2014

The Fire Industry Association (FIA) was established

as a not for profit trade association with the
principal objective of the promotion, improvement
and perfecting the methods, devices, services
and apparatus for the protection from fire of life,
property, business continuity and the environment.
Our aims are to achieve this through the
representation of our members, providing technical
support, guidance and a professional platform to
bring industry representatives together in a forum
that complies with applicable regulation.
As a major supplier of training courses, the
promotion of professional standards for the
fire industry continues to evolve with the future
learning and training needs of our members being
constantly reviewed and improved. We also aim to
provide funding for research projects in line with
ourprincipalobjectives.

The FIA continues to go from

strength to strength!
Over the past year the FIA has continued to work hard to support its members and to increase
the level of professionalism in the fire industry.
Because central government has a hands-off approach, it falls to industry bodies such as the
FIA to carry out much of the work in the fire sector. This includes the necessary training for
people in the industry, as well as on-going initiatives to consider qualifications for those parts
of the business where they are currently lacking. This work is underpinned by the European
Services Directive.
The FIA will speak out when necessary and our strong stance on the use of the fire service brand
by arms-length companies has come as a surprise to some parts of Westminster and the UKs
fire fraternity.
Having tried unsuccessfully for several years with both government and representative bodies
to resolve the brand issue, the FIA was left with few remedies to the problem. Now the FIA has
filed a State Aid Complaint with the European Commission. It has been forwarded to the EU
member state authorities for comment.
It is encouraging to see that the market seems to be on the up. In our most recent Market
Conditions Review, almost two-thirds of FIA member companies reported that they had seen an
increase in work enquiries in the previous six months.
Hard work, expertise and strength of resolve are key to a successful trade association and it is
this successful combination that means that the FIA continues to go from strength to strength!

Martin Harvey
Chairman

Graham Ellicott
Chief Executive Officer

1. Membership snapshot
With membership of the FIA growing consistently over
the past 12 months, we look forward to another year
of growth.

Growth

20

59

13

4
1
0

6
4

INFLUENCE
LEGISLATION
FORMULATE
INDUSTRY
BEST
PRACTICE

TRAINING
COURSES

SHAPE
STANDARDS

PUBLICATIONS

Top 5 membership benefits

Leavers and joiners

106
companies
joined

52

left because they

didnt meet 3rd party certification
requirements, or through mergers and acquisitions

Member Satisfaction with the FIA

2014

97.5%
2013

94.5%

Regions by
numbers

5.5%

1.8%
4.2%

11.1%
4.4%

5.8%
12.4%

10.1%

9.7% 34.3%

OVERSEAS

0.7%

2. The most comprehensive

technical fire safety training
The key aspects of technical fire training are covered
through the FIAs suite of 18 training courses delivered
on more than 250 training dates a year.
Since the inception of the training courses over 30,000
delegates have benefitted from courses that range from
basic fire detection design to detailed education for
specific issues.
Our courses cover FD&A, portable fire extinguisher
maintenance, fire risk assessment and more.
www.fia.uk.com/en/training

2013/14

3700
DELEGATES TRAINED

UP
300
COMPARED
WITH
PREVIOUS
YEAR

51
MORE COURSES

THAN 2013

CLASSROOMS AVERAGE

85% full

COURSE

PASS RATE

Unit 1

90%

Units 2 & 3

94%

Unit 4

95%

Unit 5

95%

Unit 6

97%

Unit 7

96%

Unit 9

92%

Unit 11

98%

Combined 1,5 & 4

99%

Electrical Competency

75%

ICEL Emergency Lighting

89%

F-Gas

97%

Intro to Fire in Buildings

80%

Portables

95%

Portables Refresher

98%

NEW COURSES:
2014 Emergency Lighting Advanced Maintenance
2015 Fire Risk Assessor Training

UNIT 1 Fire Detection Design

UNITS 2 & 3 Advanced Detection
& Alarm Design
UNIT 4 Installation
UNIT 5 Fire Alarm Installation
UNIT 6 Advanced
Commissioning
UNIT 7 Fire Extinguishing
Systems &Associated Electrical
and Building Interfaces
UNIT 9 Fire Risk Assessment:
responsibilities and procedures
UNIT 11 Fire Detection and
Alarm Systems for Dwellings,
BS 5839-6

3. Technically speaking
STANDARDS COMMITTEES
INPUT TO MORE THAN 50 BS,
EUROPEAN AND INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS

