Recently, the Northern Ireland Branch of the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) held an in-depth and well-attended Heritage Fire Day at Castle Ward.
This event brought together professionals from across the fire safety, conservation, and heritage sectors. The day focused on the unique challenges and innovative solutions engineers must develop in protecting
historic buildings from fire.
Held in the atmospheric 18 th century National Trust property, the event featured four expert speakers who brought a wealth of experience and practical insight into the fire risk management of such historic properties. Opening the day long talk was Mabel Higgins who focused on Historical Building and Compliance with Legislation – Case Study. She is a fire engineer with over 23 years of construction experience working in both the public and private sectors and holds a wealth of expert experience in both
private practice and contracting roles.
Following was Andrew Nicholson, who has over twenty-five years of experience and knowledge as a chartered fire engineer to solve fire safety challenges for various building types and uses. His presentation on “How to develop a fire strategy for a heritage building” outlined the importance of balancing historic and modern concerns. His speech emphasised the importance of risk assessments for older buildings, engagement and why the use of sympathetic interventions was key to preserving and protecting
older buildings.
The third speaker was Tony Burridge who is an Operational Risk Business Partner for Fire Wales and Northern Ireland. Tony showcased a presentation on how the National Trust manage fire safety across their property portfolio which spans across residential, commercial and historic properties. He also focused on the complexities of managing fire safety across a diverse range of properties.
Finally, Steve Emery took to the stage who set up Heritage Fire Consultancy Limited in 2022, following his retirement from Oxford University. His talk entitled “Extinction Alert- The nuts and bolts of historic doors” delved into the critical and often overlooked role that timber doors play in heritage fire safety. It is always a balancing act of whether to implement new doors to function as fire breaks or to lean into conservatism to keep the character of the building alive.
Throughout the day, professionals and attendees had the opportunity to network, share experiences and discuss these increasingly important topics. It was clear the appetite and care that would be needed to preserve historical, irreplaceable buildings for future generations.
The Northern Ireland IFE branch would like to extend thanks to the speakers, attendees and all those who helped to organise this exciting event. In future they hope to continue to hold events such as these to increase interest in the topic and reinforce the branch’s commitment to advancing fire engineering knowledge for the fire sector.
The IFE is the professional membership body for those in the fire safety sector. Represented globally across its 35 branches, the IFE hosts a range of events, webinars and CPD for its members. Visit www.ife.org.uk/events to keep up to date with our upcoming events.
