RiskUKOctober2017

FIA Technical Briefing: Qualifications in the Fire Sector
The second objective listed in our
Memorandum of Association is all about
providing education and training for the sector.
Consequently, the FIA is well placed to offer
training that can help to prove competence. The
organisation has been running fire detection
and alarm training for over 20 years (since its
formation in 2007 and in its previous guise as
the BFPSA) having trained more than 30,000
delegates across its 17 different courses.
Current run rates are 300 courses across the
year around the country, providing training for
circa 4,000 delegates every year. FIA training
has become a widespread requirement in fire
detection and alarm technicians’ recruitment,
and it’s fair to suggest that qualifications will
only enhance this truism still further.
This year, the FIA is proud to have become an
approved Awarding Organisation which, in
essence, means that we can now write
qualifications which are then approved by the
Office of Qualifications and Examinations
Regulation (Ofqual) and other official
Government bodies for examinations. The FIA
spent years researching and creating the
qualifications, talking to members and training
customers to find out what they wanted from a
qualification. We then tested what we learned
from surveys. The results helped us to design
and create our qualifications.
The four new qualifications in fire detection
and alarms are currently being developed to
enhance the learner’s knowledge even further
than before. The FIA’s present training provision
will eventually be phased out for the new
qualifications, since these will contain new
areas and topics not previously seen within the
provision currently given.
Four units to study
For each of the four qualifications there are four
units to study. Three units are common to each
of the qualifications. These are: Foundation,
Health and Safety and Environment. Learners
must pass each stage in order to progress to
the next unit. Thereafter, they can then choose
a specialist advanced unit in their chosen area,
whether that be design, installation,
maintenance or commissioning.
In the Foundation Unit, the learner develops
their knowledge and understanding of fire
safety legislation (which is different depending
on whether you’re in England and Wales,
Scotland or Northern Ireland), as well as
relevant standards, Best Practice and the
theory that underpins all of the advanced
principles in the later specialist advanced units.
The standard for the qualifications is
incredibly high. Experts from across the
industry have collaborated to create the course
content and write the examinations.
There will not be an examination-only option
for those who think that they already have
enough knowledge to pass. This is because the
qualification is comprehensive, and the
questions will be complex, so we believe
people need to complete the course to have
learned enough to pass the exams at the end of
each unit. These are likely to be demanding and
extensive so learners will really need to put in
the hours of education. We estimate that the
average time for an examination will be twoand-a-half
hours.
This isn’t a simple exercise. It’s a test of a
learner’s knowledge. We think it will be the vital
step that raises the level of professionalism in
fire detection and makes those working in the
field expert professionals, which should
improve the industry for everyone.
Going back to the beginning, what will the
future bring? We don’t know for certain, but it
looks like there will be a trend of moving
towards higher levels of professionalism in the
industry. If we were to look deep into that
crystal ball, it would say: “Qualifications are
the new black”. Better quality service
technicians mean a better quality of service.
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booking system goes live,
sign up to receive the Fire
Industry Association’s e-mail
Newsletter at www.fia.uk.com
“While price alone might lead the way on some purchasing
decisions, that isn’t always the case. Many discerning
purchasers will look to discover if they’re receiving a good
level of service for their money”
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