SFJ Awards signposts collaboration to strengthen fire investigations training

The specialist skills required to conduct Tier 2 investigations are currently supported by the Level 5 Certificate in Fire Investigation. The latter is being updated, while a new vocational qualification is also in the pipeline.

The existing qualification is aimed at experienced fire investigation practitioners and is being reviewed in line with the National Fire Chiefs Council’s (NFCC) Competency Framework for Fire Investigation and the NFCC’s Fire Investigation Code of Practice.

The new Level 5 Award in Fire Investigation provides a grounding in the specialism and is the basis for progression to the Level 5 Certificate, which reflects a greater level of competence.

Both Level 5 qualifications offer a progression route from the Level 2 Introduction to Fire Investigation, which provides learners with the knowledge and skills to carry out Tier 1 fire investigations.

The expert Working Group has concluded the initial design phase of the qualifications. That being so, a public consultation is now underway in order to gather stakeholder feedback and ensure the qualifications align with current operational requirements across the sector.

Greater flexibility

Darren Woodhams (Station Commander at the London Fire Brigade) commented: “The introduction of the Level 5 Award alongside the existing Level 5 Certificate provides greater flexibility for learners and employers. By offering qualifications that support different professional development needs, employers can build capability across their workforce in a way that directly reflects operational roles and responsibilities.”

Woodhams added: “Together, they provide complementary routes for professional development, thereby enabling practitioners to tailor their learning to their responsibilities and future career goals.”

David Higham, managing director at SFJ Awards, responded: “Professional qualifications have a vital role to play in maintaining standards, supporting workforce development and ensuring specialist expertise can be recognised and demonstrated consistently across the sector.”

Higham continued: “Through the review of the existing qualification and the development of a new vocational pathway, we want to create a suite of qualifications that supports learners at different stages of their careers, while also reflecting the realities of modern fire investigation practice.”

In conclusion, Higham noted: “This work is being shaped by the sector, for the sector, and will help to ensure fire investigators have access to relevant and high-quality learning and assessment opportunities for years to come.”

Operational demand

The review process comes at a time when Fire and Rescue Services are responding to significant operational demand. In England alone, Fire and Rescue Services attended more than 641,000 incidents in the year ending March 2026, including over 170,000 fires, while the volume of deliberate fires increased to more than 71,000.

By reviewing the existing qualification and introducing a new vocational route that recognises competence developed in the workplace, the project will help Fire and Rescue Services build and maintain the specialist expertise needed to investigate fires effectively, identify causes and support the wider protection of communities.

*Interested parties can view details of the stakeholder consultation process online at sfjawards.com/consultation-sfj-awards-level-5-fire-investigation-qualifications/#consultation