Frequently Asked Questions
Membership
We welcome applications from individuals, organisations, professionals and students involved in the fire safety industry, at all levels of experience. This includes (and isn't limited to) Fire Safety Managers, Fire Risk Managers and Life (Building) Safety Managers.
Your membership level is determined by a combination of factors, including your qualifications, relevant fire safety experience, and the information provided as part of your application. Each application is assessed individually against the relevant membership criteria.
When considering experience, it is important to note that general Health & Safety roles are not necessarily equivalent to experience gained in a dedicated fire safety role. Your CV should clearly demonstrate the extent of your fire safety experience, including the specific fire-related duties and responsibilities you have undertaken, or currently undertake, within your employment.
All applications are assessed by the Membership Approval Panel, who make their decision based on the overall merits of each case and are considered on a balanced basis.
We welcome applications from individuals, organisations, professionals and students involved in the fire safety industry, at all levels of experience. This includes (and isn't limited to) Fire Safety Managers, Fire Risk Managers and Life (Building) Safety Managers.
We aim to process applications as quickly as possible and complete turnaround is usually within 4 weeks, as long as the information you provide is correct. If you need to follow up on a pending application, please contact [email protected].
Yes, you will be asked to pay a joining administration fee when you apply for membership. If your application is approved, you will receive an email requesting payment of your annual membership fee and this can be processed securely online by following the prompts.
When you login to your profile page, you will see a red UPGRADE button which helps you to upgrade using an online form.
You are welcome to renew your IFSM Membership ahead of its expiry date and we know that a number of our members like to do this.
You can either renew it online through the website, or process it with us over the phone.
To renew it through the website:
- Login to the website at https://ifsm.org.uk/my-profile
- Click the VIEW button in the Subscription & Shop Purchases section on the lower left of your profile page.
- Click the Renew now button and follow the steps to checkout and make payment.
To apply for Fellow grade you will need to make sure you have held Member grade with the Institute for at least 8 years. Once you have satisfied this you can call the office on 0330 355 1286.
The office will carry out checks to verify that you have been at Member grade for 8 years before sending out a form to complete and send back to [email protected].
Accreditation & Training
Yes, the Institute operates a course accreditation scheme. Full details can be found in the Get Your Course Accredited section of the Training Courses page.
The IFSM does not generally deliver training courses directly. Instead, it works with third-party training providers to deliver accredited fire safety qualifications. However, where there is a recognised gap in the market, the Institute may develop and offer its own training or qualifications.
The IFSM does offer an Ofqual regulated Level 4 Fire Risk Assessor qualification as part of the National Fire Risk Assessors Register (NFRAR) Intermediate application process. Please see the questions in the section below for more details.
National Fire Risk Assessors Register (NFRAR) & Qualifications
The IFSM does offer an Ofqual regulated Level 4 Fire Risk Assessor qualification as part of the National Fire Risk Assessors Register (NFRAR) Intermediate application process. This qualification is available to applicants who do not already hold a recognised Level 4 fire risk assessment qualification and who can demonstrate the required level of relevant experience.
The qualification does not require any on-site attendance. It is completed through the Recognition of Prior Experiential Learning (RPEL) process and remote assessments, which are used to verify the candidate's knowledge, skills and competence.
The NFRAR Intermediate Level 4 RPEL (Recognition of Prior Experiential Learning) route is designed for experienced fire risk assessors who have not completed a formal Level 4 fire risk assessment qualification but can demonstrate equivalent knowledge, skills and competence gained through their work experience.
As part of the NFRAR Intermediate application process, applicants can use their prior learning and experience towards achieving an Ofqual-regulated Level 4 qualification. Competence is assessed through the RPEL process and remote assessments, with no requirement for on-site attendance.
The NFRAR Intermediate RPEL (Recognition of Prior Experiential Learning) route consists of three stages, each designed to assess an applicant's knowledge, competence and practical experience as a fire risk assessor.
Stage 1 – Submission of Fire Risk Assessments
Applicants submit a selection of completed fire risk assessments for review to demonstrate the quality of their work and their practical application of fire safety principles.
Stage 2 – Competency Assessment
Applicants complete an assessment comprising multiple-choice, technical and long-answer questions to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of fire risk assessment.
Stage 3 – Competency Checklist
Applicants complete a competency checklist, making declarations against the assessment criteria to demonstrate that they have the relevant knowledge, skills and experience required for Intermediate registration.
No. A qualification demonstrates that an individual has achieved the required learning outcomes, but it does not, on its own, demonstrate occupational competence.
Competence is recognised as a combination of knowledge, skills, experience and behaviours, applied consistently in real-world situations. This is why the Institute does not rely solely on qualifications when assessing applicants. Depending on the membership grade or NFRAR registration level being applied for, we also consider factors such as relevant experience, evidence of competence and any additional assessments or verification processes.
By combining qualifications with these additional checks, the Institute can make a more robust assessment of an individual's competence.
General
The majority of events are open to both members and non-members, however non-members are charged a higher fee to attend. Our online ticket system will let you know if as a non-member you can purchase tickets to an event.
We are always looking for members to get involved. If you think you can help then please get in touch via the Contact page.
Simply login into your account and update the information in your profile. If you encounter any problems or have any questions, please contact us.
Please get in touch via the Contact page.
We are a professional body and not able to provide advice on specific queries, our Technical Subgroup are however able to offer generic advice to NFRAR members and do so without prejudice.
Please send any technical questions to [email protected] and we will do our best to answer.
We expect all members to undertake CPD and we ask that this is recorded within your online profile, so we can carry out periodic audits to ensure our members' knowledge and skills remain up to date. Our full guidance for CPD is available here.