Jochen Schuergers, General Manager at FireGo, explains how modular live training systems support brigades across vehicles, tunnels, structures and hazardous materials
Fire brigades have long relied on one command that brings an operation to life: “Water ON!” At Fire Go GmbH, we design our training systems to prepare firefighters for that moment in a controlled and repeatable environment.
Our role is to support the safe practice of live fire skills.
When we complete maintenance or deliver a new facility, our internal signal of readiness is the same each time: “Fire GO!”
We specialise in gas fired and solid fuel fired fire simulation systems that support training centres in many different operational settings.
Our work covers design, planning and production, along with the long term service and maintenance needed to keep complex systems running.
This includes inspections, repairs, technical upgrades and extensions carried out by qualified technicians.
All control software is developed in-house so that every installation can follow the customer’s training approach.
Since our foundation, we have grown steadily and supported an increasing number of fire brigades in Germany and abroad.
From the beginning, our aim has been to create training environments that reflect real operational demands.
Fire training systems allow firefighters to work with real heat, real flame behaviour and real smoke conditions.
These elements help firefighters develop skills that cannot be gained through theory alone.
Live fire practice supports situational awareness, improves coordination and strengthens confidence during real incidents.
Fire Go was founded in August 2016 by a small team with specialist experience in fire training technology.
As demand increased, we moved to larger premises in 2018.
Today, Fire Go operates as a medium sized organisation with a team whose individual experience extends up to 30 years in this field.
This knowledge influences every installation we build, from compact units to large multi-module structures.
We supply fire training systems in many forms.
Some are designed for regular use at regional fire brigades.
Others are built for specialised locations such as airports, industrial facilities or tunnel authorities.
Our guiding principle remains consistent.
We can recreate anything that can burn in real life.
Aircraft fire training systems
Aviation incidents demand careful preparation, and we develop systems that allow these scenarios to be trained safely.
Our Mobile Aircraft Fire Trainer is constructed from ten container based modules that recreate the outline and dimensions of an Airbus A320 or a Boeing B737.
The assembled structure is around 40 metres long with a height of ten metres and a wingspan of roughly 20 metres.
Inside and around the aircraft, firefighters can work with 28 controllable fireplaces along with a fuel spill area of approximately 120 square metres.
These points allow the practice of cabin and cockpit fires, undercarriage incidents and fuel-fed external scenarios.
The modules can be assembled, dismantled and transported within a single day.
This flexibility is suited to airports and training centres that require high intensity training without keeping a permanent full-scale aircraft onsite.
Training for new vehicle risks
Changes in vehicle technology have altered the nature of emergency response.
Electric vehicles behave differently in fire conditions, and our Electric Car Fire Trainer E H2 is designed to support practical training for these incidents.
It can simulate thermal runaway within a battery module.
It can generate white or black smoke.
It can reproduce fire in the engine bay, passenger compartment or boot.
Hydrogen powered vehicles present their own challenges.
The trainer includes a hydrogen fire feature in which the flame is invisible to the naked eye.
A thermal imaging camera is needed to identify it, which helps firefighters recognise how these fires behave and how they can be approached safely.
Tunnel environments and restricted access
Tunnel operations require training in controlled but realistic surroundings.
To support this, we build tunnel fire trainers that allow responders to work with long enclosed spaces and limited access routes.
In our tunnel systems, structures such as a truck tractor, a flatbed truck and a passenger car can be fixed at set points along the tunnel.
Each mock-up contains fireplaces that can be activated independently or in sequence.
Heat protection panels enclose the fire areas to protect the tunnel walls and the technical systems behind them.
These environments are used to practise navigation, hose handling, breathing protection, rescue techniques and coordinated extinguishment.
Mobile training facilities
Many customers need the option to train across several locations.
Our trailer based fire training units were developed for this purpose.
Each unit is built on a semi-trailer with a fixed steel structure, creating a fully usable training space that can be transported as needed.
A hydraulically extendable side section increases the interior volume by roughly 40 percent.
The roof can also be adjusted hydraulically to create additional training opportunities and access points.
The fireplaces installed inside each trailer follow the training concept requested by the customer, which helps brigades tailor exercises to their region or operational profile.
Customised structural fire trainers
Some brigades require training environments that reflect the buildings they encounter most often.
We design structural fire trainers that can include residential layouts, industrial spaces or commercial areas.
Any combination of fireplaces can be integrated.
This approach supports detailed scenario based exercises and allows instructors to guide firefighters through settings that resemble their local built environment.
Training for public fire safety
We also develop systems for organisations that teach civil fire safety.
The Hand Extinguisher Fire Trainer FLT10 is widely used by fire safety officers who train employees, students or other building users in the proper use of handheld extinguishers.
The unit provides safe, repeatable live fire demonstrations suitable for introductory courses.
Specialist systems for aviation and hazardous materials
For emergency services operating in aviation settings, we produce a Helicopter Fire Trainer equipped with fireplaces in the engine area and cockpit, along with an external fuel spill simulation.
A stretcher in the rear section allows practical rescue training through the rear doors.
For hazardous materials response, we supply a tank wagon trainer.
It includes simulated leaks on the tank body, pipework and valves.
Additional fireplaces can be added according to the training plan.
The version described includes a flange fire and a dome shaft fire.
Alongside this, the mobile fuel spill fire trainer can be produced in sizes from one square metre to one hundred square metres to support realistic spill scenarios.
Our approach
Every system we build is intended to support structured, repeatable and realistic live fire training.
We place emphasis on reliable burner performance, consistent heat development and control systems that respond intuitively to instructor input.
By focusing on operational detail and practical use, we create environments that allow firefighters to train with confidence.
Since our foundation, our aim has been to support fire brigades with dependable live fire training solutions.
We continue to refine our methods, expand our capabilities and work closely with customers who need training systems that reflect the conditions they face.