FPA launches CPD courses to assist fire safety professionals

In alignment with BS 8674:2025 Built Environment – Framework for Competence of Individual Fire Risk Assessors – Code of Practice, published in August last year, fire risk assessors should be able to maintain and demonstrate competence across a broad range of fire safety disciplines.

The new courses from the FPA have been developed in recognition of the increasing demands placed on fire risk assessors and ‘Responsible Persons’. They cover a range of emerging fire safety challenges: from fire door compliance and arson prevention through to electric vehicle charging risks and emergency evacuation planning.

Among the new additions is Regulation 10: Fire Door Awareness for the ‘Responsible Person’, which focuses on helping duty holders to understand their obligations under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. The course explores the purpose and scope of Regulation 10, inspection requirements for fire doors, common fire door defects, compliance record-keeping and when specialist fire door inspection or remediation may be necessary.

Importantly, fire professionals will also gain an understanding of the concept of ‘best endeavours’ when inspecting flat entrance doors.

Deliberate fire-setting

Growing concerns around deliberate fire-setting are addressed through the Arson Risk Assessment and Mitigation course. Participants will examine the causes and consequences of arson incidents, identify and assess vulnerabilities across different premises and occupancy types and learn how to incorporate arson fire risk assessments into fire risk assessment practice.

The course also considers how professionals can apply relevant fire safety legislation, standards and recognised guidance around arson risk and recommend and justify proportionate arson prevention strategies and mitigation measures.

Responding to the increasing adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), the FPA has also launched Assessing Fire Safety for EV Charging and Installation. The programme is designed to improve understanding of lithium-ion battery behaviour, thermal runaway and the unique challenges associated with EV fire incidents.

Learners will understand how to implement legislation, standards and guidance, including the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, BS 7671, IET guidance, the Electricity at Work Regulations and RC59 Fire Safety When Charging Electric Vehicles.

Additionally, they will learn how to assess EV charging installations and evaluate building proximity, construction and compartmentation in order to determine potential fire spread risks.

Residential fire safety

Residential fire safety is another key area of focus. The Fire Safety in Purpose- Built Blocks of Flats course examines current legislation and guidance around purpose-built blocks of flats within a modern legislative and risk-based context, including the Building Safety Act 2022.

Topics include technical duties and accountability requirements as mandated by the Building Safety Act, how learners can interpret fire safety legislation and guidance in relation to residential blocks of flats, identify and prioritise risks commonly found in purpose-built blocks of flats and develop proportionate and evidence-based recommendations capable of withstanding regulatory scrutiny.

Supporting improvements in fire risk assessment quality, the FPA has introduced How to Write and Understand a Fire Risk Assessment Report. This course outlines the purpose and legal status of fire risk assessments, reporting structure, action planning and the distinction between hazards, risks, control measures and significant findings. It also aims to assist course participants in identifying weaknesses in reports and improve the clarity and quality of their documentation.

Further training has been developed specifically for duty holders through ‘Responsible Person’ Roles and Responsibilities: Legal Duties, Evidence and Compliance. The course examines the core duties of the ‘Responsible Person’, the significance of Section 156 of the Building Safety Act and the increasing importance of competence, co-operation and record-keeping in demonstrating compliance.

Participants will be able to evaluate whether fire safety evidence and records are suitable, sufficient, current and capable of demonstrating compliance.

Fire doors

The programme also includes BS 8214:2026 – Understanding and Applying the New Standard for Fire Doors, which explores the key changes introduced by the revised British Standard, including its shift towards an evidence-led approach and the impact on installation and inspection.

The course considers how roles and responsibilities are defined across the fire door lifecycle and also how professionals can apply appropriate terminology when compliance cannot be confirmed.

Completing the new offering is Understanding Residential PEEPs and Person-Centred Fire Risk Assessments, which focuses on supporting vulnerable residents through effective evacuation planning. The course examines what Residential Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) are, why they’re required and how to recognise when a resident may need support with emergency evacuation (particularly so where mobility issues or other impairments may affect their ability to evacuate).

The CPD training also covers the purpose of having a person-centred fire risk assessment and evacuation statement and considers what reasonable and proportionate fire safety support looks like in practice, taking full account of resident needs, consent, building risk and escape routes.

Sharing the importance of fire professionals maintaining knowledge through ongoing CPD, Richard Glover (the FPA’s director of training and education) explained: “The new training courses from the FPA are a key part of our ongoing commitment to supporting competence development across the fire sector and helping professionals in responding effectively to what’s now an increasingly complex regulatory and operational landscape.”

*Bookings for the FPA’s suite of CPD courses are now open. Further details of each CPD course can be found online at www.thefpa.co.uk/training