|
SINCE MY last President’s Desk, my duties as international president of the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) have involved visits to two events organised within the UK, both of which focused on different key aspects of one of the Institution’s main purposes – that of recognising professional development activities.
In early September, I was invited, along with Mike Hagen, president of the North Western Branch, to participate in an award ceremony held at the University of Salford and organised by Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service. At the ceremony, a number of members of that fire and rescue service’s staff were presented with certificates as a result of their success in several of the Institution’s examinations. As international president, it was heartening to see at first hand the support provided by, among others, Barry Dixon, county fire officer, and Paul Shannon, chair of the fire authority, in demonstrating commitment to the professional recognition and development of staff (see the report in the Member News section).
In the past, IFE examinations have been extensively recognised within the qualifications framework for the UK fire and rescue service but, as a result of changes to this framework in latter years, that recognition had become less clear. However, due to an emerging debate within the UK in recent months relating to operational competence, and the knowledge and understanding required to underpin the necessary levels of competence, there has been a greater re-engagement between the Institution and many fire and rescue services in the UK.
It was encouraging to note at a seminar held in June that 44 fire and rescue services were represented, hearing about the Institution’s current progress in re-establishing its qualifications framework in a relevant way for today’s fire and rescue service. This progress was further cemented at a later seminar and workshop in August, attended by 26 brigades. Fire and rescue services such as Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Northern Ireland and Buckinghamshire have already formally made use of the Institution’s examinations with their own internal professional recognition frameworks.
Much of Greater Manchester’s success can be attributed to the work and long-term support of deputy county fire officer, Tony Proctor, who recently announced his retirement. In recognition of his support for examinations and his other long-standing commitments to the work of the Institution over a career spanning 37 years, it was a privilege to see Tony receive the well-deserved award of Companion.
Shortly after this visit, I had the opportunity to attend a seminar on smoke control and healthcare premises, which was jointly organised by Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service and the Institution’s Eastern Branch. The event, organised by Ashley Theakstone – the branch General Assembly representative – included speakers from Colt International, the Department of Health, and the National Association of Health Fire Officers. It was pleasing to see that the event was well attended, with representatives from a number of local fire and rescue services and various health and hospital trusts present.
CPD policy
Continuing professional development (CPD) has for many years been an important element of the Institution’s purpose. It has a well-established CPD policy and CPD forms a key compulsory element of applications for membership at various grades. There has been an emerging debate about whether CPD should be a compulsory element of membership renewal, as occurs with some professional institutions. However, the IFE’s position, apart from initial applications or applications for upgrades, is currently one of encouraging CPD among its members.
There is certainly a demand for organised CPD events, as evidenced by the event in Hertfordshire. In fact, the Institution receives regular requests from a variety of organisations to accredit or approve events for CPD. As a result, we are looking to explore the possibility of developing agreements with other similarly minded institutions and associations, for the purpose of jointly organising or approving CPD events.
As a professional institution, it is important that the IFE continues to explore the possibilities for improving and enhancing the professional standing of its members, as well as that of other people within the fire profession. Examinations and CPD events are just two ways in which that can be achieved. It is greatly encouraging to see that many other organisations – including Greater Manchester and Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Services, by way of example – think the same way.
|