The title and function of a ‘fire engineer’ is to be more tightly regulated, the government has said.
One of the recommendations in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry’s final report was the establishment of a Fire Engineers Advisory Panel, which, on December 17, set out key principles for regulation and reform of the discipline. These include statutory regulation of the title and function of fire engineer, whose ‘central, protected function’ should be the preparation of fire-safety strategies.
In its response, the government has promised to introduce legislation, on which a detailed consultation will take place later this year.
The development of a competent fire engineer should be a structured process, combining formally accredited education and supervised professional experience, comparable with other engineering disciplines, the panel’s statement said. Fire engineers also require ‘deep understanding and knowledge’ of core architectural and engineering principles, fire science, human behaviour, and regulations relevant to buildings and fire safety.
The panel has also advised that the scope of buildings and critical infrastructure that require fire-safety strategies should go beyond the existing definition of a higher-risk building.
