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Fire Industry Association launches ‘Fire Future Today’ anthology
04 March 2024
THE FIRE Industry Association (FIA) is heralding the release of its inaugural ‘Fire Future Today’ anthology: a “compelling” collection of essays that marks a “significant milestone” in the discourse on fire safety’s evolution. Accessible free of charge, the anthology features contributions from 12 distinguished fire sector leaders, each of them presenting their personal vision for what needs to happen when it comes to advancing fire safety and preparedness.

The full list of contributors for the initial ‘Fire Future Today’ anthology is as follows:
*Chris Philp MP (Minister of State for Crime, Policing and Fire)
*Sir Ken Knight (former London Fire Commissioner and Government Chief Fire Advisor for England)
*Yvette Williams MBE (founder of Justice4Grenfell)
*Mark Wilson (operational lead for policy and planning re: Gateway One at the Health and Safety Executive)
*Steve Hamm (CEO, Institution of Fire Engineers)
*Dr Jill Tolfrey (CEO, The Fire Fighters Charity)
*Councillor Frank Biederman (chair of the Fire Services Management Committee, Local Government Association)
*Councillor Jane Hugo (equalities advocate for the Fire Services Management Committee, Local Government Association)
*Andy Frankum (chair, National Social Housing Fire Strategy Group)
*Dr Chris Xiaoxuan Lu (School of Informatics at the University of Edinburgh)
*Steve McGuirk CBE (executive officer, Fire Sector Federation)
*Mark Hardingham (chair, National Fire Chiefs Council)
Collective improvement
Commenting on the anthology, FIA CEO Ian Moore said: “As CEO of the Fire Industry Association, one of my most important roles is to challenge our fire sector to find ways in which we can collectively improve fire safety, both now and into the future. One of the key themes emerging from this series of essays is the urgent need for us all to collaborate more effectively for the benefit of all, removing any divides between the private and public sectors of UK fire safety.”
Moore continued: “It reminds me of a recent conversation I had with a respected Fire and Rescue Service leader in which they said they were hoping 2024 may be the year that a specific problem they were encountering could be solved by a ‘to-be-invented’ piece of firefighter protective equipment. I had the pleasure of letting them know that the exact product they were wishing for had been brought to market last year and could solve their issue today.”
Moore added: “This experienced and knowledgeable individual was delighted and, six weeks later, had successfully implemented the product into the workforce. They later sent a ‘Thank You’ e-mail to me and I found the PS (ie: ‘You don’t know what you don’t know’) inspiring.”
Understanding what we don’t know
Further, the FIA’s CEO asserted: “This is a sentiment the FIA swears by and that’s precisely why we brought together this group of senior fire industry leaders to help us all understand more about the things we don’t know.”
In previous eras, affirmed Moore, it was thought that leadership meant knowing everything. “However, thankfully today we can be honest and humble and relish the fact that no-one knows it all. We can focus on listening to other and more informed views and learn.”
Interestingly, Moore stated: “Personally, I spend half of my time with the providers of fire products and services and the other half with the users of them. This means that I hear what challenges are being experienced by Fire and Rescue Services and local and national Government, while also discovering the best new solutions to them. Every day is a school day.”
Those daily learning moments never fail to make Moore feel proud of the collective fire sector. “I fully appreciate that I’m very fortunate to have the opportunity to realise what I don’t know so often. That’s why I’m so pleased to share this anthology with the sector. I very much hope the insight within these featured essays provides readers with new perspectives on the most pressing fire issues of our time.”
In conclusion, Moore said: “It’s important for me to thank each expert contributor who’s shared their thoughts in this year’s edition. Personally, I’ve found them very interesting. This content has helped us to rethink our ways of working. I hope others derive the same inspiration.”
*The ‘Fire Future Today’ anthology is available to view online
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