura, Gedion Owiti, Michael Munyalo and supported by Rafał Własinowicz from PCPM — successfully navigated the demanding challenges put before them. Their performance demonstrated the capability they have built over the past two years with support from PCPM and .

Parallel to their field deployment, the exercise programme included structured sessions on inter-agency coordination, medical response and the chain of survival — essential elements for integrating USAR operations into broader emergency-management systems. Discussions, lectures and practical components ran throughout the day, culminating in joint drills at the exercise grounds.

Dr Wojciech Wilk, CEO of PCPM, served as the Deputy Team Leader of the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team supporting the Government of South Africa in managing the simulated crisis. His role included receiving international rescue teams and guiding the humanitarian-coordination process — a central component of large-scale disaster response. He also gave a presentation describing USAR Kenya.

For the Kenyan rescuers, this exercise marked a significant milestone: their first opportunity to operate on an international stage, to measure their capability against global INSARAG standards and to work directly with experienced USAR teams from across three continents. It is a tangible demonstration of how far the Nairobi–Kiambu USAR Team has come since the programme began.