UNITED KINGDOM RESCUE ORGANISATION
The UKRO National Rope Rescue Challenge, hosted by Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service.
Results
| 1st place | London Fire Brigade |
| 2nd place | Devon & Somerset FRS |
| 3rd place | Leicestershire FRS |
Thank you to all attendees!
Festival of Rescue 2026 Results: Fire Cadets Casualty Care Challenge
This year’s UKRO National Rope Rescue Challenge in Nottingham marks a significant milestone, the 20th anniversary of Rope Rescue as a UKRO challenge discipline.
Over the past two decades, the challenge has brought together rescue teams, assessors and technical rescue specialists from across the UK and overseas, all with a shared aim: to develop skills, learn from one another, test teams to be better and continually advance professional rescue.
Since its introduction, the Rope Rescue Challenge has continued to evolve alongside developments in technical rescue. It has provided Fire & Rescue Services with an opportunity to test their teams in demanding and realistic scenarios, share knowledge and good practice, compare different approaches and continually develop their specialist rescue capability.
The improvement in technical ability, professionalism, and the complexity of what competing teams are now capable of delivering has been considerable. That progress reflects the commitment of the teams, assessors, volunteers, host services, and everyone who has contributed to developing and supporting the Rope Rescue Challenge over the past 20 years.
To recognise the anniversary, commemorative 20th Anniversary challenge coins have been produced for every participant and assessor taking part in Nottingham 2026.
The coins will form a small part of what promises to be a fantastic three days of competition, technical rescue and collaboration, bringing together 14 teams from across the UK and overseas from 1–3 October 2026.
They represent a small piece of UKRO history and a celebration of everyone who has contributed to the Rope Rescue Challenge over the past two decades.
Advancing Professional Rescue
The United Kingdom Rescue Organisation National Rope Rescue Challenge is coming to Nottingham City Centre – 1st-3st October 2026, hosted by Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service.
– 14 teams
– UK & international competitors
– Realistic rescue scenarios
– Three days of competition
– Professional networking and skills development
This year is particularly special as we celebrate 20 years of Rope Rescue as a UKRO challenge discipline.
SKILLS. TEAMWORK. REAL SCENARIOS. MAKING A DIFFERENCE.
A huge thank you to our event supporters Petzl, Lyon Work & Rescue, Harken and Marlow Ropes for helping us deliver this year’s National Challenge.
All teams are invited to attend an online session to allow the presentation of how UKRO trauma event is evolving and bring in new aspects for the teams. This year, we will be challenging the trauma teams and immersing them into two NEW scenarios.
Trauma Events will be:
Length – 45mins
Time – 19:00hrs
Date – 1st Sept 2026 (please note this is the same session delivered on the 27th Aug).
Visitor guides, assessment guidelines and assessment scoresheets are now available for the upcoming Festival of Rescue 2026 event as well as the Rope Rescue Challenge 2026. Visit the links below for information.
Festival of Rescue 2026
Rope Rescue Challenge 2026
The UKRO National Swift Water Rescue Challenge, hosted by County Durham and Darlington Fire & Rescue Service.
We’re looking for 12 teams to compete with fire and rescue services across the UK in an exciting water rescue challenge.
Registration for National Rope Rescue Challenge 2026 is now open!
How to register your team
Download and submit the completed registration form to registrations@ukro.org
Registration for the UKRO National Cadet Challenge 2026 is now open!
Date and time: Friday, September 11 at 9:00 AM to Saturday, September 12 at 5:30 PM
Location: UKRO Festival of Rescue 2026, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, CO4 3SQ
The UKRO Cadet Trauma Challenge, supported by the National Fire Chiefs Council, provides an exciting opportunity for Fire Cadets to develop, demonstrate and celebrate their trauma care knowledge and practical first aid skills in a realistic emergency response environment.
The challenge is designed to introduce young people to the principles of safe, effective and casualty-centred trauma care, while promoting teamwork, communication, leadership and problem-solving. Working within a structured and supportive setting, cadets will be encouraged to apply their learning, build confidence and understand the importance of early assessment, effective communication and calm decision-making when supporting casualties.
More than a competition, the UKRO Cadet Trauma Challenge is a valuable learning experience that supports the development of future firefighters, rescue professionals and community ambassadors. It reflects the shared commitment of UKRO and the NFCC to inspiring young people, promoting excellence in rescue education and strengthening the next generation of fire and rescue service talent.
We are proud to announce the launch of UKRO Academy 2.0, building on the original platform with significantly expanded content, new learning pathways and a wider range of media styles to support rescuers, instructors and emergency responders across the UK.
The updated Academy has been designed to improve access to high-quality learning through enhanced digital resources, including video, interactive content and scenario-based learning, alongside shared good practice and professional development across rescue disciplines. It continues to focus on road traffic collision response, trauma care, operational learning and evidence-informed rescue practice.
Launching at The Blue Light Show, UKRO Academy 2.0 represents a major step forward in how we support responders before, during and beyond competition environments — helping turn learning into safer, more effective operational practice.
We look forward to sharing more over the coming weeks.