Zurich Resilience Solutions has opened a new fire protection training facility in Enschede, Netherlands, developed with Johnson Controls International. The TechXchange Fire Suppression Centre, described as a “state-of-the-art immersive learning hub”, welcomed its first participants earlier this month.

Fire remains the second most common cause of property damage worldwide, exceeded only by flooding. Each year it causes billions in insured losses, with many businesses suffering severe financial, operational, reputational and legal impacts. Fixed fire protection and suppression systems remain one of the most effective defences against such risks.

The centre aims to raise standards of training and preparedness through tailored courses led by Zurich. Participants gain hands-on experience in realistic environments, including a working sprinkler system demonstrating every stage from water tank to discharge, an industrial hazards room, a commercial kitchen with extinguishing systems, and demonstrations of water mist and gas suppression technologies.

Zurich Resilience Solutions is also using TechXchange to strengthen the expertise of its own engineers. More than 160 fire safety specialists are undertaking intensive two-week courses designed and delivered by Zurich’s in-house experts.

“There are countless reasons a fire can break out in a factory, high-rise office building or warehouse,” said Dirk De Nil, global head of Zurich Resilience Solutions. “Our mission is to help our customers prevent damage from happening. We carry out more than 60,000 inspections at customer sites each year. With this new centre, we ensure our teams have the right skills to provide effective risk management advice and deliver actionable insights for our customers.”

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