The government has published an Authoritative Statement setting out the knowledge and skills expected of competent fire engineers, marking a significant step towards regulating the profession in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy.
The statement was produced by the Fire Engineers Advisory Panel, which was established in April 2025 following recommendations in the Phase 2 report of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry. The Inquiry called for fire engineering to become a regulated profession and for clear standards to be established for practitioners.
Beyond defining core competencies, the Panel examined the broader professional landscape, including education, roles, responsibilities, conduct, experience and skills requirements.
The Panel acknowledged the devastating loss of life at Grenfell Tower and the tragedy’s continuing impact on society as the foundation for its work. Rather than prescribing detailed standards, the statement aims to present a vision for the regulated profession, guide future regulatory bodies and education providers, and encourage the sector to strengthen its competencies and ethics ahead of legal requirements.
Stakeholder engagement revealed broad consensus that the approach is both sensible and urgently needed, though challenging to implement. The Panel recognised that fulfilling the statement’s intent alongside the Inquiry’s wider recommendations will be a long-term undertaking requiring careful phasing.
The government has published a Next Steps document alongside the statement outlining how it plans to implement these changes which is available at: https://bit.ly/3KQh1xe
