IFE outlines progress realised on Equality, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

The IFE is fully aware that meaningful progress starts with practical action. As such, several early commitments have already been delivered and are already “making a tangible difference”. For instance, inclusive language and accessibility checks are now embedded into the IFE’s communications and policy sign-off processes. A clear checklist supports teams to do the right thing consistently. Feedback routes are being included wherever possible so that members can inform the IFE on what works and what needs improving.

Further, the organisation has “strengthened transparency and trust” through a more structured feedback system, using clear metrics to understand engagement and satisfaction. This affords a stronger evidence base for decision-making and helps to ensure member voices continue to shape the IFE’s priorities.

IFE branches have been a key focus of the work, with practical guidance, presentations and tools shared with branch leaders to help embed EEDI principles into local activity. This support is designed to strengthen branch culture, encourage inclusive practice and lay the groundwork for future re-engagement across the IFE’s international network.

The IFE has also identified support for members returning to the profession as an important area for future development, informed by member feedback and lived experience. This work will be shaped over time to ensure that it’s practical, proportionate and aligned with professional standards.

Standards and behaviour

Professional excellence depends on a safe and respectful environment. Work is well underway to reinforce a zero tolerance approach towards unacceptable behaviour, supported by strengthened policies and clearer routes for reporting concerns (including anonymously).

Alongside this, the IFE has developed guidance and educational content for employers, helping them to understand what zero tolerance looks like in practice and how to embed it meaningfully within their organisations.

In addition, the IFE is tackling some of the more complex structural challenges facing fire engineering. Examination-based progression routes are being reviewed and modernised, with close collaboration between the IFE and sector partners to ensure alignment with real roles and responsibilities across the Fire and Rescue Services. This work is ongoing, but it represents an important step in making professional progression clearer, fairer and more inclusive.

True inclusion, of course, is sustained over time. As the IFE’s work continues to evolve, the organisation is focused on ensuring that EEDI is increasingly embedded into how decisions are made. This includes exploring how lived experience, professional insight and member feedback can better inform future activity, and also how progress can be reflected and shared in a way that’s meaningful, proportionate and transparent.

To support this, the IFE is using the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Diversity and Inclusion Progression Framework internally to help reflect on progress, identify areas for improvement and benchmark the approach used over time. This will be complemented by periodic member feedback, ensuring that the IFE continues to close the loop between listening, learning and action.

Members at the centre

The IFE’s work doesn’t happen in isolation. Members will continue to receive regular updates through the IFE’s communications, while structured feedback loops will ensure that the organisation keeps listening, learning and adapting. Members’ experiences, challenges and successes remain the most powerful drivers of change.

The IFE concludes: “Together, we are shaping a profession that’s not only technically excellent, but also inclusive, ethical and fit for the future.”

*Further information is available online at www.ife.org.uk