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 AT THE beginning of this new year, the staff and the Board of Directors of the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) wish all our members around the world a safe and happy 2008. In every organisation, the new year will bring new challenges and increased expectations. The Institution is no exception, and we are looking forward to a busy year and one in which a number of our initiatives will bear fruit.
Business plan 2008
The IFE has put a great deal of work into its business and financial planning in the last year, and the 2008 business plan will be placed on the website, www.ife.org.uk/, towards the end of January. The plan will describe the various initiatives and projects to be undertaken in 2008 that are being led by Board members, staff and other volunteers. The Institution is able to achieve a great deal because of the excellent work of volunteers and we believe that engaging with the work of the Institution is an excellent source of continuing professional development. If you feel that you could give a little time and expertise to developing the fire engineering profession, or supporting your local branch, we would be pleased to hear from you.
Anniversary year
In October 2008, the Institution will celebrate its 90th anniversary. Work is in hand to mark this occasion with events and activities that will focus on our history and the future of our profession.
Publications
You will see that this year our journal is to be renamed Fire Risk Management and is getting a fresh new style. Revised quality assurance arrangements will ensure that the content maintains the professional standing of the Institution. There is a real wish to see more refereed articles included in the content, and the Publications Committee have renewed their regular appeal for suitable contributions from members.
On the subject of new publications, a range of IFSTA books and guidance is available through the Institution, including the highly topical Wildland Fire Fighting for Structural Firefighters, Incident Management System – Model Procedures Guide for High-Rise Firefighting, and the new 5th edition of Essentials of Fire Fighting and Fire Department Operations. Each publication will be the subject of a book review in the journal in the coming months and all these publications are available at discount rates for members of the Institution through our partnership with IFSTA.
Another partnership, with the Institution of Structural Engineers, provides preferential access to the Guide to the Advanced Fire Safety Engineering of Structures (2007). This guide provides an overview of the available advanced methods for designing structures for fire resistance and should be read in conjunction with the Introduction to the Fire Safety Engineering of Structures (2003), which is also available though the IFE website.
Examinations
Our work on the examinations is bearing fruit, with an increase in applications to sit the 2008 examinations building on the increases we have seen in 2006 and 2007. It is clear that professionals and their employing organisations see the value of our independent and international standards for testing knowledge and understanding in fire engineering. The Institution is working with a number of fire and rescue services in the UK to conduct assessments of the knowledge and understanding of individuals as part of their assessment of competency. There will be more detailed announcements in the coming months.
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