The beginnings of this fire-fighting unit can be traced back to the early 19th century, while the current corps — housed in the Courtyard of Belvedere barracks — was officially established in 1941 under the pontificate of Pius XII, according to the Vatican City Governorate website.
Since 2002, the fire department, along with the gendarmes, has been part of the governorate's “Directorate of Security and Civil Protection Services.” Following a modernization drive, young recruits are now trained at the Basic Firefighter Training School in Rome, in the southeast of the Eternal City.
To be eligible to apply, candidates must be single, male, between 21 and 25 years of age, and profess the Catholic faith. A letter from a priest must be attached to the application, according to the governorate's website.
Not just putting out fires
On Vatican territory, firefighters not only extinguish fires, but also provide first aid, prevent accidents, and monitor the small state's firefighting equipment. It’s a colossal responsibility, given the “enormous religious, historical, and artistic importance” of the Vatican's treasures, from masterpieces to precious archival documents, as the same website points out.
In 2016, Pope Francis sent a delegation of his firefighters to rescue victims of the Amatrice earthquake in central Italy.
At the Vatican, they also provide security service at the heliport in the gardens during the Pope's take-offs and landings.
Some rescues carried out by the firefighters in their midnight-blue uniforms receive more media coverage than others.
In 2019, for example, the sovereign of the small state -- that is, Pope Francis himself -- was trapped for 25 minutes in an elevator at his residence, St. Martha, due to a power failure. The fire department came to his rescue.
This amusing episode caused a delay of several minutes to the Sunday Angelus prayer — a rare occurrence in the history of the papacy — and the Pontiff publicly thanked the fire department, triggering applause from the crowd.
In February 2022, St. Peter's Square was the scene of an extraordinary rescue: perched on their large ladder, the Vatican City firefighters intervened to save a cat trapped on Bernini's colonnade, before a growing crowd of wide-eyed onlookers. After several attempts, the feline fell some 16 meters ... before getting back up and running away, alive and well.
A risky job, even when there’s no fire
The job of a Vatican firefighter is not a quiet one. Last June, the daily Il Messaggero reported that a routine intervention at the Vatican Museums almost ended in disaster. While a fireman was rescuing birds trapped between the roof and a false ceiling, the latter gave way and the man fell nearly six meters. In the end, he was more frightened than hurt: transported to the Gemelli hospital, he escaped unharmed.
The Vatican fire department has its own feast day, December 4, for St. Barbara, patron saint of Italian firefighters. And every year at Christmas time, tourists from all over the world can admire their “Firefighters' Creche,” displayed under the colonnades of St. Peter's Basilica. The work is housed in an oversized fire extinguisher, a fire truck, or any other item representing this unusual corps.
