Prague firefighters 3D print their own mounts, brackets and spare parts at the city’s central fire station, cutting the cost of some parts by around 90 to 95 percent.
The Fire Rescue Service of the Capital City of Prague was founded in 1853 and is the oldest professional fire brigade in the Czech Republic. Its crews handle up to 2,500 emergency dispatches a year. Prusa Research, the Prague-based printer maker, described the project in a recent blog post.
A Firefighter’s Side Project
The idea did not come from management. It started with Lukáš, an active firefighter who prints at home as a hobby. Small parts at a fire station constantly need quick fixes. A flashlight bracket snaps, a radio mount works loose, or a tool needs securing inside a fire engine worth half a million dollars.
After the crew visited the Prusa Research factory, the company provided a printer for a pilot program at the station. The firefighters now work with a Prusa CORE One L. Its enclosed, temperature-controlled chamber lets them print tough materials without warping.
“Having a 3D printer right here in the station changes everything,” the crew explained. “We design it, print it, and fix the issue on the spot, exactly how we want it.”
Around 67 firefighters work at the central station across three 24-hour shifts. Each shift has one trained operator who runs the printer and keeps material waste low. Station leadership also sees a benefit for mental health, since printing gives the crew a creative outlet between calls.
Tested in Flame
Most parts come out in Prusa Orange. The color matches the high-visibility orange on Czech fire engines, so tools are easy to spot in dark truck compartments. Every printed part faces heat and direct flame in the brigade’s Flashover Container training facility before use.
The crew has replaced slippery wooden door wedges with printed wedges that grip wet tiles. Heavy metal elevator keys gave way to light printed versions that fit in a jacket pocket. Broken helmet brackets used to mean buying expensive original vendor parts. Printing them in-house on demand saves around 90 to 95 percent.
For water rescues, the team prints hard-to-find dry suit pressure plugs. That lets them run leak tests locally instead of waiting weeks for supplier parts.
Offline by Design
As a state agency, the fire service must follow strict cybersecurity rules from NÚKIB, the Czech National Cyber and Information Security Agency. Printers that depend on external clouds and closed software are hard to fit within those rules. The station’s Prusa runs fully offline. Files move by USB drive or over a secure local network using PrusaLink.
Two specialized divisions take the technology further. The Technical Department keeps heavy rescue trucks, ladder rigs and water pumps running. It prints interior trim, custom hose adapters and heavy-duty tool mounts instead of waiting months for factory parts. Prague’s urban search and rescue (USAR) unit deploys to earthquakes and building collapses worldwide. It prints lightweight camera mounts, sensor cases and rugged transport gear.
Other fire stations across the Czech Republic have adopted 3D printing as well. Regional brigades swap digital models, test results and printing tips. They share open-source designs on Printables.com and meet at regional workshops.
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Source: Prusa Research