50

FIA PUBLICATIONS

20

GUIDES, CODES + FACT FILES PUBLISHED

CONTINUAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

CPD DAYS, ATTRACTING AUDIENCES OF AROUND

50 DELEGATES PER EVENT

50

The team receive an

average of more than

50

technical
queries
a month

9%

FIRE
BREAK GLASS
PRESS HERE

60%

Fire Detection
and Alarm Systems

Members v non-members

12%
Portables

Fixed
extinguishing

50/50

Active work items for the Extinguishing, Services and FD&A

Councils
Extinguishing Manufacturers Technical Committee

Infographic: Portables user guidance

Input to CEN/TC70/WG5 EN 3
Input to FSH/2 Fire Extinguishers
Survey: Extinguisher use

WG Foam

Fact File 61 Class A/Wetting agents

Guidance: Firefighting at biomass facilities
Guidance: ECO foams
Update Fact File 3: foam and the environment
Input to CEN/TC 191/WG2 foam systems
Input to ISO/TC21/SC6 foam systems

WG Gases
Guidance on F-Gas Regulation
Guidance on container handling
Input to CEN/TC191/WG6 Gas systems
Input to ISO/TC21/SC8 Gas systems

Non-automatic Fixed Fire Fighting Systems

Hose reel servicing training course
Input to FSH/14/-/5 revisions of BS9990

FIA/BAFSA Watermist group

Guidance: Atria/high ceilings
Input to CEN/TC191/WG6 TG3 watermist
Input to BS 8458 and BS 8489

Portable Servicing Committee

Guidance: Business without premises - open air events and farms
Revision of CFOA/FIA Protocol on fire extinguishers

WG Testing Validation and Measurement

Guidance: Extinguishing container level guide

Testing of FD&A Visual devices
Testing of FD&A Audible devices
Testing of multisensors

Installers and Maintenance Section

Fact File 60: Maintenance of domestic detectors
Detectors for use in BS 6266 applications

Infographic: Maintenance tasks for fire systems

Guidance: Changes to BS 5839-1 & BS 5839-6
Guidance: Procuring fire alarm systems
Guidance: Manufacturers training

FDWG 02 Communications
Guidance: IP connectivity and remote servicing
Guidance: Routing connections to an ARC

 Review EN 54-21
Guidance: Next generation networks

FDWG 03 Fire Alarm Detectors

Guidance: EN 54-27 and FIA CoP

Fact File: Beam detectors
Guidance: Fire detection in data processing centres
Code of Practice: VFD systems

FDWG 05 CIE

Guidance: EN 54-2 OWR, ref BS 5839-1, 11.2 k)

Guidance: The application of surge arrestors
Guidance: The revision of EN 54-13
Guidance: The revision of EN 54-2

FDWG 24 Radio linked devices

Feedback into FIA training on wireless systems

Guidance: New SRD frequencies allocated by ETSI
Guidance: R&TT test requirements in EN 303131
Guidance: The revision of EN 54-25

FDWG 27 Alarm devices

Guidance: EN 54-23 VAD that are battery powered

Revision of joint FIA BRE CoP on VAD
Guidance: Revision of EN 54-3
Guidance: Installation of tactile vibrating devices
Support review of BS 7273-4

FDWG SAD Smoke alarm devices

Guidance: The revision of BS 5446-3
Guidance: The revision of EN 14604

Construction Products Regulations

Review of FIA CPR Guidelines

Fire Risk Assessment Membership

The Fire Risk Assessment Council has been a leading contributor in
the establishment of Third Party Certification for fire risk assessment
(FRA) companies. The Council set a target for FIA FRA members to be
certificated within two years at the point when at least two certification
bodies were ready to offer a UKAS accredited third party certification
scheme. That two year deadline ended in October 2014 and those
members who have not achieved certification have been removed from
the FRA register.

4. FIRESA bedding in
Since the the Fire and Rescue Suppliers Association
(FIRESA) became part of the FIA in April 2013, work has
continued on behalf of the fire and rescue industry.
With significant changes taking place to our Fire and
Rescue Services, the supply sector must play a proactive role and FIRESA Council does so as a strong and
concerted voice that acts as a key influencer in the
decisions that affect the industry.

