The Emergency Services Show returns to the NEC Birmingham on 16–17 September 2026, bringing the blue light community together for two days of innovation, knowledge sharing and collaboration.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, The Emergency Services Show is expected to connect more than 16,000 emergency services professionals with over 500 leading brands, spanning police, fire and rescue, ambulance, search and rescue, voluntary organisations and supporting sectors.
For the professional clothing and PPE industry, the event provides an important opportunity to examine how the equipment protecting frontline personnel continues to evolve.
Protecting the protectors
Few sectors place greater demands on professional clothing and PPE than the emergency services.
Garments and equipment must provide protection in challenging environments while simultaneously addressing comfort, mobility, fit, durability and the individual requirements of the wearer.
However, the conversation around protection is becoming increasingly broad.
Long-term wearer health, contamination, inclusivity, lifecycle management, connected equipment and the use of data are all becoming important considerations alongside the fundamental protective performance of PPE.
These themes will be visible throughout The Emergency Services Show 2026.
From PPE to connected protection
Technology is increasingly changing what frontline protection can achieve.
Developments in connected PPE and wearable technology are giving emergency services new opportunities to understand conditions in real time, improve situational awareness and provide incident commanders with greater visibility of personnel operating in hazardous environments.
At the same time, manufacturers continue to advance the garments themselves.
New materials, improved ergonomic design and greater consideration of different body types are helping the industry move towards PPE that protects the wearer without unnecessarily restricting movement or compromising comfort.
The challenge for manufacturers is increasingly to combine these requirements into a complete protective system.
Firefighter health beyond the incident
One of the most significant developments within the fire sector is the growing focus on what happens to PPE after exposure.
Fireground contaminants can remain within protective clothing following an incident, making effective cleaning and decontamination an important part of the wider conversation around firefighter health.
This issue has already been a major focus for PCIAW® in 2026.
During the PCIAW® Fire Buyers’ Network delegation to INTERSCHUTZ, representatives from fire and rescue services explored developments ranging from PFAS-free technologies and improved garment ergonomics to specialist PPE decontamination.
The Emergency Services Show provides another important opportunity for the industry and end-users to continue these conversations.
Knowledge sharing at the heart of ESS 2026
Innovation on the exhibition floor will be complemented by a substantial programme of professional development and industry discussion.
More than 50 CPD-accredited sessions will take place across the event, addressing practical challenges and emerging priorities for frontline and strategic emergency services professionals.
Among the programme is the Protecting the Protectors Stage, sponsored by PCIAW® member MSA Safety, which will focus on frontline health, hazards and risks, public-space safety and workforce resilience.
New for 2026 are further initiatives including Fleet of the Future, a two-day Local Resilience Forum Conference and the Resilience360° Summit, broadening the discussion around how emergency services prepare for, respond to and recover from increasingly complex challenges.
The Emergency Tech Show will also run alongside ESS, showcasing developments across AI, communications, digital systems, data and other technologies designed to improve operational decision-making.
Bringing buyers and the supply chain together
Events such as The Emergency Services Show provide more than an opportunity to showcase new products.
They allow manufacturers, suppliers, procurement professionals and frontline users to exchange knowledge about what is working, what needs to change and where innovation can make a genuine difference.
For PCIAW®, this connection between the supply chain and end-users remains particularly important.
Through initiatives including the PCIAW® Fire Buyers’ Network, the Association continues to support dialogue between manufacturers and the organisations responsible for specifying, procuring and ultimately wearing professional clothing and PPE.
As the emergency services community gathers in Birmingham, PCIAW® looks forward to seeing the latest developments helping to improve protection, performance and wellbeing for those working on the frontline.
The Emergency Services Show takes place on 16–17 September 2026 at the NEC Birmingham.
