Fire Industry Association (FIA) News

FIREX International Connect 2021 is a brand-new, month-long digital event running throughout June. The upcoming FIREX International in-person event will take place at ExCeL London from 12-14 July, providing the first opportunity in over two years for the fire safety industry to unite face-to-face. “Both events present unmissable opportunities for the industry to reconnect and explore the innovative approaches to fire safety that have been born out of a challenging year,” said Chris...

Upon BAFE’s acquisition of the Fire Industry Association (FIA) Awarding Organization last year, FireQual was established and has been diligently working on developing this platform to offer qualifications for individuals working in the fire safety industry. FireQual’s development FireQual is pleased to announce that approval has now been achieved from both Northern Ireland’s (CCEAR) and Scotland’s (SQAA) regulatory bodies to offer qualifications covering fire safety w...

The pioneer of the UK’s largest fire protection trade association has chosen the ‘Best of British’ manufacturing for new fire extinguishers throughout his fire equipment factory.  Derek Gotts, the Chair of the Fire Industry Association, has fitted Britannia Fire’s game-changing composite P50 across his Cambridgeshire factory that makes and supplies equipment for fire and rescue services. Seamless The Supply Plus Managing Director, who also sits on several British...

Following significant requests from customers, Apollo Fire Detectors have expanded their portfolio of free webinars and virtual CPD’s. In order to continue providing its training service throughout the national lockdown, Apollo released a selection of over 15 virtual courses in May 2020. The courses have been a huge success with thousands of attendees from over 30 countries taken advantage of the weekly sessions. Due to this success, and COVID-19 restrictions being in place once again in...

For anyone who is not aware and is responsible for fire extinguishers within their building, there has been a change for class D Powder extinguishers (which are used for metal fires). This change has been introduced with BS 5306-10:2019, published 31/10/2020, and supersedes BS 7863:2009 (which is withdrawn). clearer differentiation Guidance published in December 2020 by FIA (Fire Industry Association), states, “The major change is the color-code for class D Powder extinguishers (fo...

With the announcement from Prime Minister Boris Johnson, a national lockdown is now in effect until further notice. New guidance New coronavirus lockdown guidance has been issued for “people who are fit and well”. It is advised that “you must not leave or be outside of your home except where you have a reasonable excuse”.  The guidance clearly states that a “reasonable excuse” includes working “where it is unreasonable for you...

COVID-19 dominated the headlines in 2020, and it had a profound impact on the fire industry. TheBigRedGuide.com published many articles about the pandemic and its impact, some of which were among the most-read articles of the year. This retrospective will highlight some of those pandemic-related articles, including links to the original content.  The Fire Industry Association (FIA) in the United Kingdom published a survey report on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The survey, conduc...

A clear indication of both, the company’s improved relationship with Government, and the incredible effort of individuals, is the secondment of two specialists from FIA members to the Department of International Trade - UK Defence and Security Exports. Here is what the key people involved in this great partnership have to say. Ian Moore, CEO, FIA: "Working with Government for our members and the wider industry is, and has always been, a key priority. We are proud our relationship with Gov...

FIA announced a new course in Evacuation Alert Systems (BS 8629), this training is the first of its kind and emanates from the work that has been done since the Grenfell Tower tragedy. The training course can be taken online and, in the future, it will be able to be taken in class to enable learners to choose a teaching style that suits their needs. Evacuation Of Residents Ian Moore CEO of the FIA added, “The FIA has been involved from day one with the Evacuation Alert System concept."...

The FIA has unveiled its participation as a founding member in a new, industry-wide initiative designed to attract and develop a new generation of fire protection engineers.  Zitko Talent Zitko Talent is an alliance of major manufacturers, installation companies and educators Zitko Talent is an alliance of major manufacturers, installation companies and educators, who will be providing an intensive 12-month program of salaried work experience, training, and development. The program is s...

The FIA has unveiled its participation as a founding member in a new, industry-wide initiative designed to attract and develop a new generation of fire protection engineers. Zitko Talent is an alliance of leading manufacturers, installation companies and educators who will be providing an intensive 12-month program of salaried work experience, training and development. The program is suitable for a wide audience, from college leavers and career changers to engineers wishing to cross-train from...

Jactone is delighted to announce the recent appointment of the company’s Managing Director, Craig Halford to the position of Chair of the Fire Industry Association Extinguishing Council. In turn, the organization is also delighted that as a result of the appointment, Craig Halford assumes his position on the Fire Industry Association’s Board of Directors. Jactone is committed to the work of the Fire Industry Association (FIA) and is particularly interested in contributing to the dev...

Valuation and home survey processes were previously insufficient to establish whether or not external cladding on high-rise buildings [over 18 m height] contains combustible material and therefore would facilitate the spread of fire. Following the Grenfell tragedy and subsequent MHCLG [Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government] guidance, RICS [Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors] along with UKF [UK Finance] and BSA [Building Societies Association] developed so-called EWS-1 form...

Integrated Fire Safety Systems Ltd, a provider in the design, installation, commissioning, and service of fire safety systems has announces it has attained Loss Prevention Standard (LPS) 1014 certified status. This is part of its ongoing strategy to expand its list of accreditations and certifications and provide customers with the reassurance that they comply with, and correctly manage system design, installation, commissioning and servicing of fire detection and alarm systems. Fire and secur...

New COVID-19 restrictions have been introduced by the Government, announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.  While this does not directly affect fire safety work, BAFE would fully support the advice that the stronger requirements for face coverings should be implemented consistently within the fire safety industry. This is especially important with technicians working on-site at care facilities and other buildings where vulnerable people may be exposed to the virus. Controlling COVID-19...

