FPA partners with FireQual on fire risk assessment qualifications

As of this month, the FPA offers the following full suite of FireQual-accredited qualifications designed to meet the competency levels set out in BS 8674:2025:

*Level 3 Certificate in Foundation Fire Risk Assessment (course dates available now)

*Level 4 Certificate in Intermediate Fire Risk Assessment (course dates available now)

*Level 5 Certificate in Advanced Fire Risk Assessment (course dates coming soon)

Enhanced focus

These new qualifications introduce an enhanced focus on the core competencies detailed within BS 8674. The FPA’s training will equip learners with a means to interpret fire safety plans and fire risk assessment action plans. It will also enable an assessment to be made that ensures additional specialist advice can be sought when necessary (for example when it comes to securing the right technical knowledge necessary to assess external walls by adopting the guidance contained within PAS 9980).

Finally, the new qualifications will enable learners to evaluate the suitability of fire safety features within buildings, subsequently ensuring their awareness of the latest Best Practice techniques and required technical expertise to deliver fire risk assessments.

As a specialist Awarding Organisation for the fire sector, FireQual provides nationally recognised Ofqual-regulated and SQA-regulated qualifications that set the knowledge and skills benchmarks for specialist fire and life safety disciplines. Developed in collaboration with industry experts, the new qualifications reflect current industry needs and support fire risk assessors in demonstrating the competencies required at the foundation, intermediate and advanced levels.

Leading the charge

Commenting on the launch of the new qualifications, Lewis Ramsay (Group chief operating officer of BAFE Holdings, the owner of FireQual) said: “FireQual is at the front end of leading the charge for high quality, regulated and competency-based qualifications in the fire safety sector that evidence skills and knowledge. These fire risk assessment qualifications are aligned to BS 8674:2025 and BAFE’s SP205 Scheme evidence requirements. We are proud to be working with the Fire Protection Association as one of our ‘Approved Training Centres’ to award these qualifications, which offer a progressive pathway for fire risk assessors and set a new benchmark for professional competence in the sector.”

With the Government in England having confirmed that mandatory competence requirements for fire risk assessors will be introduced and independently verified by UKAS-accreditation certification bodies, the FPA’s new suite of qualifications will provide those assessors with a clear route to third party certification through alignment with existing UKAS-accredited schemes.

Bridging course

“We’re delighted to announce our suite of new FireQual-accredited fire risk assessment qualifications,” explained Luke Ventura, deputy head of training at the FPA. “By aligning with BS 8674:2025, we are equipping fire risk assessors with the latest Best Practice advice and technical expertise, enabling them to further demonstrate competency to duty holders and ‘Responsible Persons’. We are now in the process of creating a bridging course for existing learners, helping them to close knowledge gaps, gain the equivalent FireQual qualification and progress to the higher-level qualifications offered by the FPA.”

Learners can complete the qualifications at the FPA’s new Training and Education Centre in Oxfordshire, online or on-site at client premises.

In order to mark the opening of the Training Centre, the FPA is offering a 10% discount on training courses taking place in January, February and March when booked via the FPA’s website using code ‘celeb10’.