CONTINUING THE organisation’s commitment to progress, innovation and inclusivity within the fire sector, Steve Hamm outlines new initiatives for 2026 that will reinforce the Institution of Fire Engineers’ (IFE) mission of assisting fire professionals worldwide to excel in their careers.

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TWO YEARS ago, Zzeus Training heralded a landmark moment for the fire and security sectors when the first candidates successfully completed the EAL Level 3 Diploma in Providing Electronic Fire and Security Systems. Those candidates’ certificates were formally presented by Dame Judith Hackitt DBE and recognised by EAL’s managing director Al Parkes, who praised Zzeus Training for being a “pioneer” in the domain of fire alarm systems training.

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SERVICED APARTMENTS and aparthotels are becoming increasingly common across the UK, write Paul Trew, Ian Bailey, David Quinn, Jon Pagan and Ian Moore, particularly so in urban developments and mixed-use buildings. While the layouts of these units are often very similar to standard residential flats, they’re rented out for varying durations from single nights to several months (or even years), in turn creating a grey area when it comes to fire safety compliance and enforcement. This can affect the design as well as the management of these buildings.

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THE STORY that caught my attention recently, notes Tom Roche, wasn’t about fire growth or building loss. It was about confusion. Specifically, the confusion faced by the Fire and Rescue Service when arriving at buildings equipped with a range of fire protection systems.

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AS 2025 draws to a close, the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) can reflect on a remarkable 12 months, writes Steve Hamm. The organisation has worked tirelessly to support and shape the evolving fire safety landscape through key initiatives, strategic partnerships and the continued dedication of its members and volunteers worldwide.

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SAFETY IS a primary concern during fire inspections, writes David Fox, where the right equipment plays a crucial role. Ladders, and notably so those designed for specific environments, are vital in ensuring effective and secure operations.

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2025 HAS been a transformative year for the Fire Industry Association (FIA), writes Helen Whittington, marked by a strengthened international footprint and a renewed commitment to sharing UK expertise across the global fire safety community.

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FIRE RISK assessments are a legal requirement and a vital safety tool underpinning all commercial buildings in the UK. They serve to protect people, property and business operations. Here, Anthony Walker sets out the requirements for, the procedures surrounding and also the significance of conducting fire risk assessments.

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ODDLY, THE image you see below isn’t the burned out hulk of an industrial or commercial building such as the Cannock warehouse that caught fire in May 2024, writes Tom Roche. It’s a photo from Stockholm showing a low-rise residential building left largely uninhabitable after a fire spread across the structure. It catches the attention not because it’s unique, but rather because its familiar. Too familiar, in fact.

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WITH ANOTHER school year about to begin, once again we find ourselves having the same discussion about fire safety guidance, writes Thomas Roche. The last attempt to revise Building Bulletin 100 was back in 2021, but nothing came of it, with Government sliding aspects into the generic design brief for schools. This leaves us with a gap to the guidance written in 2007. In the meantime, schools have continued to face serious fires, leaving communities to deal with avoidable consequences.

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FIRE SAFETY is a critical aspect of any building’s design and ongoing management, writes Paul Smith. While active fire protection systems such as sprinklers, alarms and extinguishers are well known, passive fire protection is equally vital in mitigating the risks associated with fire.

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ARTICLE 21 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 states the designated ‘Responsible Person’ must ensure that all employees are provided with adequate safety training, writes Luke Ventura. It’s a legal requirement that training must be provided from the time the employee is first employed and subsequently if they’re exposed to a new or increased risk.

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THERE IS something quietly encouraging about the story of St Mary’s Catholic Voluntary Academy in Derby, notes Iain Cox. Following its destruction by fire in 2020, the school has been rebuilt, not simply with an eye on sustainability, but with resilience very much front and centre.

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PASSIVE FIRE protection relies on the effective compartmentation of a given building, writes Alec Purdie. It’s made up of fire doors, walls and floors and works alongside active systems such as sprinklers and fire alarms.

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GREEN IS a colour we all see every day. It has multiple uses and is synonymous with nature, calmness, clean energy, sustainability and conservation. Considered by many as the universal colour of safety and ‘go’, we’re even told that green improves focus and is good for us. In the UK at least, legislation dictates that emergency exit signage (ie the ‘running man’ legend) is white on green. Alan Ward examines precisely why.

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WHEN A devastating fire destroyed a once grand and historic hotel (specifically The Claremont Hotel on Eastbourne’s seafront), writes Iain Cox, one could have expected an effort to rebuild and replace it pretty quickly. However, in this particular case it has become a symbol of disruption ever since.

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PHOTOVOLTAIC (PV) SYSTEMS harness sunlight to generate electricity through semiconductor materials, providing a sustainable and renewable energy source. Being electrical systems, though, means that solar PV installations present common fire risks that need to be managed to ensure safety and performance, as Spike Armstrong discovers.

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FIRE SAFETY in hotels has garnered increased attention on recent times following a series of high-profile incidents, writes Thomas Roche. In January this year, for example, the fire at the Grand Kartal Hotel in the Kartalkaya ski resort of the Bolu Province in Turkey killed 78 people. That was global news.

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LAST OCTOBER, the Government announced its continued commitment to the future of education, writes Thomas Roche, by unveiling plans to rebuild another 114 schools across the country. That investment presents an invaluable opportunity to ensure that our school buildings are not just fit for purpose, but also resilient for decades to come. Are we really thinking long-term about fire protection in these rebuilds?

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AS WE continue to step into the New Year, and reflect on fire incidents from 2024, one key question immediately springs to mind: ‘How long does it truly take to recover from and then rebuild after a devastating fire? The lingering scars of fire disasters across the UK remind us all of the enduring challenges involved in recovery and reconstruction, writes Tom Roche.

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The multilayer PCB segment is a big part of our production. In order to support this important segment, we have developed long-standing relationships with a broad factory base. The factories are carefully selected in our sourcing process.

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