BAFE and the FIA announced the acquisition of the FIA AO by BAFE FireQual Ltd. BAFE strongly believe this will be a significant opportunity for the fire industry to develop an exciting range of accredited qualifications to meet the demand for quality assurance of individual skill and expertise required by the industry. This necessity was heightened by the Grenfell tragedy and its subsequent reports outlined by Dame Judith Hackitt and the Competency Steering Group. Dame Judith Hackitt stated: &l...

Carl Bryan, Managing Director WAGNER UK, offers CPD accredited training as part of the Fire Industry Association (FIA) online training on 10 September 2020. For one hour he will talk about the fire prevention solution with oxygen reduction. He will explain the technology behind and the advantages of using a hypoxic environment as a fire prevention solution. Participants will also be informed about the key considerations when specifying, designing and operating such systems. Interested parties s...

The FIA is pleased to announce that following extensive and detailed discussions with BAFE, the independent register of third-party certificated fire safety service providers, that BAFE will be acquiring the operation of the FIA AO. BAFE will be establishing FireQual Ltd as an OFQUAL-approved Awarding Body to run the existing fire detection and alarm qualification examinations and to develop new qualifications across the fire sector that will support the call for greater competence and availabi...

The FIA is pleased to announce that following extensive and detailed discussions with BAFE, the independent register of Third Party Certificated fire safety service providers, BAFE will be acquiring the operation of the FIA AO.   BAFE will be establishing FireQual Ltd as an OFQUAL-approved Awarding Body to run the existing Fire Detection and Alarm qualification examinations and to develop new qualifications across the fire sector that will support the call for greater competence and avail...

SELECT has helped shape a new Occupational Qualification Structure by the Fire, Emergency and Security Systems (FESS) industry that will lead to Electrotechnical Certification Scheme (ECS) Card recognition. Aimed at promoting high standards and skills, the new structure has been developed by an industry-wide working group formed by SELECT and other trade associations and employer representatives including: British Security Industry Association (BSIA) FESS Employer Group Fire Industry Assoc...

FIA’s Northern Ireland Week was originally scheduled to be held in March 2020; however, due to the effects of COVID-19, it will now be held in Belfast at the Titanic Centre Belfast on 16th -17th March 2021. FIA has been working closely with the Titanic Centre for many months throughout this unprecedented period of lives to ensure they will be in a strong position to deliver a safe environment for the exhibitors, visitors and staff. Scientific and political advice After consultation with...

Life safety devices, such as detectors and beacons, need to be as dependable as possible. While manufacturers may state that their products meet the industry agreed standards, the small print may say otherwise and require the meeting of more complex certification. For multi-sensors, this is of particular importance. In the face of constant technological innovation, multi-sensors have been hailed as one of the most advanced forms of life safety detection. Defined by BS 5839 as “a fire dete...

COVID-19 has shaped and altered the fire protection industry in recent months, and the Fire Industry Association (FIA) in the United Kingdom has published a survey report on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The survey, conducted by FIA, sought to gain a greater understanding of how organizations have been impacted by COVID-19 and of the impact on the wider fire industry now and in the future. Resilience is a recurring theme in the FIA report. At the time of the survey (when the United Ki...

The government is seeking views on proposals to strengthen the Fire Safety Order, implement Grenfell Tower Inquiry recommendations, and strengthen the regulatory framework for how building control bodies consult with Fire and Rescue Authorities. The government is determined to continue to learn the lessons from the Grenfell Tower fire, and reform building and fire safety to ensure that such a tragedy can never happen again. Fire safety consultation proposals To strengthen the Regulatory Ref...

FIA has just published a new guide that reviews best practice and the Standards underpinning contemporary fire detection systems for use in high airflow environments, including those used to automatically activate fixed gaseous fire extinguishing systems. It focuses on UK practice, identifying relevant codes, and describing how they are used to achieve effective detection systems in these challenging environments. The document does not consider special hazards with liquid fuel fires and fast fl...

The multi-year agreement will see the launch of the Fire and Security Matters Awards, which take place at the Ricoh Arena in 2022 with entries for the event set to open in the year 2022. The event aims to recognize excellence and innovation in the fire and security sectors and will be supported by the industries’ publications Fire Safety Matters and Security Matters. Fire Safety Matters will also publish an essential annual guide to the UK’s fire safety sector in...

With the Grenfell Tower fire exposing serious flaws ‘across the whole system of building and managing high-rise homes’. Resultantly, the government asked Dame Judith Hackitt to ‘carry out an independent review of building regulations and fire safety to understand the causes of the fire’. The report found that ‘the whole system needed major reform and that residents’ safety needed to be a greater priority through the entire life cycle of a building – fro...

The Fire Industry Association (FIA) announces the launch of the new Level 3 qualification on BS 5839-6, “FIA AO Fundamentals of Fire Detection and Alarm Systems in Domestic Premises.” The new OFQUAL recognized qualification has been carefully designed to deliver a great introduction to a key part of the Fire Detection & Alarm (FD&A) sector. British Standard, BS 5839-6:2019 provides detailed recommendations for fire detection and fire alarm systems in all domestic premises la...

COVID-19 has overwhelmingly been the biggest issue to shape and change the industry, lives, and world in recent history. The FIA has been asked directly by the Government to consult with their members as they are keen to hear how the industry has been affected and how they can work with their industry to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19. fire industry professionals The company has put together this survey addressed to fire industry professionals so that the industry can effectively gather the...

With many businesses and facilities re-opening sites following the Coronavirus lockdown, fire safety may not seem high on the list to other worries and responsibilities. But here, Mandy Bowden, Fire Business Development Manager at Comelit Group UK, led by fire industry bodies, demonstrates why it must be a priority, ensuring installation of systems is guided by best practice in accordance with the development, and fire safety measures are maintained and regularly tested to ensure compliance. Fi...