Trio of appointments signal next development phase at BAFE

Jim Fitzpatrick, the Labour Party’s former Member of Parliament for Poplar and Canning Town, has been appointed in the role of chair for BAFE Holdings. Listing over 20 years’ firefighting experience gained with the London Fire Brigade and having served in a number of ministerial positions, Fitzpatrick brings a wealth of experience from the political and fire safety domains.

In addition, Howard Passey has been appointed chair of BAFE Limited. With over three decades’ worth of experience amassed at the Fire Protection Association in a variety of senior roles (most recently as deputy managing director), Passey brings substantial technical expertise in fire safety and, indeed, is widely recognised and respected across the sector. He has been an independent director serving on the Board at BAFE since 2023.

Finally, Douglas Barnett – long-standing chair and director at BAFE – has been appointed chair of FireQual, BAFE’s dedicated Awarding Organisation. Barnett boasts over 40 years’ of experience in the insurance sector, including 25 years spent leading AXA Insurance’s focused risk management programmes.

Barnett’s appointment ensures continuity of leadership across BAFE as he takes over from Lewis Ramsay, who (as reported by Fire Safety Matters at the time) was recently appointed Group chief operating officer for BAFE Holdings.

Collective experience

Commenting on the appointments, Dr Justin Maltby-Smith (Group CEO) informed Fire Safety Matters: “I’m delighted that Jim, Howard and Douglas have agreed to bring more than 100 years’ of collective fire safety and risk experience to BAFE.”

Maltby-Smith continued: “At a time when significant legislative change is on the horizon, the need for technical and commercial excellence has never been more acute. These appointments afford BAFE the leadership needed to provide the sector with the clarity, standards and practical support required to meet what are now rising regulatory expectations.”

In addition, Maltby-Smith noted: “These appointments act as a clear signal of BAFE’s ambitions for the future of the Fire Safety Register and, indeed, the wider fire safety sector. We’re delighted to have secured this level of expertise for our members.”

Working with industry, certification bodies and Government stakeholders, BAFE continues to define the standards of competence that organisations must meet to deliver fire protection services safely and effectively. Through its BAFE Schemes and register of certified providers, BAFE supports higher standards, improved accountability and greater confidence across the fire safety sector.

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