The performances of one of the best rescuers in the world. How does the firefighter who coordinates the best team of rescue climbers in Romania train

A firefighter from Botoșani is one of the best rescue climbers in the world. His name is Ionuț Honciuc and he succeeds both individually and as a member of the IGSU national team to get important places at international competitions dedicated to rescuers.

Ionuț Honciuc (left of the image), with one of his colleagues. PHOTO Cosmin Zamfirache

Romanian firefighters are among the best rescue climbers in the world. And this is proven by the results at international competitions obtained in recent years. Among them, Adjutant Platoon Ionuț Honciuc, from the Inspectorate for Emergency Situations Botoșani, who was designated, in 2025, the best team leader of a team of intervention climbers, stands out. Intervention climbers are rescuers who intervene in borderline, dangerous situations, either at height or deep in wells or underground industrial structures, using techniques and equipment specific to mountaineering. Ionuț Honciuc also stood out in difficult and complex tests on an international level.

Performance in the world of lifesavers

Ionuț Honciuc is part of the “national team” of rescuers from Romania, i.e. from the IGSU group that participates in international competitions dedicated to intervention climbers from fire departments around the world. The IGSU team, which includes the best Romanian rescuers from emergency inspectorates, managed to achieve notable results in difficult and renowned competitions, becoming among the best in the world, that is, in the top 10. For example, in 2024, at GrimpDay, a prestigious competition that brings together teams from all over the world, held in Namur, Belgium, the IGSU team took 6th place.

Ionuț Honciuc (left of the image, standing, with glasses) with his team PHOTO ISU Botoșani

At the Rescue Great Day, an international competition held in Seville, Spain, also in 2024, and which brought together 34 professional teams from all over the world, the team of Romanian firefighters managed to rank 4th. They proved their skill, for three days, in fire tests, such as the rescue, recovery and evacuation of victims or animals, both from the natural environment, such as be dams or rocky areas, but also from large urban, industrial structures. In individual events, within GrimpDay 2024, Ionuț Honciuc from ISU Botoșani placed third in the 70-meter rope climbing event. Also at GrimpDay, but a year ago, in 2023, in Marsillia, in France, the adjutant platoon leader from Botoşani also got third place in a strength and skill competition.

The best team leader of intervention climbers in Romania

The platoon adjutant from Botošan also participates in the most famous profile competitions at the national level. For example, at the beginning of October, the team of mountaineers-rescuers of ISU Botoșani, with Ionuț Honciuc as team leader, participated in the HERO Romania competition, which brings together firefighting teams from all over the country. In this competition, the teams experienced very difficult trials of rescue at height, in extreme conditions, from the evacuation of victims from tall buildings to interventions on construction sites and difficult terrain, under time pressure.

Ionuț Honciuc at the height. PHOTO: IGSU

The team from Botoșani ranked second nationally and Ionuț Honciuc won first place in the team leader category. In other words, he is the best team leader of an intervention climbing team in the country. The result was somewhat natural given his international performances. Ionel Buta, Ovidiu Temciuc, Flavius ​​Țuca, Cezar Toma and Andrei Apopi were also part of the adjutant platoon leader's team.

“We are preparing to intervene in several risk areas”

Ionuț Honciuc has been working as a firefighter in the Botoşani Fire Department for 17 years, always being on duty when needed. In 2019, proving good physical qualities and rescuer skills, Ionuț participated in a competition organized by IGSU, at the national level. There he discovered intervention climbing. It was love at first sight. Since then he has dedicated himself to this type of rescue which requires a very good physical condition, a lot of courage, precision, but also thorough knowledge.

Taking a victim PHOTO IGSU

“We are preparing to intervene in several risk areas, in urban areas, rescues from buildings, all kinds of constructions with metal scaffolding and many others. We can even use climbing techniques for certain river rescues. In our area, in Botoșani, for example, we do not have heights, mountains, and most of the interventions we participate in are extraction and rescue from wells, wells, spaces narrow. Then we use climbing accessories, ropes, tripods, complex harnesses”explains Platoon Adjutant Ionuț Honciuc. The passion for intervention climbing, but also the proven qualities, brought Ionuț to the specialized training camps organized by IGSU all over the country. “The preparation is very complex, we prepare based on the courses organized by IGSU”adds the intervention climber from Botoșani.

Fire station converted into training center for climbers

In addition to the firemen's camps and the courses organized by IGSU, in order to be in shape, Ionuț Honciuc trains daily, both individually and with his team of intervention climbers from ISU Botoșani. For this purpose, the rescuers from Botošan have set up a garage with a considerable height, intended for the intervention vans of the firefighters, in a training center. They have ceiling-to-ceiling belay and belay routes, walls full of climbing equipment and techniques. Even an explanatory “dictionary” of making knots of all types in pictures. It is the world in which Ionuț and his colleagues prepare intensively for the performance, but especially to save lives from places where few would venture. Last but not least, devote a lot of time to study.

Preparing from the garage. PHOTO: Cosmin Zamfirache

“We train intensively, additionally, we see all kinds of techniques, even on social platforms, which we then practice and put into practice, in our training center set up in the garage”confesses Ionuț Honciuc. Thanks to his outstanding performances and qualities, the firefighter from Botoșani made it to the IGSU national team alongside other firefighters from Bucharest, Timiș, Brașov, Alba, Cluj or Sibiu. “For three years I have been part of the national team of intervention climbers and I have participated in many international competitions. The most important competition is GrimpDay where last year we managed to rank 6th. It is a kind of world cup of intervention climbers”claims Ionuț Honciuc.