The tragic loss of life from fire has been in both UK and international headlines over recent weeks. Multi-fatal fires in Philadelphia and New York City followed a tragic fire with multiple loss of life in London serving as a reminder of the need to keep fire safety at the top of the safety agenda. In a world where we have lost an eye-watering number of people as a result of the pandemic we should not lose sight of the risks associated with fire and the efforts to prevent and respond to them.
I cannot recall where I heard the phrase ‘we promote what we permit,’ but I do know I’ve used it as both advice and to call someone out for their behaviour and actions on many occasions.
As fire-engineering professionals we have a duty to set standards and examples and then to maintain them. As a Principal Officer I was involved in a major build project for a new headquarters and fire station. The project had been born out of the identified need and a tortuous route to secure funding and support from political masters led by the Chief Fire Officer. As seems inevitable in build projects, the project costs increased beyond the initial budget and there was a need to close the funding gap through a value-engineering process. One of the many proposals to achieve this, as presented by the local authority project manager, was to remove the sprinkler system from the specification for both buildings. Of course, this was a non-negotiable requirement, the sprinkler system remained in the specification and other acceptable adjustments were made. It seemed incredible at the time that the idea was even presented. How could the fire and rescue service possibly promote sprinklers as an option if we didn’t install them in our own buildings? Of course, what was being played out in front of us was something that must have led to many planned safety features being removed through a value-engineering process to deliver minimum standards rather than appropriate standards but in our case, we had to show leadership and set an example.
As a profession we have to be the arbiters of fire-safety standards, a role that brings great responsibility. From fire engineering in the design stage, approval of plans and specifications, installation of passive and active fire-safety features, inspection and where necessary enforcement action to deal with failures and through safe systems of work and incident investigation and review. When a fire does occur, as fire-engineering professionals we are rightly scrutinised if things go wrong yet often we face challenges in doing what is right.
Our professional credibility is based on centuries of experience and learning. Professional qualifications provide the evidence of knowledge gained and the acquisition and application of standards and skills enable us to demonstrate competency, provide confidence in the ability of our profession and enable us to say we are professionals. This is something to be valued and protected by us all but being a professional requires maintenance of knowledge and competence. If we are asked if we are professionals, not only must we be able to confidently answer ‘yes’ but we must also be in a position to prove it if challenged.
In my experience the vast majority of fire professionals who work outside of fire and rescue services can answer the challenge of ‘prove it’ but what about our Firefighters? Are they in a position to prove that they are professionals? I truly believe they are, but I also think there are missed opportunities for Firefighters in all roles to proudly celebrate their knowledge, skills and competence through professional accreditation. Our Ambulance Paramedic colleagues operate within a protected title and are required to achieve an accredited qualification in order to be registered to practice. Is this something that the UK fire and rescue service should aspire to and achieve, and if so, what benefits could this bring? I believe it should. As for benefits, I think these would include raising the credibility of firefighting as a profession, raising standards across fire and rescue services and acknowledging the skills and competencies required in the profession. The structure for such a qualification will most likely already exist through the national occupational standards and the examinations structure of the Institution of Fire Engineers. I would like to challenge the leaders of the fire and rescue service, representative bodies, professional institutions and firefighters themselves to make this happen. You are professionals so prove it.
Phase two of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry recommenced after the Christmas break with the closing statements for modules 5 and 6. The remaining two modules will then commence.
The misery for some owners of flats with unsafe cladding continues, and in January, Housing Secretary Michael Gove warned companies who had cut corners or mis-sold unsafe cladding that the government was ‘coming for you’. The announcement followed a news report exposing the fact that four and a half years after the Grenfell Tower fire, 40% of buildings in England with the same type of cladding remain to be made safe.
The Scottish Government has announced that changes to the Housing (Scotland) Act announced in response to the Grenfell Tower fire will become law this month (February 2022). The legislation was agreed in 2019 and became law in February 2022 following a delay due to Covid. The change in law will ensure that everyone in Scotland has the same level of protection whether they own or rent their home.
Stay safe, set the standard and promote what you permit.
For more information, email phil.martin@ukfiremag.co.uk
