In the wake of the "Health and Safety for Firefighters of the Mediterranean Area" project, approved by the European Commission for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities on 22 August 2008, the present Vademecum was drawn up for firefighters and their trade union representatives by the project's Steering Committee.

The main target is the definition of an European standard on health and safety for firefighters by means of the development, the elaboration and the implementation of a common strategy to improve - amongst other contractual conditions - occupational safety and health of firefighters.