Current key initiatives

Collaborative
procurement

Innovative
products

National
equipment testing

Memorandum of Understanding
with Chief Fire Officers Association

See us at
International Firex
Emergency Services Show
Fire Fleet and Equipment Show
Sponsors of
Excellence in Fire and
Emergency Awards 2014
Drinks reception at
Emergency Services Show 2014

5. The importance of
compliance
FIA members are required to either be Third Party
Certificated, or working towards it, but we appreciate
that this is not always easy or straightforward for
companies to undertake (that is why being a member of
the FIA sets you apart from other organisations).
If you are looking at becoming a member, but are
struggling with Third Party Certification, our Compliancy
Consultancy Services and Route to Certification Schemes
can help. We can also help with ISO 9001 requirements
for quality management systems and environmental
requirements, including ISO 14001.
Why not contact us to see how we can help you become
our next FIA member?
View our compliance section

7
NEW COMPANIES
SIGNED UP FOR
COMPLIANCE HELP

13 33
MEMBERS MEMBERS

IN 2013/14 IN 2012/13
were not able to renew
membership because they
were unable to meet requirements

FIRST PORTABLE FIRE

EXTINGUISHER COMPANY
PASSED

ISO9001/
BAFE SP101
ASSESSMENT
WITH ASSISTANCE OF FIA
COMPLIANCE MANAGER

6. Convincing overseas
markets to specify UK
products, services and
standards
The 60 members of the FIA Export Council provide all
types of fire safety products and services. In fact, our
membership has grown from 23 members to 60 in the
last five years, an over two and a half fold increase over
that time.
Many are manufacturers and distributors from the active
fire protection and firefighting supply sectors. Others
include standards and certification bodies.
The Export Council acts as a concerted body for UKbased fire industry companies to realise the advantages
of working together as a co-ordinated industry, sharing
information and collectively educating global markets on
the benefits of using UK products, services and standards.

UK COMPANIES
EXPORT

300m
IN ACTIVE FIRE
PROTECTION
PRODUCTS

50M IN
PASSIVE
PROTECTIONS

150m

IN FIRE
FIGHTING
EQUIPMENT

90%

SELL TO

WESTERN
EUROPE

2/
3

EASTERN
EUROPE
ASIA
MIDDLE
EAST

AFRICA

80%

SELL TO

60%
OF MEMBERS EXPORT AT
LEAST A THIRD OF THEIR
PRODUCTS OVERSEAS

9 10 60%
OUT
OF

exporting for at least

established
4
3

2
1

YEARS

7
8
9
10

3
2
1

YEARS

7
8
9
10

OFFER

ACTIVE FIRE
PROTECTION

PASSIVE
PRODUCTS

OFFER
OFFER

FIRE-FIGHTING
PRODUCTS

7. Marketing - developing
relevant and timely content
The aim of marketing used to be to distribute a
marketing message to the masses. These days it is
about reaching out to, engaging with and listening to
customers; providing the information they want, when
they want it. Finding the balance between not over- or
under-communicating.
Which is why we have spent the last year focusing on
ensuring our content is interesting, relevant, engaging
and available in the formats you want it in. The move is
from print to digital as the figures show.

Unique website visitors

2011 83,749

2012 96,596
(+15% yr on yr)

2013 118,575
(+23% yr on yr)

New website
coming
January
2015

2014 Forecast 123,000+

(+4% yr on yr)

2011

6,725,824

2013

4,059,368
(-85% yr on yr)

2012

26,146,572
(+389% yr on yr)
(Unusual vol of
radio/TV activity)

2014

1,492,308 YTD
forecast is 1,700,000
(-58% yr on yr)

Customers moving
away from print
media to digital

Customers reached through PR

Web news items read

2012

34,961

2014

26,445 YTD

42,500 forecast
(+30% yr on yr)

2013

32,668

(-7% yr on yr)

Change in
news
processes in
2013 caused
drop but
now on
the UP

FIA email click throughs to website

2012

6,144

2013

15,488

(+252% yr on yr)

2014

16,479

(+6% yr on yr)

8. Engineering the future

The Fire Engineering Council was formally introduced at
the 2013 AGM and whilst recruiting new members into this
section remains high on the priority list there has been
two projects worthy of note. The first helps to educate and
improve the market conditions and the second takes on
a major issue which was being ignored and would be too
delicate for an individual company to tackle;
Fire Engineering - Scope of Services. The Construction
Industry Council (CIC) publish a series of scopes of
services which are for use on major building projects.
They help define the stages of the construction project
and help identify who does what. Fire Engineering
is often overlooked and therefore by developing a
specific scope of services for fire engineering the idea
is that these will be adopted and help educate the
construction industry to understand when and where
(and what) fire engineers can be used (for). The draft

document is complete and we are now engaging with

CIC to see if they will adopt them.
The Building (Approved Inspectors etc) Regulations
2010 (regulation 9) spells out the requirements for
independence of approved inspectors, however, we
have found examples in the market where Approved
Inspectors are offering design consultancy and
inspection as a one stop shop via various methods.
The Council believe this is not what was intended and
have sought clarification and better guidance on what
is and is not allowed. Our well-structured case has
been taken to DCLG via CIC and we hope to engage in
constructive dialogue to resolve this issue.

www.fia.uk.com