What is the secret to the FIA’s success?  In a word, it is our members!  Whilst the FIA staff have been instrumental in making this happen it cannot be said enough that this would not have been possible without the continuous and highly important engagement from our members over the decades in which the FIA has been serving this industry.  Many of our members sacrifice significant time and energy in making the FIA and the fire industry as a whole what it is today.  Through our councils, working groups and various committees on which we are represented we have been proven to be a force for positive and much-needed change within the industry.

Whether it be industry-leading training, unrivalled technical knowledge and expertise or the best place to be ‘in the know’ and have the ability to shape what is going on in the Fire Industry, they all play a part in making the FIA the largest and most influential fire-related trade association in Europe.  However, we are not happy to rest on our laurels, and we have many exciting things planned for the future.  We are aiming to reach 1000 members very soon.  This isn’t just for the sake of it. The bigger the FIA is, the bigger your voice is and the more clout we have to effect change in this industry for the benefit of all.

How will we do this?  Well in many ways, but the real strength we have is the unrivalled knowledge which we can put to good practical use to raise standards.  This is done through our training courses which are constantly being assessed and improved to suit the needs of this ever-evolving industry.  Through our CPD seminars that provide needed updates on standards and legislation that will change the way you work.  Or our industry-leading technical documents and content generated by our councils and working groups. We also influence various committees and government contacts. Finally, the FIA gathers the greatest minds our country has to offer in this industry and through doing so has cemented itself as a thought leader within the fire industry.

As the FIA is a not-for-profit organisation, we are able to focus solely on benefitting our members and public safety – which is exactly what we have done over this past successful year.  The FIA has and will continue to enable members to have a bigger, stronger and listened to voice within the fire safety world.   

We have re-invested your membership fees into formulating best practice guidance, funding research projects and raising the bar on professionalism in our industry (to name but three).

Some of the highlights have been:

• Influencing Government at the very highest levels on all matters of fire protection related topics.  As a result, the FIA have had significant input on the post-Grenfell Hackitt report and the recommendations which have gone back to government via the competency steering group
• Hosting sold-out FIM (Fire Industry Manufacturers) Expos in Reading, Sheffield and soon to be Belfast
• We developed new industry-leading qualifications including the very recent FIA AO Level 3 Fundamentals of Fire Detection and Alarm Systems in Non-Domestic Buildings
• FIA CEO Ian Moore was voted the most influential person in the Fire Industry. This is testament to the power of the collective and truly reflects the work all of the FIA and its members are doing for public fire safety. This has raised the profile of all FIA members and the Fire Industry as a whole
• The largest attended FIA Annual lunch ever where nearly 400 people enjoyed a great day at the best networking event of the year in the fire safety calendar

Here are some quotes from some of our members on what the FIA means to them – excerpts from the FIAs Fireside Chat.

“The FIA is important to me because I'm not originally from the fire industry, so I didn’t have that long-term peer group that I would have had if I joined the industry as an apprentice. What the FIA gives me is an opportunity to meet my peers, on a personal level, that's what I like.

Also, I have learnt a huge amount from being part of the FIA there's a lot of interesting people that I would never have met without it. For instance, I have met my competition in business, but we meet as peers and that has made me realise that the fire industry is massive and there's so much opportunity out there for everyone.”

CEO of a member

“The FIA is important as it is an impartial body and it doesn't have one singular interest at heart but it guides everyone down the right path through its training, thought leadership and its dialogue with the government. In the coming years, I hope the FIA is vital in shaping the legislation that is needed to improve the standards of safety and the lives of individuals.”

Sales Manager of a member

We are continuously listening to our members and the wider industry, and adapting and evolving each year.  Next year we have many valuable events planned including conferences, CPD days and Expos.  We have new training and qualification courses running across the UK and we will be aiming to conduct further research projects for the betterment of all our members and the general public.

In short, life at the FIA is very healthy, and we have big plans and aspirations for the future, there has never been a better time to be on board!”