Protection for the Rescuers
Interview with Anne-Lise Artaud, Marketing Manager of LION EMEA BV
Protecting people to save others: This has been the core mission of LION for over 125 years, a traditional provider of firefighting equipment in the USA. The European branch focuses primarily on the training needs of local fire departments. Marketing Manager Anne-Lise Artaud discussed current innovations with the Wirtschaftsforum.
Wirtschaftsforum: Ms. Artaud, LION EMEA has a clear mission to protect firefighters on duty as effectively as possible - how do you ensure to achieve this goal in everyday life?
Anne-Lise Artaud: LION originally comes from the USA and has a history spanning over 125 years in its home market - the clear focus there is on the development, manufacture, and distribution of personal protective equipment. This not only ensures the safety of first responders in the extreme conditions of out-of-control fires but also provides them with the freedom they need to move freely in their clothing and with their equipment and to fully concentrate on the task at hand. Our subsidiary LION EMEA focuses its activities in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and the Pacific region mainly on training and education.
Wirtschaftsforum: What are the exact challenges in this context - and how can LION meet them?
Anne-Lise Artaud: Whether you ask a volunteer fire department, state emergency responders, or the factory fire brigade of a chemical plant: Everyone will agree that consistent preparation for emergencies plays a key role so that all participants can react properly when it matters: Because then lives are possibly at risk and every action must be precise. To achieve this, one must regularly practice these emergency situations - well-rehearsed routines are crucial so that no one freezes in shock when things get serious. However, practicing under real conditions is not only complex, costly, and potentially harmful to health, but also problematic in terms of environmental impact. After all, toxic fumes are released when, for example, wood or gas is burned to simulate a fire. Meanwhile, LION EMEA has developed a concept where it can be done differently.
Wirtschaftsforum: What alternatives are available?
Anne-Lise Artaud: With digital training technology that simulates fire quite realistically, about three quarters of the training requirements can already be covered. Here, teams can practice the techniques they would apply in an emergency, and they can implement what they have understood in theory into practice—at a fraction of the cost. Next, a fire simulation using gas can be performed—bringing us much closer to the real fire conditions, however, without the health and environmental risks associated with the combustion of other materials. In the end, a final exercise under real conditions can still be performed—with significant cost savings and much lower health and environmental risks.
Wirtschaftsforum: Do you also have to consider the diverse requirements of firefighters in Europe and America with your solutions?
Anne-Lise Artaud: There are indeed differences: American first responders tend to quickly enter a building and then extinguish the fires very rapidly and decisively. For this, they need robust equipment that can withstand high temperatures over a longer period of time. Their European colleagues, on the other hand, are more likely to first analyze precisely what type of fire it is and whether anyone needs to enter the building to extinguish the fire before they proceed very methodically, sometimes almost acrobatically. Here, the protective clothing must also be designed for the greatest possible mobility.
Wirtschaftsforum: How does LION EMEA also engage beyond mere training needs?
Anne-Lise Artaud: We aim to support firefighters holistically before, during, and after their mission—for instance, also with the cleaning and reconditioning of equipment, so it is ready for the next emergency. These tasks are anything but trivial or safe. Looking ahead, we will significantly expand our product portfolio in order to offer in Europe all the solutions that LION has developed in its home market, the USA. Moreover, we are now also offering rental and leasing solutions, for instance, if the acquisition of a training system for a specific fire brigade unit would not be economically justifiable—such as for training for special types of fires that rarely need to be fought in the respective area of operation. Anyone who wants to get a detailed look at our portfolio is cordially invited to join us in June 2026 at Interschutz in Hannover, where we look forward to every contact.