Assembly Point

In the latest episode of Assembly Point Howard Passey, FPA Director of Operations, talks to Lewis Ramsey, Caretaker Manager at BAFE Fire Safety Register and former Assistant Chief Officer for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, about the key areas to consider when looking at the risk management of fire in buildings occupied by vulnerable people such as schools, hospitals, and care homes. Howard and Lewis discuss how crucial it is to have appropriate fire safety measures in place that ensure occupant safety and are cognisant of the premises layout, construction, and features.

The themes discussed in this episode are central to the FPA’s Know Your Building campaign. Find out more about the campaign by visiting: www.thefpa.co.uk/know-your-building.

In episode 8 of the FPA’s Assembly Point podcast, Jonathan O’Neill OBE – Managing Director at the FPA, speaks to Niall Rowan – Technical and Regulatory Affairs Officer at the Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFA), Russ Timpson – Founder of the Tall Building Fire Safety Network, and Allan Meek – Director of Group SCS. Together the panel explores the implications of the Building Safety Bill following the Government’s review of the Building Regulations.

The themes discussed in this episode are central to the FPA’s Know Your Building campaign. Find out more about the campaign by visiting: www.thefpa.co.uk/know-your-building.

In our first panel episode of the series, Claire Wright – Head of Training at the FPA, talks to Anthony Taylor – Chairman of Working Group 8, John Brett – Director of Health and Safety Compliance at Estates & Management Limited, and John Briggs – Commercial Director at the FPA.

Together the panel explores the practical steps building managers can take to ensure they follow the competency framework including the core knowledge, skills, experience and behaviours required for the role of Building Safety Manager.

The themes discussed in this episode are central to the FPA’s Know Your Building campaign. Find out more about the campaign by visiting: www.thefpa.co.uk/know-your-building.

In episode 6 of the FPA’s Assembly Point podcast we talk to Tom Roche, Senior Consultant at FM Global. Following Grenfell, the government introduced the mandatory provision of sprinklers in all high-rise buildings over 11 metres tall.

Tom and Howard explore the fact that sprinklers have still not been made mandatory for all new or major refurbished school buildings in England in the revised Building Bulletin 100 document, and why sprinklers should be made mandatory in all high-risk buildings.

The themes discussed in this episode are central to the FPA’s Know Your Building campaign. Find out more about the campaign by visiting: http://www.thefpa.co.uk/know-your-building

In episode 5 of the FPA’s Assembly Point podcast, join our host Howard Passey as he speaks with Catherine Levin, Political Editor at FIRE Magazine.

Four years on from Grenfell, Catherine and Howard explore if the provision of fire safety has improved since that tragic day in June 2017, whether the subsequent changes in legislation will be enough to bring about meaningful change.

Previously Deputy Head of Community Safety at the London Fire Brigade, Catherine also looks at the support required to ensure local fire and rescue services have the resources needed to undertake effective liaison and enforce fire safety action.

To find out more, listen to this month’s episode or visit our Know Your Building campaign page here:  www.thefpa.co.uk/know-your-building

In this new episode of Assembly Point, the FPA’s Howard Passey speaks to Jane Duncan OBE, chair of the expert panel on fire safety at the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).

Jane discusses how Grenfell was a ‘turning point’ for building safety, and she and Howard explore how architects, construction teams and building owners can work together to understand and prioritise fire safety from the very start of a project.

Drawing on her own experiences, Jane also shares her thoughts on the draft Building Safety Bill and the action that is still needed to support architects in building fire competency.

To find out more, listen to this month’s episode or visit our Know Your Building campaign page here:  www.thefpa.co.uk/know-your-building

This month, we are delighted to talk all things asset protection with Sarah Brodie, Policy Adviser in the General Insurance team at the ABI.

This episode explores the need to protect an organisations’ physical assets alongside the need for life protection. The law doesn't currently dictate any kind of property or business protection. People wrongly assume that the law will protect business assets in full, but this is not the case. In fact, fire services are not obliged to save a business asset in the event of a fire, once there is no longer a risk to life.

How important is it that businesses build their organisational resilience to fire, and what are the consequences of failure to do so? Find out by listening in to this month’s episode.

The themes discussed in this episode are central to the FPA’s Know Your Building campaign. Find out more about the campaign by visiting www.thefpa.co.uk/know-your-building

In this episode, we talk to Sofie Hooper, Head of Policy at the Institute of Workplace & Facilities Management (IWFM) about the need for competence in the provision of fire safety. Sofie leads on the IWFM’s wider policy work and helps to raise the voice of the Institute, its members and the wider FM sector.

We talk to Sofie about the Building Safety Manager role and how facilities managers may adapt for the future to fulfil its requirements. We also cover why greater education, awareness and training is needed, what makes an individual “competent” and what steps those responsible for fire safety should be taking to minimise the risk for themselves, others and the business. This includes the role of fire risk assessments, the facility manager's role in acting on recommendations and the need for a clear and robust fire strategy.  

The themes discussed are all centred around the FPA's Know Your Building campaign, which is seeking to support building managers and owners achieve stronger business resilience when it comes to the threat of fire. Find out more at www.thefpa.co.uk/know-your-building

In this first episode of Assembly Point, we are joined by guest, Jim Fitzpatrick, former Fire Minister and Chair of FIRE AID.

We explore what the future holds for fire safety policy and how we can ensure that changes are enforced properly so that everyone concerned with the design, construction, management, and occupation of buildings are held responsible.

Welcome to the FPA's brand new monthly podcast, Assembly Point. A new collective space to explore and get information on the most pressing issues in fire safety.

Join our host Howard Passey, FPA's renowned and respected fire safety professional, each month as we bring a new guest from across the sector and beyond.

Subscribe today to ensure you don't miss our first episode on February 18th with guest Jim Fitzpatrick, former Fire Minister as we discuss what's next for the fire safety reform.