How We Deliver
FIRE CHAIN
A national approach to fire safety depends on collaboration across a complex landscape of stakeholders, modelled as an eight-link “Fire Chain” to highlight their interconnected roles:
- Policy: Government establishes the direction for safe living and working environments.
- Design: Fire safety must be embedded in the design process, not added later.
- Approvals: Ensures products meet safety standards and professionals are qualified and competent.
- Construction: Aims for a collaborative, high-quality approach to create a fire-safe built environment.
- Occupation: Addresses real-world building use, where human behaviour and changes challenge initial designs.
- Fire and Rescue Services: Requires well-equipped services involved across all stages to ensure effective response and minimal enforcement burdens.
- Investigation: Emphasises learning from all serious fires to adapt to evolving risks.
- Recovery and Rebuild: Focuses on restoring communities, not just buildings, after major fires.
This model underscores the complexity of overlapping stakeholders and regulatory systems, revealing a broader network of interconnected organisations than previously recognised.
THE CONFEDERATION'S ARCHITECTURE
KNOWLEDGE NETWORKS
Knowledge Networks foster collaboration among experts and stakeholders to identify issues, propose solutions, and share best practises, ensuring knowledge benefits for the wider community.
These networks shape the Confederation’s strategy supported by an Advisory Council of fire and construction sector leaders. Their work informs the National Fire Congress, where industry and government address critical issues in a safe, open forum.
Member Forums
Our Members Forum meets four times a year, creating a platform for networking and sharing of professional perspectives across the fire safety landscape.
They provide opportunity for members to raise specific issues for discussion and debate with peers, along with updates on significant legislative change, guest presentations from industry leaders, regulators and government.
National Fire Safety Strategy BOARD
The Confederation’s National Fire Safety Strategy Board is chaired by our strategy director, Tom Roche, with leadership expertise drawn from across a diverse range of sectors including fire safety, fire and rescue, construction, insurance and building control.
Those involved include recognised leaders and experts in the discipline of fire safety from organisations including the Fire Sector Confederation itself, the Fire Industry Association, the Association for Specialist Fire Protection, the Institution of Fire Engineers, the National Fire Chiefs Council, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, AXA Insurance, local authority Building Control, the Construction Products Association Marketing Group and the Construction Industry Council.
The Board’s agenda is informed by the work of the Knowledge Networks and drives the content for the National Fire Congress.
National Fire Congress
The Confederation’s National Fire Congress provides a space where the key stakeholders across the complex fire safety system can engage with government in meaningful, structured dialogue. It aims to establish a consensus on key issues, identify gaps in policy or practice.
Its key goals include:
- Fostering Dialogue: Breaking down barriers between government and the fire safety system by encouraging open, transparent discussions on shared challenges and opportunities.
- Establishing National Priorities: Working collectively to define and refine the most urgent fire safety priorities across the country.
- Driving Policy Influence: Providing government with a consolidated industry voice, offering expert insight that supports the development of effective legislation and regulation.
- Promoting Innovation and Best Practice: Sharing the latest research, technology and strategies for enhancing fire prevention and response.
- Ensuring Accountability and Follow-Up: Creating mechanisms to monitor progress on initiatives discussed and ensure commitments are translated into action.
CONSULTATIONS NETWORK
The Confederation’s Consultation Network is a platform for collaborative and consistent response to fire related consultations.
The Network serves two primary purposes:
To act as a communication hub for sharing intelligence on fire-related consultations.
To allow organisations to develop well-informed responses.
The Network aims to encourage consensus where possible, highlighting areas of common agreement and divergence. The goal is to present policymakers with more cohesive and informed feedback, improving the clarity and depth of responses on critical fire safety policies.
Membership on the Network is open to Federation members and key stakeholders with a vested interest in the fire safety sector, including representatives from the construction and insurance industries. While government departments are not intended to be regular attendees, they may be invited to present or engage in discussions when relevant.
To join the Consultations Network email [email protected]
